Acts 26:19
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Original Language Analysis
Ὅθεν
Whereupon
G3606
Ὅθεν
Whereupon
Strong's:
G3606
Word #:
1 of 9
from which place or source or cause (adverb or conjunction)
ἐγενόμην
I was
G1096
ἐγενόμην
I was
Strong's:
G1096
Word #:
5 of 9
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
τῇ
G3588
τῇ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 9
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Isaiah 50:5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.Galatians 1:16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:Jeremiah 20:9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.Ezekiel 3:14So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
Historical Context
Paul spoke these words around AD 59-60 during his defense before King Herod Agrippa II (great-grandson of Herod the Great) and the Roman governor Festus in Caesarea. After two years of imprisonment in Caesarea following his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul recounts his conversion and calling to validate his apostleship and explain why Jewish leaders sought his death. Agrippa, knowledgeable about Jewish customs and controversies, was uniquely positioned to understand Paul's argument.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'heavenly vision' has God given you that requires ongoing obedience despite personal cost?
- How does Paul's immediate obedience to Christ's call challenge areas where you delay or rationalize disobedience?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision (οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ)—Paul's defining life principle: immediate, unwavering obedience to divine revelation. The Greek apeithēs (disobedient) carries connotations of willful rebellion, which Paul emphatically denies with the double negative construction. Heavenly vision (ouraniō optasia) refers to his Damascus Road encounter (Acts 9:3-6), the theological anchor of his apostleship and message.
This declaration before Agrippa demonstrates how Paul's entire ministry—his sufferings, missionary journeys, and present imprisonment—flows from obedience to that single transformative revelation. The phrase reveals that genuine conversion produces not mere intellectual assent but radical life reorientation under Christ's lordship. Paul's obedience cost him everything the old Saul valued: Pharisaic status, persecution-free existence, comfortable Judaism—yet gained him Christ.