Chapter
Verse

Acts 26:10

ESV And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
NIV And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord's people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
NASB And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, after receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being put to death.
CSB I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.
NLT Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death.
KJV Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did 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.

What does Acts 26:10 mean?

Acts 8:1–3 and 9:1–2 describe when and where Paul persecuted Jesus followers. Paul condemned his former sins in the strongest terms, telling Timothy he was the foremost sinner (1 Timothy 1:15). He told the church in Corinth he was "the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because [he] persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9). But Acts 26:10–11 may be the most detailed description of what, precisely, he did.

It's unclear where these votes took place. The Sanhedrin could only independently execute someone if they defiled the temple. Paul may be speaking of Stephen's execution (Acts 7:54–60) as a generalization. If Paul was a voting member of the Sanhedrin, then at some point he was married and had children. Only fathers could rule in the Sanhedrin as the council felt fathers were more gracious in their judgment. First Corinthians 7:8 and 9:5 indicate Paul is unmarried. These verses suggest to some scholars that he is a widower.

The next verse goes on to say Paul punished Christians in the synagogues, tried to convince them to deny Christ, and hunted them to foreign cities. He fulfilled Jesus' words during the Last Supper: "They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God" (John 16:2).
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