Texts in Conversation
In Acts 26, Paul’s calling is described with language that echoes the opening of Jeremiah, where the prophet is assured of protection when sent to the nations. By reusing these words, Acts places Paul’s mission in continuity with the Hebrew Bible, presenting his role within the established pattern of prophetic commissioning.
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Jeremiah 1:8
Hebrew Bible
6 I answered, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, Really I do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young.” 7 The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to protect you,” says the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me. 10 Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Acts 26:17
New Testament
15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
Date: 75-85 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In his speech before King Herod Agrippa II, Paul narrates, for the third time in Acts, the story of his call or conversion (26:12-18). When dealing with this account, modern critical commentators typically concern themselves with its relationship to the other two reports of the apostle's vision (Acts 9:1-9, 22:6-11), with the Greek proverb that lies behind 'It hurts for you to kick against the goads' (26:15) and with questions about the historicity of attendant events (e.g., How could Luke have known what Festus and Agrippa said to each other in private?). Exegetes also, if only in passing, often call attention to several reminiscences of the LXX. Acts 26:16 agrees exactly with Ezekiel 2:1. Acts 26:18 echoes Isaiah 42:7 and 16. And Acts 26:17 alludes to Jeremiah 1:8 and 19 ..."
Allison, Dale C.
Acts 9:1–9, 22:6–11, 26:12–18: Paul and Ezekiel
(pp. 807-26) Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 135, No. 4, 2016
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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