Wayside Gospel Chapel: Paul

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Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Pastor's Sermon Notes: The Voyage and Shipwreck of the Apostle Paul, Part One: A Tale of Two Travelers Typifyng Two Testaments (Acts 27:1-44)

The Voyage and Shipwreck of the Apostle Paul,[1]

Part One: A Tale of Two Travelers Typifyng Two Testaments[2], Subtitle: Paul as Counter-Jonah

Acts 27:1-44

Introduction:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”[3]

Outline:

I. The First Leg of the Journey — Failure to Follow Paul’s Counsel (27:1-11)

II. The Second Leg of the Journey — Failure to Reach Safe Haven (27:12-20)

III. The End of the Ship — The Deliverance of the Crew by Heeding Paul’s Counsels (27:21-44)

Transition:

There is more than one concern that we need to have as we grapple with the content of this chapter. We need to consider it in the light of the entire Canon, and we need to visualize it in the purpose of Luke-Acts. Precious little of either has been done to date. There is work to be done here!

I. The First Leg of the Journey — Failure to Follow Paul’s Counsel (27:1-11)

¹And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band. ²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ⁴And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; ⁸And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. ⁹Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

Geographical details:

Adramyttium

the coasts of Asia

Sidon

Cyprus

the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia

Myra, a city of Lycia

Cnidus

Crete, over against Salmone

The fair havens

the city of Lasea

Nautical details:

contrary winds

dangerous sailing (during the approximate period from September 14th to November 11th)

II. The Second Leg of the Journey — Failure to Reach Safe Haven (27:12-20)

¹²And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. ¹³And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. ¹⁴But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ¹⁶And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: ¹⁷Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ¹⁸And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; ¹⁹And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Phenice….which is an haven of Crete

a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon

a certain island which is called Clauda

Compare verse 18 to Jonah 1:5 - Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.

Jonah	Paul	Point
Jew	Jew	Comparison
Sent to Gentiles	Sent to Gentiles
On a ship in severe weather	On a ship in severe weather
Instructed crew how to save ship	Instructed crew how to save ship
Disobeyed God	Obeyed God	Contrast
Went from the presence of God	Went with the presence of God
Not initially a prisoner, until made so by God after being thrown overboard	Already a prisoner prior to being taken on board, and remained a prisoner throughout
The reason for the danger to the crew	The reason for the salvation of the crew
Slept while the sailors tried to save the ship	Assisted the sailors in the actions taken to attempt to save the ship
Thrown overboard at his own request to save the ship	Counseled the commander not to allow the sailors to leave the ship, and later not to kill him and the other prisoners
The ship and crew were saved — in spite of the danger he had put it and them in — by heeding his counsel	The ship was not saved because of failure to heed his counsel — the crew was only by heeding his counsel
Old Covenant	New Covenant	Covenant
Exception - Prophet to the Gentiles	Rule - Apostle to the Gentiles
Gentiles excluded as such	Gentiles included
His heart was not in the ministry since he feared God would be merciful to the Gentiles	His heart and soul was in the ministry that the Gentiles might see the light
Curse	Blessing
Death required	Life preserved

“Besides the personal element, there is the inner spiritual meaning. There is one scene in the OT of which this is the most obvious counterpart — the shipwreck of Jonah. If S. Paul in some

respects resembled Jeremiah, the parallel between the NT prophet and Jonah is still more striking, — all the more so because of the equally obvious contrast in character. Jonah is the prophet in the OT who more than any other might, like S. Paul, be called 'the prophet of the Gentiles.' Jonah indeed received his mission in a very different way : he fled from the presence of the Lord and took ship for Tarshish. But in their voyages the experience of the prophets coincided. Both suffered shipwreck; and although Jonah, unlike S. Paul, brought the storm upon his vessel, yet in each case the prophet won the salvation of his company, — Jonah by the sacrifice of himself. Finally both alike experienced deliverance, Jonah from the deep, Paul from the peril of death; and after this they fulfil their respective missions to the great cities of Nineveh and Rome.”

— Richard Belward Rackham, The Acts of the Apostles: An Exposition, Oxford Commentaries, ed. Walter Lock (London: Methuen & Co., 1901), pg. 477; on Google Books at https://books.google.com/books?id=T4f9C9sTl9cC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 25 APR 2015]; and on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/actsapostlesane01rackgoog [accessed 25 APR 2015]; 8th ed., Westminster Commentaries, ed. Walter Lock (London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1919) at https://archive.org/details/actsofapostlesex00rack [accessed 25 APR 2015].

