26:16a
But: The Greek conjunction is usually translated as But. There is contrast from what Paul was doing to what he would be doing.
get up and stand on your feet: Paul was probably lying face down on the ground. Here Jesus commanded him to stand and remain standing. For example:
rise and stand upon your feet
-or-
arise and ⌊remain⌋ standing
In some languages only one verb is needed. For example:
get to your feet! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Stand up! (New Century Version)
26:16b
For I have appeared to you to appoint: The Greek words here are literally “for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint.” The Greek conjunction For introduces the reason for the command to stand. Paul can now stand and see the risen Jesus, who has now appeared to him. For example:
16aI command you to stand 16bbecause I have appeared to you to appoint
The phrase “for this purpose” introduces to appoint. For example:
for I have appeared to you for this reason: to appoint (New Jerusalem Bible)
Since the English word “to” indicates purpose, some English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate the phrase “for this purpose.” For example:
I have appeared to you to appoint (Good News Translation)
I have appeared to you: Here the word appeared refers to not being there one moment and then being there the next moment. Jesus suddenly appeared before Paul. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I have shown myself to you (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I have come/appeared before you
to appoint you as a servant: This phrase indicates that Jesus chose to make Paul a servant. Paul would do what God or Jesus told him to do. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
to appoint you to serve (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I have chosen you to be my servant (Contemporary English Version)
26:16c
and as a witness of what you have seen from Me:
This phrase indicates that Jesus also chose to make Paul a witness of seeing Jesus. Paul would tell others about seeing Jesus alive on the Damascus road, as he was telling King Agrippa here. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
You are to tell others what you have seen of me today (Good News Translation)
-or-
and ⌊to appoint you⌋ to testify that you saw me ⌊today⌋
and what I will show you: This is the second thing that Paul would be a witness of. There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as show:
(1) The word means appear. Jesus would appear to Paul at other times and tell him things he needed to know. Examples of this are 18:9 and 23:11. For example:
and to those in which I will appear to you (Revised Standard Version)
(Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version (2011), New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, King James Version)
(2) The word means show. Jesus would show things to Paul but not necessarily appear to Paul. For example:
and what I will show you in the future (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because that is the normal meaning of the Greek word.
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