Paul Before King Agrippa

Trumpets, purple robes, and one hall wey full with officers and big people. One king and im sister enter with style to sit down. And then di guards bring one small man wey dem chain. Na im everybody come hear.

We dey Caesarea, for di coast of Judea, where di Roman governor dey sit. Dem don hold Paul for prison here for more than two years. Leaders for Jerusalem accuse am, but nobody fit prove say e do anything wrong. One new governor, Festus, don come, and Paul don use im right as Roman citizen to appeal to di emperor. Now Festus need something wey e go write for im report to Rome. So when King Agrippa and Bernice come visit, Festus bring Paul before dem. Agrippa stretch im hand and talk, You fit talk for yourself now.

Paul talk say e happy to defend imself before one king wey know Jewish customs well well. E tell im story from di beginning. As young man for Jerusalem, e live as Pharisee, di group wey strict pass all. E sure say e suppose fight against di name of Jesus. With authority from di chief priests, e lock plenty believers for prison. When dem sentence dem to death, e vote against dem. E go from synagogue to synagogue dey punish dem, dey try force dem to deny dem faith. Im anger plenty so tey e pursue dem reach cities wey dey far. Na dat kind man Paul be before.

Then e tell di king about di road to Damascus. For afternoon, O king, I see one light from heaven, wey bright pass sun, e shine round me and di people wey dey with me. All of us fall for ground. And I hear one voice wey dey talk to me for Hebrew language. Saul, Saul, why you dey persecute me? E hard for you to dey kick against di sharp stick. I talk, Who you be, Lord? And e talk, I be Jesus wey you dey persecute. Then Jesus tell am make e stand up. E dey send Paul to di Gentiles, to open dem eyes, to turn dem from darkness to light, so dat dem go receive forgiveness. And Paul talk, I no disobey di vision wey come from heaven.

Paul dey explain say di Messiah go suffer and go be di first to rise from death, when Festus cut am short with shout. Paul, your head don turn! Too much book don make you mad. Paul answer am calm. I no mad, most noble Festus; na true and sober words I dey talk. Di king know about dis things, e talk, because dis thing no happen for one corner. Then e turn to Agrippa. King Agrippa, you believe di prophets? I know say you believe. Agrippa talk, Small time and you go convince me make I become Christian. And Paul answer: I dey pray to God say no be only you, but everybody wey dey listen today, go become like me, except dis chains. Di king stand up. As dem dey comot, di officials agree: dis man no do anything wey deserve death or prison. Dem for free am, if e no appeal to Caesar.

To kick against di goad na one popular saying for di Greek world. Goad na sharp stick wey dem dey use drive cow. Cow wey kick back dey only wound imself. Di Greek playwright Euripides use di same picture many centuries before, for im play The Bacchae, for one man wey dey foolishly fight against one god. Jesus dey tell Saul, with words wey di educated guests of King Agrippa go recognise, say to resist am na only pain e dey cause for imself.

Paul before King Agrippa. You go find am for Acts chapter twenty-six. One prisoner wey use im trial to tell di story of how Jesus meet am, and wey wish say im judges fit share im freedom, but no be im chains. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If somebody ask you make you tell your own story of faith, wetin you go talk?