“Third, I was reminded of the story of Jonah in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. What an amazing contrast Jonah is to Paul. Both Paul and Jonah were Jews, but they were very different Jews. Jonah was commanded to take the gospel to the Gentiles of Nineveh, but he refused and fled in the opposite direction. Paul was commanded to take the gospel to the Gentiles as well, and he obeyed. Jonah fled aboard a ship, and his presence there put all the sailors at risk. His disobedience endangered these Gentile sailors. The sailors are saved by throwing Jonah overboard, off the ship. And thus they are delivered (and apparently converted). Jonah will eventually reach his destination, but only kicking and screaming. It is Paul’s presence on board the ship that saves all. Those who sought to abandon ship (like the sailors) would have put themselves and others at risk. God saved Paul’s shipmates because of Paul. God saved Jonah’s shipmates in spite of Jonah. What a backdrop the Book of Jonah is to Acts 27.”

— Bob Deffinbaugh, “34. Shipwreck (Acts 27:1-44)” on Bible.org at

https://bible.org/seriespage/shipwreck-acts-271-44 [accessed 25 APR 2015].

III. The End of the Ship — The Deliverance of the Crew by Heeding Paul’s Counsels (27:21-44)

²¹But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. ²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. ²⁵Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ²⁶Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. ²⁷But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; ²⁸And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. ³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. ³³And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ³⁴Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. ³⁵And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ³⁶Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. ³⁷And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. ³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. ⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. ⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: ⁴⁴And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

We will focus more on this section in the next sermon (Part 2).

Conclusion:

God sent the Ninevites a Jonah. God gave the world a Paul.

[Sermon preached 26 APR 2015 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]

Appendix 3 — Resources on Acts

G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.

Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005).

Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007).

F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).

Dennis E. Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997).

I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).

David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).

John B. Polhill, Acts, Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary, gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers, 1992).

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012).

W. C. van Unnik, “The ‘Book of Acts’ the Confirmation of the Gospel,” in Novum Testamentum 4:1 (OCT 1960), pp. 26-59; reprinted in The Composition of Luke’s Gospel: Selected Studies from Novum Testamentum, compiled by David E. Orton, Vol. 1 of Brill’s Readers in Biblical Studies (Leiden: Brill, 1999), pp. 184-218.

William H. Willimon, Acts, in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed. Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).

Appendix 4 — Resources on Paul

Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011).

F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977).

D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 496-501.

W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged American ed. (New York: E. B. Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson (New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).

F. W. Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and Letters”, in The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R. Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., "Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center on Westminster Theological Seminary at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].

Frank J. Goodwin, A Harmony of the Life of the St. Paul According to the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles (New York: American Tract Society, 1895); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 12 FEB 2013].

Richard N. Longenecker, The Ministry And Message Of Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).

Richard N. Longenecker, Paul, Apostle Of Liberty (New York: Harper & Row, 1964).

Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus : The Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life, Thought, And Ministry (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).

Richard N. Longenecker, Studies In Paul, Exegetical And Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2004).

J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul's Religion: The James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925).

Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955).

John Pollock, The Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969, 2012); also published as The Man Who Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York: Doubleday, 1969).

Stanley E. Porter, Paul in Acts, in Library of Pauline Studies, gen. ed. Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999; 2001 reprint of The Paul of Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and Theology, in Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).

W. M. Ramsay, The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on his Life and Thought (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, Pauline and Other Studies in Early Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

W. M. Ramsay, The Teaching of Paul in terms of The Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York University (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf [accessed 13 FEB 2013].

A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The Missionary: Realities, Strategies And Methods (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008).

Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology, trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben und Denken, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).

Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2001).

James Stalker, The Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 7 FEB 2013].

James Ironside Still, St. Paul on Trial (London: Student Christian Movement, 1923).

End Notes:

[1] The title is adapted from the classic work on the subject by James Smith, The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul with Dissertations on the Life and Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients, 2nd ed. (London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, 1856); on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/voyageandshipwr02smitgoog [accessed 23 APR 2015]; and 4th ed., rev. Walter E. Smith (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1880); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=IMsNAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 23 APR 2015]. Along with Smith the following imporant work should also be consulted on this episode: William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen, 11th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907), pp. 314-341; and 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907), pp.195-211, s.v. Chapter XIV, “The Voyage to Rome;” on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.xvii.html [accessed 23 APR 2015].

