Of Cabbages and Kings

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Study Group meeting April 18 and studying Acts 26.  This chapter represents the most detailed testimony of Paul, and the last recorded.  From here on is the trip to Rome.  Some excellent elements are touched almost unnoticed, like repentance.  Others, like Paul's desire to pull others into his faith in Jesus are obvious.

Read through the chapter several times noting various things that make you wonder why, what, how, or who.  Jot those questions down.  Imagine you are in the court room, don't just read, listen to Paul; watch him deliver his defense, note his gestures and expressions.  Look around at the crowd, watch their expressions and behaviors.  Read through again reading slow and intentionally.

After jotting down some questions, be sure to look around for some contextual pieces that may help explain various curiosities in the chapter.  After you have a good handle on the chapter, go back through with these questions.  You may have asked them already or ones very like them, consider what you learn from the view from a different 'knot-hole'.

• Why does the king give permission to Paul and not Festus?
• How does Paul begin his defense (in verse 1)?
• Where does Paul begin to explain himself?  What does he say about his "origins" that seems surprising?
• What does Paul claim forms the basis of the accusations against him?  Why go back to this?
• What does Paul say his belief has in common with all Jews?
• In verse 9 what does Paul begin to unpack from his past?  Why bring that up?
• In verse 14, what part of his vision do those with him experience?  How does that correspond with Acts 22:9?  Or with Acts 9:7?
• How does the charge God gives to Paul differ here from the wording in Acts 22?  Who gets the gist of this charge in Acts 9?
• In verse 20, the wording is typically "repent and turn to God", but really, what's the difference?
• Look up "repent" and "turn" in the Strong's listing on the Blue Letter Bible.  What's the difference between them?  Which one do we typically think of as "repentance"?
• How does Paul view repentance?  What else is necessary?
• In verse 21, for what reason did the Jews seize Paul in the temple?
•  What has enabled Paul to stand and speak in that place?
• What support does Paul claim for his faith?
• And what does Paul claim they support?  What is his faith in?
• Who can't stand his testimony any further?  Of whom does his response remind you?
• What does Festus claim has happened to Paul?
• Toward whom is Paul's testimony focused?  What does Paul claim about him?
• What does King Agrippa say?  What is odd about his comment?
• How does Paul respond?  Who is trying to convince?
• How is this defense a legal defense?
• How does the king respond to Paul's reply?
• What seems to be the consensus of everyone there?
• Why is King Agrippa's comment odd?

Be sure to go back over your questions and fill in gaps in my set.  Consider all of them, and be ready for a lot more 'knot-hole' views on Thursday.