Acts 22:1

Paul’s Defense

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ¹  that I now ²  make to you.”

Acts 26:1-2

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ³  said to Paul, “You have permission ⁴  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ⁵  and began his defense: ⁶ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ⁷  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

Philippians 1:7

1:7 For ⁸  it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, ⁹  since both in my imprisonment ¹⁰  and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace ¹¹  together with me.

¹ sn Listen to my defense. This is the first of several speeches Paul would make in his own defense: Acts 24:10ff.; 25:8, 16; and 26:1ff. For the use of such a speech (“apologia”) in Greek, see Josephus, Ag. Ap. 2.15 [2.147]; Wis 6:10.

² tn The adverb νυνί (nuni, “now”) is connected with the phrase τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας (th" pro" Juma" nuni apologia") rather than the verb ἀκούσατε (akousate), and the entire construction (prepositional phrase plus adverb) is in first attributive position and thus translated into English by a relative clause.

³ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

⁴ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

⁵ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

⁶ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

⁷ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

⁸ tn Grk “Just as.” The sense here is probably, “So I give thanks (v. 3) just as it is right for me…”

⁹ tn Or possibly “because you have me in your heart.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “in my bonds.” The meaning “imprisonment” derives from a figurative extension of the literal meaning (“bonds,” “fetters,” “chains”), L&N 37.115.

¹¹ tn The word “God’s” is supplied from the context (v. 2) to clarify the meaning.