 continue on. So, yes, thank you. Thank you Kiran for that. Let's pray and we can get started. Let me just have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we are so grateful, Lord, that you have carried us. You have brought us, O God, through to the end of this course. And Lord, we thank You for Your presence in our lives. We thank You, Holy Spirit, that Lord, You are bringing Your Word alive. And, God, every word that we are learning, we pray that, Father, God, that You will strengthen our spiritual walk with You. And Lord, Bross, close it to You. And Lord, the mandate which You have given us, Lord, to serve You here on the Earth, Father, that You will empower us, Lord, to do that and do that well. Father, we commit ourselves, Lord, every student who's part of this course, let your hand of blessing be upon each one. We thank You. We commit this session, today's session, O God. We pray, Holy Spirit, that You will emphasize and highlight, Lord, the things that we need for our lives. We thank You once again. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Okay. So, as I said, we will spend some time recapping, recapping what we have learned in the last class. The last class as such, you know, we were unable to complete it because I was having some power issues from my side here, internet and all that. But what I'll do is I'll quickly recap, starting at chapter 24, you know, for the sake of other students who have missed the class and those who are on e-learning, because that video was not uploaded. So I will need to recap. I hope this batch will bear with me for doing that. All right. So here we are. We saw how Paul was taken from Jerusalem and he was brought to Caesarea. And the main reason why this was done is because the commander in chief, you know, he realized that if Paul were to continue in Jerusalem, there were men who are waiting to kill him and they had planned with the high priest and the council to do that. They were so zealous to kill him that they said that we are not even going to eat till Paul dies. So that was the zeal with which they were waiting to kill him. So finally he was brought to Caesarea in a very wise way. They brought him, you know, with troops and the timing was planned such that he's protected. And so he comes to Caesarea. Here he is handed over to Felix, the governor and the person handing him over writes a letter saying, okay, here is this man and he needs to be right or he needs to, like, we need to know what mistake he has done so that if he is free, he can be set free. But if he is guilty, then he can get the punishment that he deserves. So here he is in front of Felix. And we saw how after five days Ananias, the priest comes by along with a speaker by the name of Tertullian and Tertullian with all his wonderful flattery and praises to Felix begins to make the accusation. And then, you know, he says about Paul that this person that he is a great trouble for the Jews. So he calls him a plague. He calls him creator of dissension. And, you know, he says he's the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. So basically the picture which is portrayed of Paul is as if he's a rebel, as if he's leading people astray with all kinds of wrong teachings. And, you know, as if he was such a troublemaker that he was seized in the temple. And, you know, it's told about him that even try to profane or defile the temple. So lots of accusations against Paul. But now Felix has to decide whether these accusations are true or not. So now that Ananias the priest has presented his points, Felix tells Paul, okay, come on, you defend yourself, you share with us, you know what exactly you have done. So, you know, this is one passage from where we can, in fact, when Paul tries to defend himself before all these rulers, we will see later on that Felix will be replaced by Festus. And then later, you know, Paul will talk to King Agrippa as well. We understand a little more about the life of Paul. So, you know, all these descriptions, because our course is also not just about the work that God released through the apostles and believers of the first century, but also spent more specifically Paul. We have understood his personality, we've known that he's so passionate, but a little more about his upbringing, a little more about his encounter, even in Jerusalem, he narrated it, you know, how he had that encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. So we are coming to know a little more about Paul in detail. So now Paul begins to talk. Okay. So now Paul explains, he says, look, I was there in Jerusalem, no more than 12 days to worship. They did not actually find me the way he's calling Paul a rebel. Paul explains and says they did not find me disputing with anyone or inciting the crowd, inciting the crowd is like, you know, inviting people against the Jews or the authorities. Paul never did anything like that. So he is explaining that and he says, look, these people cannot even prove the things which they are accusing me of. However, he does confess of something and that is he says that he is somebody who follows. Remember, we said that the Christians, those days were known as the followers of the way. Okay, way, WAY. And so he affirms that and he says, yes, I'm a follower of the way. I worship, I worship the God of my father. He's trying to make an appeal saying that he is not against the religion of the Jews. Okay, so he