Who was the Apostle Paul (the Chief Apostle to the Churches and a converted Pharisee)?

¹Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

 ²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

 ³Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

 ⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

 ⁵Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

 ⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

 ⁷Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

 ⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

 ⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

 ¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

 ¹¹And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

 ¹²Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

 ¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

 ¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

 ¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

 ¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

 ¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

 ¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

 ¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

 ²⁰But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

 ²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

 ²²Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

 ²³That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

 ²⁴And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

 ²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

 ²⁶For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

 ²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

 ²⁸Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

 ²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

 ³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

 ³¹And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

 ³²Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.  (Acts 26)


And, previously,

 

²²And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

 ²³And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,

 ²⁴The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

 ²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

 ²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

 ²⁷Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

 ²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

 ²⁹Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

 ³⁰On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Acts 23

 ¹And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

 ²And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

 ³Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

 ⁴And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

 ⁵Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

 ⁶But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

 ⁷And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

 ⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

 ⁹And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

 ¹⁰And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

 ¹¹And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

 ¹²And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

 ¹³And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

 ¹⁴And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

 ¹⁵Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

 ¹⁶And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

 ¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

 ¹⁸So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

 ¹⁹Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

 ²⁰And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

 ²¹But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

 ²²So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

 ²³And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

 ²⁴And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

 ²⁵And he wrote a letter after this manner:

 ²⁶Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.

 ²⁷This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

 ²⁸And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

 ²⁹Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

 ³⁰And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

 ³¹Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

 ³²On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:

 ³³Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

 ³⁴And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

 ³⁵I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.

Acts 24

 ¹And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

 ²And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

 ³We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

 ⁴Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

 ⁵For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

 ⁶Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

 ⁷But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

 ⁸Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

 ⁹And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

 ¹⁰Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

 ¹¹Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.

 ¹²And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

 ¹³Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

 ¹⁴But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

 ¹⁵And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

 ¹⁶And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.

 ¹⁷Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

 ¹⁸Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

 ¹⁹Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.

 ²⁰Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

 ²¹Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

 ²²And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

 ²³And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

 ²⁴And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

 ²⁵And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

 ²⁶He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

 ²⁷But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.  (Acts 22-24)

 

²I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

 ³And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

 ⁴How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.  (2 Corinthians 12)

 

⁴But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

 ⁵In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

 ⁶By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

 ⁷By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

 ⁸By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;

 ⁹As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

 ¹⁰As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.   (2 Corinthians 6)

 

¹¹But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

 ¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 ¹³For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

 ¹⁴And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

 ¹⁵But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

 ¹⁶To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

 ¹⁷Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

 ¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

 ¹⁹But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

 ²⁰Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

 ²¹Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

 ²²And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

 ²³But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

 ²⁴And they glorified God in me.   (Galatians 1)

¹Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

²Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

³And this will we do, if God permit.   (Hebrews 6)
 

¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

 ¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

 ¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

 ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

 ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

 ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

 ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.   (Ephesians 1)


And, finally,

¹For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

 ²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

 ³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

 ⁴Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

 ⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

 ⁶That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

 ⁷Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

 ⁸Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

 ⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 ¹⁰To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

 ¹¹According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

 ¹²In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

 ¹³Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

 ¹⁴For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 ¹⁵Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

 ¹⁶That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

 ¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 ¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

 ¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 ²⁰Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

 ²¹Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.   (Ephesians 3)