Apostol § 49

In those days, Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: “I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before thee concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee... “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to come. For this hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God should raise the dead? Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities... “Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. 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 the things which I will yet reveal unto thee. I will deliver thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Me.’ Therefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.