[2] The subtitle is adapted from Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities: A Story of the French Revolution (London: Chapman & Hall, 1859); on Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/98/98-h/98-h.htm [accessed 25 APR 2015]; on Internet Archive (New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1894) at https://archive.org/details/ataletwocities03dickgoog [accessed 25 APR 2015].

[3] Dickens, op. cit., pg. 1.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Pastor's Sermon Notes: Paul’s Testifies Before King Agrippa (Acts 25:13-26:32)

Paul’s Testifies Before King Agrippa

Acts 25:13-26:32

Introduction:

Perhaps you are familiar with One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, trans. by Ralph Parker (New York: Penguin Books, 1963); on Kitabi Karandaşla Oxuyanlar at http://www.kkoworld.com/kitablar/aleksandr_soljenitsin_ivan_denisovichin_bir_gunu-eng.pdf [accessed 26 APR 2015].
[Note: I discovered that I had mistakenly referred to the author as Tolstoy when I preached this sermon as you will notice in the audio file. I have corrected this error in these notes, with apologies to Alexander Solzhenitsyn!]

What we are to consider in this account is “One day in the life of the Apostle Paul.” This critical 24 hour period following two years of being imprisoned as an innocent man is remarkable for several reasons that will become apparent as we progress through the account.

We must consider these 47 verses together in order to understand what happened during these 24 hours from beginning to end. The drama of the turn of events in this sequence would likely be missed otherwise. Therefore, we must move rapidly through each of the three paragraphs of the outline, only pausing to focus on a few significant verses in each.

Outline:

I. The Problem of Paul Presented to King Agrippa (25:13-27)

II. The Permission for Paul to Proclaim to King Agrippa (26:1-23)

III. The Persuasion from Paul Passes by King Agrippa (26:24-32)

Transition: This is all about the “chain of command,” and an appeal to a higher authority!

I. The Problem of Paul Presented to King Agrippa (25:13-27)

1. Festus Presents King Agrippa with a Review of Paul’s Case (25:13-21)

2. King Agrippa Agrees to Hear Paul Himself (25:22)

3. Festus Introduces Paul with the Reason for the Hearing before King Agrippa (25:23-27)

1. Festus Presents King Agrippa with a Review of Paul’s Case (25:13-21)

¹³And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. ¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: ¹⁵About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. ¹⁶To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. ¹⁷Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. ¹⁸Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: ¹⁹But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. ²¹But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

Festus seems to have a clear understanding, and an objective assessment of the Paul’s case.

Paul’s innocence is established once again. From Claudius Lysias, to the Pharisees in the Council, and now from Felix, to Festus, the conclusion is that there are no credibile or provable charges that might be brought against Paul. At every stage of this multi-year legal journey he has been vindicated.

2. King Agrippa Agrees to Hear Paul Himself (25:22)

Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

3. Festus Introduces Paul with the Reason for the Hearing before King Agrippa (25:23-27)

²³And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. ²⁴And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. ²⁶Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. ²⁷For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

The most striking verses in this entire last half of chapter 25 are the last two. Here in verses 26-27 Festus explains his problem in this very public hearing as the basis for the hearing. He doesn’t know what to tell Caesar, and he has to write something to accompany the prisoner to Rome explaining why he has been sent there. This, then, is the simple goal Festus has in mind for this hearing: to solicit King Agrippa’s help in acquiring content for a letter to Augustus Caesar about the Apostle Paul.

II. The Permission for Paul to Proclaim to King Agrippa (26:1-23)

1. Paul Addresses the King (26:1-3)

2. Paul Introduces Himself Leading Up to His Encounter with Christ (26:4-12)

3. Paul Explains His Encounter with Christ (26:13-18)

4. Paul Relates the Consequences of His Encounter with Christ (26:19-23)

1. Paul Addresses the King (26:1-3)

Notice should be taken of both the manner and the content of this initial address.

1) Paul’s delight at the opportunity to present his apology (26:1-2)

¹Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: ²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Matthew 10:18 — And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Acts 9:15 — But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

2) Paul’s acknowledgment of King Agrippa’s expertise (26:3)

Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

2. Paul Introduces Himself Leading Up to His Encounter with Christ (26:4-12)

Comparison should be made to the initial account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:1-30, and Paul’s previous recounting of those events in Jerusalem in Acts 22:3-21. There are very significant differences in this testimony. The first major difference is found in these verses in 6-8.

⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; ⁵Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: ⁷Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. ⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? ⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. ¹¹And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. ¹²Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

Three concepts, three truths, are connected here in these verses that we have seen Paul emphasize before: hope, promise, and resurrection. In the first case, the word “hope” occurs three times in these verses, so this emphasis should not be missed. This hope, however, is very specific, and is rooted in the promise made by God unto the Fathers, i.e., Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, etc. This hope, specifically rooted in the promise, has been fulfilled in Christ. Strangely enough, when Paul clarifies the nature of “the hope of the promise” as resurrection he does so in a rhetorical question directed at King Agrippa!

3. Paul Explains His Encounter with Christ (26:13-18)

¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; ¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, ¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

The next major difference is here in verses 16-18.

1) The Lord made Paul two things — a minister and a witness

2) The Lord gave Paul two bodies of content — what he has already seen and what he will see

3) The Lord delivered Paul from two groups of opponents — the Jews and the Gentiles

4) The Lord gave Paul two purposes in conversion — from darkness to light and from Satan’s power to God’s

5) The Lord presents Paul with two goals in ministry — forgiveness and inheritance

4. Paul Relates the Consequences of His Encounter with Christ (26:19-23)

¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: ²⁰But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. ²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. ²²Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: ²³That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

This last part of Paul’s testimony is an up to date summarization of his career since his encounter with Christ. It includes some details also found in 9:19-30 and 22:17-21, but much that is not in either the original account or the intervening testimony to it.

From beginning to end there is an issue of authority at stake here. While Paul recognizes Agrippa as King ( vv. 2, 7, 13, and 19), and respects his authority, he is witnessing to a higher authority. Paul’s allegiance is to the resurrected One who is the King of kings, the enthroned Messiah of the Jews, and the Lord of heaven and earth. Paul cannot be disobedient to his commission from the ascended Messiah, but calls on “small and great” to repent and be converted at the command from the Shekinah glory.

This is a “chain of command” issue. Paul has positioned himself between the King and Christ, the King of kings. Paul is here as the ambassador of Christ, the Lord of all. The Gospel does not change based on rank, or political station. It is the same for all. The message is not altered no matter who it is preached to. All are sinners. All must repent and be converted.

God is in control in all of this. He is helping Paul at every turn of events to escape his enemies, to establish his innocence, and to receive opportunities to witness and to minister.

Notice the three elements of Paul’s preaching in verse 20: 1) repent, 2) turn to God, and, 3) do good works consistent with repentance and that manifest true conversion. The first two elements are joined together, and are seen as naturally/supernaturally producing the third element which necessarily flows from them. The Gospel never leaves people comfortable or stagnant in their sins! Failure to preach whole-souled repentance, and failure to require credible conversion are alike failures to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Paul insists that the Gospel he has been preaching is totally consistent with the Scriptures. He outlines the Scriptural facts of the Gospel as prophesied by the inspired authors of the Old Testament: 1) Christ should suffer, 2) Christ should rise from the dead, and, 3) Christ should illumine Jews and Gentiles.

III. The Persuasion from Paul Passes by King Agrippa (26:24-32)

1. The Response of Festus (26:24)

2. The Reply of Paul (26:25-27)

3. The Response of King Agrippa (26:28-32)

1. The Response of Festus (26:24)

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

1) The frustration of Festus — remember the presenting problem that precipitated this hearing in the first place — is evident in his volume as he is venting against Paul “with a loud voice.”

2) The failure of Festus — rooted in his unbelief — to comprehend anything of Paul’s witness to the resurrected Christ is manifest in the only explanation he can come up with, Paul has lost his mind and become insane.

2. The Reply of Paul (26:25-27)

1) The Reply of Paul to Festus (26:25-26)

²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. ²⁶For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

No, you are wrong. The opposite is actually true. You have never heard anything more sane than what I just spoke in your hearing. And, furthermore, King Agrippa will back me up on this. I have no doubt that he knows exactly what I am talking about.

2) The Query from Paul to Agrippa (26:27)

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

What about it, King Agrippa, do you believe the Bible, and specifically what is prophesied in the Scriptures? I don’t doubt that you do, but I need to ask anyway.

3. The Response of King Agrippa (26:28-32)

1) King Agrippa’s Response to Paul’s Query (26:28)

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Notice that Agrippa does not answer Paul’s question!

