Acts 26:5
Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Original Language Analysis
ἄνωθεν
from the beginning
G509
ἄνωθεν
from the beginning
Strong's:
G509
Word #:
3 of 16
from above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew
ἐὰν
if
G1437
ἐὰν
if
Strong's:
G1437
Word #:
4 of 16
a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty
θέλωσιν
they would
G2309
θέλωσιν
they would
Strong's:
G2309
Word #:
5 of 16
to determine (as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas g1014 properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations),
μαρτυρεῖν
testify
G3140
μαρτυρεῖν
testify
Strong's:
G3140
Word #:
6 of 16
to be a witness, i.e., testify (literally or figuratively)
ὅτι
that
G3754
ὅτι
that
Strong's:
G3754
Word #:
7 of 16
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
κατὰ
after
G2596
κατὰ
after
Strong's:
G2596
Word #:
8 of 16
(prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined)
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
9 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αἵρεσιν
sect
G139
αἵρεσιν
sect
Strong's:
G139
Word #:
11 of 16
properly, a choice, i.e., (specially) a party or (abstractly) disunion
τῆς
G3588
τῆς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Acts 23:6But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.Acts 22:3I 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.Acts 24:5For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
Historical Context
Paul spoke before Herod Agrippa II (c. AD 59-60) in Caesarea while under Roman custody. The Pharisees were the strictest Jewish sect, comprising only about 6,000 members, known for oral tradition, belief in resurrection, and meticulous Torah observance. Paul's training under Gamaliel (Acts 5:34) gave him elite status among Jerusalem's religious leadership.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Paul's past as a zealous Pharisee prepare him uniquely to articulate the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles?
- In what ways does God use our pre-conversion background and training for kingdom purposes after we come to faith?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
After the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee (κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος)—Paul uses akribestatēn (ἀκριβεστάτην), the superlative form meaning "most exact" or "strictest," emphasizing the Pharisees were not merely religious but rigorously precise in Torah observance. This is Paul's third defense speech in Acts, delivered before King Agrippa II, and he strategically highlights his impeccable Jewish credentials.
Which knew me from the beginning (προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν)—The verb proginōskō means "to know beforehand," and anōthen means "from the beginning" or "from above." Paul appeals to eyewitnesses who could verify his Pharisaic pedigree from his youth in Jerusalem under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). His transformation from persecutor to apostle is therefore not the abandonment of Judaism but its Christ-centered fulfillment—the very hope of Israel's resurrection (Acts 26:6-8).