Bible Verses About Self-Defense

Now Yeshua stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Yeshua said to him, “So you say.”

When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”

He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered, “So you say.”

The chief priests accused him of many things.

Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”

But Yeshua made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “So you say.”

“Does our Torah judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the emissaries, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be immersed, every one of you, in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,

seeing that you can recognize that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem.

In the temple they didn’t find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.

Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.

But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the Torah, and which are written in the Prophets;

having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.

Now after some years, I came to bring gifts for the needy to my nation, and offerings;

amid which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a mob, nor with turmoil.

They ought to have been here before you, and to make accusation, if they had anything against me.

Or else let these men themselves say what injustice they found in me when I stood before the council,