Acts 26:5
προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος
προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν: A Known Life
The participle προγινώσκοντές is the present active participle of προγινώσκω, meaning “to know beforehand” or “to know previously.” It is nominative masculine plural, agreeing with the implied subject “they.” The present tense emphasizes ongoing familiarity from the past to the present.
– με — accusative singular pronoun, “me,” the object of the participle.
– ἄνωθεν — an adverb meaning “from the beginning” or “from long ago.”
Together, this phrase communicates: “having known me from the beginning.” Paul appeals to the long-standing knowledge others have of his religious life and identity.
ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν: Conditional Testimony
This is a third class conditional clause, using:
– ἐὰν + subjunctive — introduces a future hypothetical.
– θέλωσι — present active subjunctive of θέλω, “they want.”
– μαρτυρεῖν — present active infinitive of μαρτυρέω, “to bear witness.”
This clause translates: “if they are willing to testify.” It highlights that Paul’s life could be confirmed by others — if they chose to speak honestly.
ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν… ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος
This clause is the content of the testimony:
– ὅτι — introduces indirect speech: “that…”
– κατὰ + accusative expresses according to a standard: “according to…”
– τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην — superlative of ἀκριβής, meaning “strict,” “precise,” or “rigorous.” This emphasizes utmost precision.
– αἵρεσιν — “sect” or “party.” In this context, it refers to a school or denomination within Judaism.
– τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας — “of our religion,” with ἡμετέρας being a first-person plural possessive adjective.
Paul claims he lived according to the strictest sect of their shared religion — and then defines that:
ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος: Life as a Pharisee
– ἔζησα — aorist active indicative of ζάω, “I lived.”
– Φαρισαῖος — “a Pharisee,” functioning here as a predicate nominative describing the nature of that life.
The aorist tense marks the entirety of this lifestyle as a past, completed phase, but still relevant for Paul’s defense. He wasn’t vaguely religious — he lived as a devout Pharisee, the strictest group within first-century Judaism.
The Grammar of Credibility
Acts 26:5 blends conditionality, testimony, and self-identification into a compact, persuasive defense. Paul uses the present participle (προγινώσκοντες) to appeal to long-standing knowledge, the conditional clause (ἐὰν θέλωσι) to challenge the sincerity of his accusers, and the superlative (ἀκριβεστάτην) to emphasize the intensity of his former zeal. Greek grammar here doesn’t just recount facts — it builds credibility, appealing to memory, reason, and shared religious heritage.