said, I follow the God of my fathers. I believe all the things which are written in the law and in the prophets. And then, you know, I have hope in God. And then he begins to explain, he says that, look, I was only talking about resurrection. Okay. And yeah, and I also believe that I must have a good conscience without offense towards God and men. And that's what Paul tried to do. You know, that I explained to us last time that this verse 16 is so commendable because as a minister of God, sometimes we get caught up in doing one or the other. We try to maintain a good conscience before God and we don't care about people or whatever they want to say, let it be, you know, whatever they think about my testimony, let it be. But on the other hand, sometimes we tend to please people and we are not true to God, but Paul, you know, he gives testimony and he says, look, I'm striving, I'm striving to have a conscience without offense toward God or God and men. So he is trying to explain himself just the way he spoke earlier when he stood before the council. He said, I have had good conscience. I've done things based on the correct good conscience that I have towards God and men. That's when he got slapped, if you remember. But he continues to say the same message that I'm actually not guilty. I am following the law of my fathers and I believe in what the prophets have said. And after many years, I had actually gone to the temple and they did not find anything wrong in me. However, when I started to talk about the resurrection, the crowd began to sort of get upset when he stood before the council. If you remember, there were Pharisees and Sadducees and he brought up this issue about the resurrection and there was a contention. That's when the commander decided that he should take Paul out of there because of the fear that he is a Roman citizen. If at all something happens to Paul under custody, then the commander would be blamed. So he explains himself in this manner. Felix, once he has heard all these matters, instead of making a decision, Felix could have made a decision because he is the authority at this time. However, he listens and what he does is he says, okay, for now, let us adjourn this meeting. I will wait for Lysius, the commander to come and then we will make a decision. So basically, it's a procrastination tactic. Procrastination is we'll do it tomorrow. We'll do it day after. So he does that. And he also has some kind of a favor upon Paul and he tells Paul that he gives the permission, okay, let people visit, let him have some liberty while he is in the prison. And then after a few days, he comes back with Drusilla, his wife who is Jewish, because once again, he wants to hear Paul out. So the thing about Drusilla is that we know that it was not the right kind of a marriage. It's likely that he had, she was in another marriage and Felix had seduced her into marrying him. So there was something wrong with the marriage. So when she brings his wife, at that time, Paul continues, he shares and they are ready, both husband and wife, they want to listen to what Paul has to say. So Paul narrates. But you see the context, Paul understands that this man needs to know the truth. So he does not put the gospel in a very, very, you know, it's okay, whatever you do is fine, that kind of a way, because he understands that this man has to come to repentance. So he reasons with Felix and obviously Drusilla was listening. He reasons about righteousness, about self-control and about judgment to come. So he is telling him the gospel. He's being truthful about it. And when we know that the Holy Spirit brings conviction, right? So look at this. Isn't it a great way in which Paul has displayed his courage? He's standing before the authorities and he could have said something nice and escaped. But he didn't do that. He shared the truth of God's word and Felix heard about judgment, about doing the right thing. He realized that he was actually in the wrong. So he got scared. He was afraid. And he told Paul, okay, now you go away. I'll talk to you at a time which is convenient. I'll call you at that time. So, you know, sometimes this happens, people are, you know, they are uncomfortable when they hear the gospel. Now, later on in his lifetime, did Felix hear and respond to the gospel? Again, it is not recorded by Luke though. We would have to look into other historical reports to see, you know, whether he really responded to the gospel. But here is Paul, you know, standing up and speaking to the kings. You remember? It was prophesied over him. God told him that you are going to stand before kings. You're going to take the message to the Gentiles and to the kings. Even though this setting was unusual, he's under custody and yet God is making it happen that he's standing before kings and proclaiming the gospel. So, when you look at the way Felix dealt with Paul, we realized that he was not responding to God. Maybe he, you know, there seemed to be like a hard heart where he knows that Paul is innocent. Look, if there is something to convict the person about, that could have happened immediately, isn't it? But here is Felix dragging it. Another reason is that he does not want to admit his own sin. If he admits his sin, he has to deal with the situation. He is in a wrong marriage here or he hasn't done it in a righteous way. He will have to repent of it. He will have to take steps to show God