This verse has been translated variously.[1] Bruce M. Metzger sympathizes with the translators:

“The difficulty of capturing the nuances intended in this verse is notorious.”[2]

(1) The first issue that has been handled differently in the translations is whether to understand this sentence declaratively or interrogatively; as a statement, perhaps as an exclamation, or as a question. The only prominent modern translation that does not render this as a question is the NASB, although the ESV and the NLT present it as a declarative sentence in a marginal reading. The HCSB, and the NIV phrase it as a question with no marginal alternative.

(2) Also, the initial prepositional phrase, which is rendered “almost” in English translations from 1557 to 1611,[3] is translated as a temporal adverbial phrase in the NASB, ESV, NIV, and NLT — “in a short time” or “so quickly” — while the HCSB opted for a non-temporal approach: “so easily.” This same phrase also occurs in the next verse where decisions concerning how it is to be understood in both verses are complicated by a textual issue involving the contrasting phrase that follows it.[4] It is noteworthy that the NLT marginal reading for verse 28 sounds remarkably similar to that of the Authorized Version.

(3) A final difference is due to a textual issue involving the infinitive found at the end of the verse, with two entirely different root verbs in the extant witnesses to the text: “to become” in the Majority Text, and “to make” in the Critical Texts.[5]

The evident power of Paul’s preaching is matched only by the power of Agrippa’s sinful resistance to the Gospel.

“Almost” is only good in horseshoes, hand grenades, magnums, and government work!

“A miss is as good as a mile” when it comes to salvation by grace through faith!

“He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.”

— Rev. Mr. Brundage[6]

2) The Evangelistic Heart of the Great Apostle (26:29)

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

“altogether” — How the previous verse is translated will influence how this one is also, since the same initial phrase is included: “in a short time” or “with a little” — NASB, margin.

Paul makes clear that however Agrippa intended this is not the point. What is the point is that Agrippa and all who are in attendance in this court need to get to the point that Paul is at in acknowledging Jesus as Lord, and as the fulfillment of the promise of God.

Whatever it takes! However long it takes!

3) The End of the Matter — The Judgment of King Agrippa (26:30-32)

³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: ³¹And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. ³²Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Festus does not get what he wanted out of this, anymore than the Jews did during his own previous hearing. Agrippa confirms even more certainly what Festus suspected all along. Paul is innocent, but Paul is going before Caesar.

King Agrippa concludes what might have been concerning Paul, but what cannot be, since he appealed to Caesar.

Paul was not privy to this post-hearing conversation, but if he had he could have clarified to King Agrippa that he might have been saved, he might have been set at liberty from his sins, if he had appealed to Christ! Agrippa might have been “set at liberty” if he had not said “almost!”

Conclusion:

Isaiah 55:6-7 — Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

“Almost Persuaded,” by Philip P. Bliss, in The Charm: A Collection of Sunday School Music (1871).

““He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost,” were the words with which the Rev. Mr. Brundage ended one of his sermons. P. P. Bliss, who was in the audience, was much impressed with the thought, and immediately set about the composition of what proved to be one of his most popular songs.

One of the most impressive occasions on which this hymn was sung was in the Agricultural Hall in London, in 1874, when Mr. Gladstone was present. At the close of his sermon Mr. Moody asked the congregation to bow their heads, while I sang “Almost Persuaded.” The stillness of death prevailed throughout the audience of over fifteen thousand, as souls were making their decisions for Christ.”

— Ira D. Sankey, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1906, 1907), pg. 112; on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/mylifeandthestor00sankuoft [accessed 17 APR 2015]; cited on CyberHymnal at http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/m/almostpe.htm [accessed 17 APR 2015].

“This was suggested by the following passage in a sermon by the Rev. Mr. Brundage, Bliss being present at its delivery:—" He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost."

— John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907); cited on Hymnary at http://www.hymnary.org/text/almost_persuaded_now_to_believe_almost_p [accessed 17 APR 2015].

Of local interest:

Israel Brundage — “He pursued the college course at Amherst College until the Junior year, when ill health compelled him to relinquish it. He was graduated at the Union Theological Seminary, New York, in 1856; settled over N. S. Presbyterian churches at Prompton, and Waymart, Pennsylvania (Wayne county), 1856-64; at Kirkwood, New York (1864-7), and at Paxton, Illinois (after 1867), over the Congregational Church.”

— Crider and McDowell Families Genealogy at http://www.cridermcdowellfamily.com/genealogy/ppl/e/6/bede1d4e52d6af32e6e.html [accessed 17 APR 2015].

