The tenth sermon in the book of Acts: Acts 25:10-Acts 26:22 (specifically Acts 26:2-29)
Setting: A hearing before Festus in Caesarea
Speaker: Paul
Audience: Festus, King Agrippa, Bernice, high-ranking military officers, and prominent city leaders.
Preceding Events: Paul, in an effort to avoid being assassinated in Jerusalem, appeals his case to Caesar (whom he likely assumes will grant him a fair trial).
Overall Theme: Paul shares the story of his life, always the devote follower of God, at first opposing those who follow Jesus and later becoming one of them, with the purpose of telling the Gentiles about Jesus.
Scripture Quoted: none directly, though some of Paul’s story and the words spoken by Jesus are recorded in Acts 9:3-18 and again in Acts 22:3-21.
Central Teaching: Paul hopes and prays that everyone will follow Jesus.
Subsequent Events: Since Paul appealed his case to Caesar, he cannot be set free and instead is sent to Rome.
Key Lesson: Paul’s zealous pursuit of God is worthy of emulation, but despite having done nothing wrong or illegal, Paul remains imprisoned for his faith.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.