that he's living a righteous life and Felix was not ready to, you know, come clean before God as well. And which is why we see that after listening to the testimony of Paul, he's not really doing anything. He's just dragging it. Okay, we'll listen to you tomorrow. Then after listening to the the Gospel that Paul shared, Felix is saying, I will hear you at a more convenient time. You know, again, the Gospel is for now, isn't it? What is a convenient time? Who knows what happens to a human being tomorrow or later or next moment. So, the Bible encourages us that salvation is today. It is right now. And every person, the moment they hear the Gospel, it is wonderful, you know, if they respond positively to the Gospel. But Felix is dragging his feet on this matter. And he's not even releasing Paul. Now, another thing that we see here in Acts 24 is that he wanted money from Paul. So, he's going back and forth, back and forth on this matter. And he's just keeping Paul in custody. So, apparently, two years, Felix dragged the matter. So, in Caesarea, you know, Paul is there for two years. After two years, you know, Festus, there's a man, another man, he succeeds, Felix. Okay, and Felix is leaving Paul in custody also because he wants to please the people. Because, you know, like Ananya, the high priest had come. And so, he seems to have affiliations with the people. So, he does not decide based on justice. Okay, now, the next person Festus, what is he going to do? Is he going to be any just to Paul? Let us see. So, now coming here, this person, he goes up to Jerusalem. And over there, he meets with the council, you know, people involved in the council. And they encourage him and they say things like, hey, why don't you bring him here? You know, let him present his case over here. And then, you know, we will make sure that we will, you know, kill him. So, there was this whole plan to kill Paul. And Festus was encouraged to have the trial in Jerusalem. Now, once he was there, he comes down to Caesarea. And the next day, he sits and he asks Paul to be brought so that he can hear him. Yeah. Again, Paul, he defends himself. He says, neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in anything at all. So, Paul is quite firm that he has not done anything against his conscience. He has not done anything against the people who he is being accused of, sort of, you know, putting them down or going against. So, Festus, you know, he tries his best. He asks him, okay, come on, Paul, are you willing to go up to Jerusalem? Over there, we can judge you, you know, concerning these things. So, Paul, he says, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, okay, where I ought to be. So, Paul takes a stand. He understands. Felix did not do anything about my situation. And now Festus is trying to put me in a difficult spot. If I go to Jerusalem, I might be killed. So, he uses the knowledge of the law of the land. He has a Roman citizen. He had the right to appeal to Caesar directly. Now, Caesar is the highest authority in Rome. So, he decides, okay, there's no use talking to Felix and Festus and whoever else. So, he says directly, I appeal to Caesar, okay. I stand at Caesar's judgment and then he goes ahead and he says, I appeal to Caesar. Because I, you know, I am not an offender. I'm not commented anything deserving of death. I do not object to dying. But if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. So, he does not want to die under their hands and he just appeals to Caesar. So, Festus, he takes up this request and says, okay, you have appealed to Caesar. I'm just going to send you to Caesar. End of matter. You no longer will be kept here for trial. But we are going to send you to Caesar. But around that time, we see that King Agrippa was visiting, okay, Caesar. Now King Agrippa is in the lineage of Herod. We have seen Herod, you know, the different Herods and all the things that they did evil. There was a Herod who tried to kill Jesus. And then, you know, later on in that generation came another Herod who killed James in the leadership of the early church. So, these people were hostile to the work of God, but they were aware of the work of God. So, Herod was aware of coming from that family, I'm sure. He would have been aware about Jesus and the church and all of that. So, here is King Agrippa, okay, from that family. And he is coming with his wife, Bernice. Again, we learn that this marriage also was not the righteous marriage, okay. So, people say that there was incest. Incest meaning like, you know, in the old law, it says that you should not marry, you know, your own brother or sister or something like that. So, here in this case, it is somewhat like that, okay. And that's what some historians say. So, there was something wrong with the marriage arrangement which Agrippa had with Bernice. And they came to Caesarea, they wanted to greet Festus. And when they had been there for some time, Paul, you know, Festus, he wanted Paul to be brought before Agrippa as well, okay. Now, we know that already Paul had appealed to Caesar, but still, you know, Festus thought, okay, this man is around. Let him also speak to King Agrippa. So, he brings this matter before Agrippa and, you know, he says, okay, certain such accusation is there against him. And, you know, I had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, who Paul affirmed to be alive. So, Festus does not seem