Complete outline:

I. The Problem of Paul Presented to King Agrippa (25:13-27)

1. Festus Presents King Agrippa with a Review of Paul’s Case (25:13-21)

2. King Agrippa Agrees to Hear Paul Himself (25:22)

3. Festus Introduces Paul with the Reason for the Hearing before King Agrippa (25:23-27)

II. The Permission of Paul to Proclaim to King Agrippa (26:1-23)

1. Paul Addresses the King (26:1-3)

2. Paul Introduces Himself Leading Up to His Encounter with Christ (26:4-12)

3. Paul Explains His Encounter with Christ (26:13-18)

4. Paul Relates the Consequences of His Encounter with Christ (26:19-23)

III. The Persuasion of Paul Passes by King Agrippa (26:24-32)

1. The Response of Festus (26:24)

2. The Reply of Paul (26:25-27)

3. The Response of King Agrippa (26:28-32)

[Sermon preached 19 APR 2015 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]

Appendix 1 — The Three Parallel Accounts of Saul’s Conversion in Acts — Acts 9:1-30; 22:3-21; and 26:4-23

I. The Background to the Conversion of Saul

Acts 9:1-2	Acts 22:3-5	Acts 26:4-12
¹ And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, ² And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.	³ I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. ⁴ And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. ⁵ As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.	⁴ My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; ⁵ Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: ⁷ Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. ⁸ Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? ⁹ I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. ¹¹ And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. ¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

II. The Confrontation with the Lord - The Conversion of Saul on the Damascus Road

Acts 9:3-9	Acts 22:6-11	Acts 26:13-18
³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ⁶ And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ⁷ And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. ⁸ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.	⁶ And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ⁷ And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁸ And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. ⁹ And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. ¹⁰ And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. ¹¹ And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.	¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ¹⁶ But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; ¹⁷ Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, ¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

III. The Ministry of Ananias - The Healing and Baptism of Saul

Acts 9:10-18	Acts 22:12-16	Acts 26
¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹ And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, ¹² And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. ¹³ Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: ¹⁴ And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. ¹⁵ But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: ¹⁶ For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. ¹⁷ And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.	¹² And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, ¹³ Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. ¹⁴ And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. ¹⁵ For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

IV. The Aftermath of the Conversion of Saul - The Inauguration of his Ministry

Acts 9:19-30	Acts 22:17-21	Acts 26:19-23
¹⁹ And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. ²⁰ And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. ²¹ But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? ²² But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. ²³ And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: ²⁴ But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. ²⁵ Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. ²⁶ And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. ²⁹ And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. ³⁰ Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.	¹⁷ And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; ¹⁸ And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. ¹⁹ And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: ²⁰ And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. ²¹ And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.	¹⁹ Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: ²⁰ But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. ²¹ For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. ²² Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: ²³ That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Appendix 2 — New Testament Greek Grammars and Vocabulary Works Consulted

F. Blass, and A. Debrunner, trans. and rev. Robert W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 9th ed. (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1961).

Colin Brown, gen. ed., The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3 vols., English ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971, 1978 ; trans. from Germ. original, Theologisches Begriffslexikon Zum Neuen Testament by Theologischer Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal).

Ernest De Witt Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1978 reprint of 1900 edition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago).

H. E. Dana and Julius R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (Toronto: The Macmillan Co., 1927, 1955).

George Adolf Deissmann, Bible Studies, trans. Alexander Grieve (Winona Lake, IN: Alpha Publications, n.d.; 1979 reprint of the 1923 T. & T. Clark printing).

Adolf Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East: The New Testament Illustrated by Recently Discovered Texts of the Graeco-Roman World, 4th rev. ed. of Licht vom Osten (Tübingen, 1909, 1923), trans. Lionel R. M. Strachan (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, n.d.; 1978 ed.).

Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson (New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).

Gerhard Kittel, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 10 vols., trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1967).

Johannes P. Louw, and Eugene A. Nida, eds., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, 2 vols., 2nd ed. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1988, 1966, elec. ed. 1996).

C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 2nd ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1959, 1953).

James Hope Moulton, Prolegomena, 3rd ed., Vol. I in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, n.d.).

James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Illustrated from the Papyrii and other Non-literary Sources, one-volume ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d., 1976 reprint; from 1930 orig. by Hodder & Stoughton, London).

A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934).

Nigel Turner, Syntax, Vol. III in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1963).

Nigel Turner, Style, Vol. IV in James Hope Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1976).

G. B. Winer A Treatise on the Grammar of New Testament Greek: Regarded as a Sure Basis for New Testament Exegesis, 3rd ed., trans. W. F. Moulton, 9th ed. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1882).