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;
Parallel translations
- WEB But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;
- BSB ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
- NKJV But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose,to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
- NASB But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,
- NLT Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Christ commissions Paul to rise and serve as a witness of what he has seen and of further revelations Christ will give him.
Overview
Jesus appoints Paul not merely as a convert but as a servant and witness, an apostolic calling grounded in seeing the risen Lord. The promise of future revelation points to the gospel Paul would receive and proclaim. This shows that Paul's message was not man-made but came by direct commission from the exalted Christ, undergirding the authority of his ministry and letters.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 31
- Acts 22:14–15And 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.
- Dan 10:11And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
- Ezek 2:1And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
- 1 Tim 1:12And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
- Gal 1:12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Rom 15:16That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
- Col 1:23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
- 2 Cor 4:1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
- 2 Cor 12:1–7It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
- Col 1:25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
- Rom 1:5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
- Gal 2:2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
- Acts 23:11And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
- Eph 3:7–8Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
- Acts 18:9–10Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
- Acts 20:24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
- Acts 9:6–9And 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.
- 2 Cor 5:18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
- 2 Tim 4:5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
- Acts 13:1–4Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
- Col 1:7As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
- Acts 9:15–16But 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:
- Acts 21:19And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
- Acts 27:23–24For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
- 1 Th 3:2And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
- Acts 22:17–21And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
- 1 Tim 4:6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
- Acts 22:10And 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.
- Acts 1:25That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
- Acts 6:4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
- Acts 1:17For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 26:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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