to know a lot about this Jesus and the way. However, you know, Agrippa probably knew a little more about Jesus and the early church. So, Festus says, because I had all these uncertain questions, I asked him whether he's willing to come to Jerusalem, but, you know, he's not willing. So, you know, he is going to be sent to Caesar. So, Agrippa says to Festus, he says, okay, let me just hear him myself. And let's see, not that they are going to make a decision about Paul, but he's just open to hearing what this man has to say. So, the next day, you know, Agrippa says, okay, tomorrow you bring in, right? And Festus says, okay, tomorrow we will bring him and you listen to him. So, next day, you know, it's like a very wonderful ceremony where you have Agrippa and Bernice and they are ready along with Festus and, you know, commanders, prominent men in the auditorium and they are ready to listen to Paul. Okay. Yeah. And then Festus again, he explains to Paul that I did not find anything deserving of death. Okay. When Paul narrated his story, however, you know, let's go ahead and listen. Let's go ahead and listen to this person. Okay. Because it seems unreasonable to send a prisoner and to not specify the charges against him. So, basically, the reason why Festus wants Paul to narrate everything before Agrippa is that he wants to know the reason with which he can send him to Caesar. You know, otherwise, it'll be like this person has appealed to come to you, Caesar, we are sending him to you, but he wants to send with the reason. Right. So, you know, with this itself, we can understand that Paul did not do anything so, you know, obviously wrong for people to drag the case for so long. The reason it got dragged this, there was nothing that people could actually identify. Now, again, this is a really wonderful challenge for us as ministers of God. Just think about it. If you and I were caught and we were accused, you know, they did this against the law, they did this against this community, that community. But if that is confirmed against us, you know, that's quite sad, isn't it? Because we are in trouble. Sometimes it's unfortunate that leaders, ministers of God, pastors, we get into trouble for doing things the wrong way. Okay. And that is not God's responsibility. But if we have done what is right and we are in trouble, you know, that is something very honorable. And that is how Paul was because already commander rescued him, council couldn't find anything wrong with him, Felix couldn't find anything wrong, Festus couldn't find anything wrong. In fact, Festus wants to send him to Caesar. So he wants a reason that's the, that's the premise on which he is asking Agrippa to listen to him. Right. So that is so powerful for a minister of God to be so right. Remember Paul later on in the epistles and all he writes, he says, you must that our ministry should not be blamed. Even when we do have a ministry, we should do it in such a way that there is no reason with which people can blame us. And you saw how in acts 24 verse 16, right? He says that, that his conscience that this right before God and man. So that is the way in which Paul did ministry and he encouraged people also to do it in the same way. So you see here there's no reason. Okay. Against it. But anyway, Agrippa, now he's standing in front of Agrippa and Agrippa tells him, okay, you're permitted to speak. Go ahead. You share about what you have been doing. So, you know, Paul goes ahead, he says, I'm happy King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things which I am accused by the Jews and especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Look at the boldness of Paul, he knows that Agrippa is part of the lineage of the Herod's. So what if this man, he does something against me? Paul is confident. I didn't do anything wrong. I've done my best to do what is right. In fact, so, you know, whenever we do what is right, there's a great courage that comes with it. So he's bold and look at it. He says, I'm happy King Agrippa, which prisoner will say that. So you see the boldness of the minister of God, even in the face of tribulation and trial. And that is how Paul was. And Paul is also happy because he knows that Agrippa will be well aware. That's why he says, you are an expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. And he says, please listen to me. I beg you, please listen to me patiently. So now he starts to narrate earlier, when he spoke in the temple to the Jews, that time also he said that this is how I was trained by Gamaliel and I encountered Jesus. I was a persecutor. So many things, details about his life. Again, he's going to open up and share more. So we will understand about Paul and his life in what he is telling Agrippa. So he says, you know, my manner of life from youth was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. So he's saying that he too, like his life, right, from the beginning, that he has been like a faithful Jew and also others know it. And they knew that he is a very, very strong follower, right, among the Jews. And he says that I lived a Pharisee. So we know that he says that he lived a Pharisee. He lived and then he says strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. So he had practiced the life of a Jew. Now remember the council that heard him, like them or even better, you know, he had already practiced that lifestyle. So he had lived the