19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. (Acts 26:19-23 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. How obedient Apostle Paul was to the call of Christ: having had so glorious a vision, he did not and he durst not rebel against the light of it: but immediately went forth and preached, first at Damascus, then at Jerusalem, then throughout all Judea, and at last among the Gentiles the doctrine of repentance and the necessity of good works.
Observe, 2. The ill requital which the good man met with for his diligence and faithfulness in preaching the glad tidings of the gospel: for this, he had liked to have been killed by the Jews in the temple. Evangelium praedicare est furorem mundi in se derivare; “To preach the gospel is the ready way to bring the wrath and fury of the world upon themselves.”
Observe, 3. With what thankfulness the apostle owns and acknowledges the merciful providence of God in preserving him both from the fraud and force of his enemies: Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day.
And how did the sense of divine goodness upon his soul provoke him to go on with his work, declaring no other thing concerning Christ, but what Moses and the prophets did of old foretell of him; namely, that he should be put to death, and should be the first that should rise again by his own power, and be the author of our resurrection.
Note here, That the sufferings of Christ were taught by Moses in all the commands given about sacrifices; and not by Moses only, but by the prophets also, particularly the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53), the evangelical prophet and prophetical evangelist, who wrote as clearly of Christ’s coming as if he had then been come.
From whence Apostle Paul argues how black the wickedness of the Jews was who went abroad to kill him for preaching the same doctrine that Moses and the prophets had taught before him.