Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Men and brothers and fathers, listen to my defense which I now present to you. When they heard me speak in their native language, they kept even more silence; and I said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up here at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to our ancestors' strict tradition and zealous for God.

I was indeed a man who persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest and all the estate of the elders bear witness to me, from whom I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and went there to bring those who were bound to Jerusalem to be punished.

As I made my journey and was nearing Damascus about noon, suddenly a brilliant light shone from heaven all around me. And I fell to the ground, hearing a voice say to me, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And I replied, "Who are you, Lord?" and he said to me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you have been persecuting.

And they who were with me saw indeed the light, but they did not hear the voice of him speaking to me. I asked, "What shall I do, Lord?" And the Lord said to me, "Arise and go into Damascus; there it will be told you of all things that are appointed for you to do.

When I was blinded by the glory of that light, those with me led me into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came to me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight." At that very moment I looked up at him.

The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, see the Righteous One, and hear his voice. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now, why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, washing away your sins by calling on the name of the Lord.

When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance. He said to me, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me." And I said, "Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I too stood by, consenting to his death and collecting the clothing of those who had killed him. He said to me, "Depart from here, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.

They gave him their full attention until he finished speaking, then they erupted in a loud outcry, shouting, "Get rid of this man from our sight! It's not right that he should live!" As they shouted and tore off their garments, throwing dust into the air.

The chief captain ordered him to be taken into the castle and interrogated through flogging in order to determine why they were shouting against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, "Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been condemned?

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, "Take heed what you are doing: this man is a Roman citizen." The chief captain approached and asked, "Are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes.

The chief captain replied, "I obtained this freedom at great cost." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman citizen." The officers then immediately left him, and the chief captain was afraid after he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and had been bound.

On the next day, he released Paul from his chains and ordered the chief priests and their entire council to assemble, bringing him down and setting him before them.