strictest sect of the religion. He lived a Pharisee. So when you talk about the background of Paul, you know, we know his region, Tharsis, Silesia, those were the regions from where he came. He was trained under Gamaliel. Now you see this also, he lived a Pharisee. So he lived a very strict regimented, disciplined, pious life as a Pharisee. We know, right, when you talk about Pharisees, they are so strict about the practices, about the customs that even they argued with Jesus on so many things. So if you can imagine, if Paul lived a life as a Pharisee, he has practiced the religion very, very closely. And then he says, you know, now I stand and I'm judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our Father. So you see here, you know, the wisdom with which he speaks, similar to Peter. When Peter stood before the Jews, he mentioned about the, about, you know, the law, he mentioned about the prophets, right. So the context, what do these people understand? So here again, Paul, he knows, this is Agrippa knows about the Jewish culture and, you know, about the prophets and things like that. So he says that he is not somebody who has gone against the Jews because right now what is the accusation that he is a rebel against the Jews and their culture? So he says, no. In fact, the, the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, okay, he had actually lived for that, but now he's been judged for that. So he says that look, that promise, okay, to this promise are 12 tribes earnestly serving God day and night, hope to attain for this hope, saking Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. He says that I've already believed in it, but still these people are accusing me. And then he says, why shouldn't it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? So he is actually trying to let Agrippa think, see, I told you that Agrippa was aware of the laws of the Jews and, you know, the traditions of the Jews and he knew that, you know, this Jewish God, he's a good God and that he is a powerful God, that he is a God of miracles. So in understanding Paul, right, Agrippa would have also had questions because you remember the issue which was brought up before the council was the resurrection of the dead, isn't it? So he's appealing to that knowledge that Agrippa already has and he says, look, I think you already know that this God can raise the dead. So like, what is the big contention here? Why shouldn't it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? So Paul is saying, we know our God, we know based on the law which was given by the prophets and the way God revealed himself to his people that he is a miracle-working God and that he can raise the dead. So what is this whole issue about? Okay, isn't it simple for God to raise the dead? Because these are all the matters, you know, based on which he was accused. Okay, so moving forward, he says, look, it's not that I am following all this, you know, right from the start, but he's explaining, try to understand, I was a Pharisee, I was very strictly following these rules and he says that, in fact, I went against the name of Jesus of Nazareth and in fact, I went, I took the permission from the chief priest and I persecuted. Okay, how did he persecute? We remember, okay, Acts 9, we saw how he shut up people in the prisons. So he is explaining himself, I did all those things, okay, and I punished people often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme, meaning talk against. Okay, the Lord Jesus Christ and he also says, I was extremely enraged against them. So you can imagine that Paul was angered. Okay, it's just amazing to look at that personality of Paul that he was, was he somebody who lost his temper when he heard about Jesus and all the testimonies that the then believers had to share? Yes, you know, Paul was extremely angry. Now, this also reveals to us, you know, what kind of an opposer he was today, you know, we could look at people and wonder, how can they be against God like this? How can they be so angry with God and, you know, the things of God, the people of God? How can people persecute the believers like this? You see the life of Paul, he's explaining, he's saying he was very religious and sometimes what people do is they think they are following their religion, they think they are serving God. You see that Paul is explaining. He also thought that he's doing something very righteous and in that manner, he persecuted the church or the believers, he put them in prisons, he punished them, he asked them to say wrong things about the gospel, he got angry when he, you know, saw them. So in this way, he persecuted them where? In one place? No, he's going zealously, passionately, he's taking permission, he's going city after city, he says even to foreign cities. So can you imagine the passion which he has against the gospel and believers? So, you know, even in past times, such things have happened and Paul is explaining it to himself and then, he goes ahead and he explains about what exactly happened, that changed him. Then he says, look, while I was doing these things, I was journeying to Damascus, okay, again with some permissions. But at midday, now he's narrating, he says at midday, oh king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, you know, again, fascinating midday, it's already bright enough in the Middle East, he says light brighter than that, how can somebody even see such a light? But he's saying midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun shining around me and those who journeyed with me. Then, you know, he goes on to explain, he says that I heard a voice and that voice, it said Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the gods. So then, you know, he repeats that conversation. So he asked, okay, Lord, who are you? And then the voice said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet and I have appeared to you for this purpose. Then, you know, the voice also gave him the reason for which he was speaking to Paul. He says that I will make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. So God is saying that I'm putting you in service. So look at this, what was the kind of life that Paul had to live, the life of a minister, the life of a witness. So life of a minister is what service, service unto the Lord. Witness is what? We are here to represent, reveal, okay, the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's the life for which he was called. And you know, God also promised him and said, I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I send you. So God already knew that Paul will have challenges, he will have troubles. But God gave him the assurance that he is going to be released from these troubles, okay. And look at this, you know, so beautiful, verse 18, I am here in Acts chapter 26, okay, this verse 18 is really beautiful. This shows the ministry that Paul has to do. He says to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light. So you know, when we think about our ministry, same thing, similar, God has called us to be ministers, God has called us to be witnesses and do what? Open the eyes. There are people who don't know about Christ. So to open their eyes and then do what? Once their eyes are open, what eyes are we talking about? Spiritual eyes, okay, the spiritual lives, eyes of the people needs to be open for them to understand the gospel. So spiritual eyes of the people must be open. And then, you know, they must turn from darkness to light. So it talks about a lifestyle, it talks about, you know, a life of discipleship, it talks about the way Jesus had gone to all the world, made disciples. So we are here to bring people already in the spiritual realm, it has happened. When one is born again, they're translated, you know, from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. But we are here also to disciple them, right, to bring them out of the darkness. You know, maybe people are living in sin, they are living in, you know, rebellion against God, they're living in disobedience, they are living in a way that their old life is continuing even as believers. But we are here to turn, first of all, their eyes have to be open. When they are born again, they will turn from darkness to light. But also, you know, we bring them into that life of discipleship, okay, where they are able to live that life for God. And also spiritually, what are some of the other things that happen to one when we take the gospel to them, that from the power of Satan to God, okay, they are being delivered from the power of Satan to God. Isn't that wonderful? You know, it just talks about who we are in Christ. We are no longer under darkness. We are no longer under Satan. We are not slaves of Satan, but we are slaves of God. Okay, so that is so powerful. And Paul is saying that that is the ministry which God gave him to be a minister, to be a witness, to open the eyes of the people, to turn them from darkness to light and also from the power of Satan to God and in continuation receive forgiveness of sins and have an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, you know, all these spiritual things happen when people accept Christ, okay, and that is the ministry to which he was called. So, he says, therefore King Agrippa, you see, I had this heavenly vision and from the time I had this heavenly vision, I have been very, very obedient to it, okay. So, in verse 19, he says, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Now, what do you want me to do when God has spoken to me? I should obey it. So, he says, from the time I heard it, I was on the opposite side, very zealously persecuting. But now I am on this side. I did not, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Now, in the same way, each one of us, you know, we have a call or we have a purpose, we have a heavenly vision. Paul gave, God gave Paul this heavenly vision and said, this is what your life is about Paul. It's the same way. Can we stand up and say, God told me, I should serve him like this. I was not disobedient to the call of God on my life. So, that is the testimony of Paul. You know, he's so boldly standing at the, this is almost, his ministry is not yet over. We'll see that some more, you know, he'll, we will see him ministering. But then he has done it well and he has done his best. So, that is why he has the courage to say, I was not disobedient to what God told me to do. So, that's a challenge for us. Can we, can we say that at the end of our lives, that I was not disobedient? God called me, I have done what he asked me to do. So, then he narrates, he says, look, I declared it in Damascus, in Jerusalem, then, you know, all the regions of Judea I went, I went to the Gentiles, I told them, I invited them to repent, turn to God and live a life, which is befitting of repentance. Okay. So, for all, for these reasons, the Jews have taken me captive. Okay. And they're trying to kill me. Okay. And I have taken help from God to this day. I stand witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come and the Christ would suffer that he would be the first to rise from the dead and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. So, he is revealing that he has been faithful to the heavenly vision and also to what the the prophets have already said about the Messiah and he's trying to connect it to the life of Jesus. And he's saying, look, if you believe the prophets, you shouldn't believe Jesus. What is it that I'm saying wrong? Like, basically, it was like that. What is it that I'm saying wrong, King Agrippa? You think about it. Okay. So, now Agrippa has heard everything he has heard about, oh, wow, this man was like that. Now, he has been zealous about this heavenly vision. He is a keeper of the law. The Jews are accusing him of the opposite of what to do. So, Agrippa, he would respond to Paul. But before that, Festus responds. Remember, Festus has no idea or rather not much idea about the Jews and the law and all that. So, he tells Paul, you are beside yourself. Okay. Too much of learning is driving you mad. So, you see, when somebody is not born again, right, they are not able to understand what Paul is talking about and not just about being born again. But he is not familiar with the Jewish God as such. So, is it a thing incredible for God to raise the dead? Paul asked. So, Festus must be thinking, what are you talking about? When somebody is dead, they are dead. How can God raise the dead? So, that is why he makes the statement. And he says, I think you are mad. Paul, you are reading too much. You are reading all kinds of books. No wonder you are talking about people being raised from the dead and such things. So, Paul says, look, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I speak the truth and reason. Then he says, the king before whom I speak, he knows these things. So, Agrippa knows. You don't know, but Agrippa knows and I am convinced that none of these things escape his attention. So, now he asks Agrippa. You see, Paul could have narrated all this for his own defense and left it and said, Agrippa, tell me whether I am guilty or whether I am innocent. But the question which Paul asks, Agrippa is king Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. So, it's actually a call to salvation. So, Paul in the call that God gave him and said, you are going to stand before kings, governors, great men and you are going to proclaim the gospel. He already spoke to Felix. He shared the gospel. Now, to both Festus and Agrippa, he shared the gospel. What is the response of Felix? Not now. I don't have time. You come later. When I have some free time, when I have convenient time, we'll see, we'll think about this, you know, because he got scared. He has to live a life the way, you know, Paul said, you should live a life bearing fruit of repentance, but Felix was not willing. For him, sinful lifestyle, money, corruption, power, pleasing the people, all those things were important. Now, what about Festus? He is just saying, oh, it's all madness. What are you talking, Paul? You know, you're mad. So, that is Festus' response. What is going to be Agrippa's response? So, Paul is asking him, like Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and said, you must be born again. Okay, you asked a question. I'll give you the answer, but what is more important? You must be born again. So, that is why Paul is telling Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. So, Agrippa responds and he tells Paul, you know, Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. Okay, what is this answer? Almost persuade me to become a Christian. Either you become a believer or you don't become a believer, right? There's no, there's no sort of a gray area there where you can sit on the fence and say, almost, I'm almost a believer. There is no such thing. You know, you're either in the kingdom of God or you're not in the kingdom of God. That's it. You jump in or stay out. But Agrippa is also having difficulty accepting and he says, you almost persuade me to become a Christian. Okay, so then Paul says, listen, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today might both become almost and altogether such as I am. Wow, what an example. Can we say that? Can we tell others that I wish, you know, that you become altogether like me? So what did he mean? Did he mean, you know, to be like him and apostle? No, no, basically he's saying a believer, a strong believer, an example. So he wanted everyone to follow Christ, the way he followed Christ. He says, don't say almost. You decide. In fact, I want you to fully jump in, jump in the deep. Come on. You become altogether like me, not just you, everybody who has heard what I'm saying, I want them to become altogether like me. But he also adds and he says, except for these chains. So not that you should become a prisoner and get into trouble the way I got into trouble. But I want you to be a believer. I want everyone to be a believer. So all right, so it's already time up. Let's do one thing. Let's take a small break. Let's come back and we, I think we should be able to finish off the remaining two chapters. Okay. All right, class, let's go for a break now and we shall be back in 10 minutes. Thank you.