John Calvin Commentary Acts 26:4

"My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;" — Acts 26:4 (ASV)

My life which I have led. He does not yet enter into the substance of the case; but because he was wrongfully accused and burdened with many crimes, lest King Agrippa should be prejudiced against the case due to hatred of the person, he first declares his innocence. For we know that when a sinister suspicion has once possessed the minds of men, all their senses are so closed off that they can admit nothing.

Therefore, Paul first drives away the clouds of evil opinion which were formed by false reports, so that he may be heard by pure and well-cleansed ears. By this we see that Paul was compelled by the necessity of the case to commend the life he had previously led.

But he does not dwell long on that point, but moves on immediately to the resurrection of the dead, when he says that he is a Pharisee. And I think that it is called the strictest sect, not in respect to holiness of life, but because it had more natural sincerity of doctrine, and greater learning.

For they boasted that they knew the secret meaning of the Scripture. And surely, since the Sadducees boasted that they stuck to the letter, they fell into shameful and gross ignorance after they had darkened the light of the Scripture. The Essenes, contenting themselves with an austere and strict kind of life, did not greatly care for doctrine.

Nor does it hinder this point at all that Christ inveighs principally against the Pharisees, as being the worst corrupters of Scripture (Matthew 23:13). For since they claimed for themselves the authority to interpret Scripture according to the hidden and secret meaning, from this came that boldness to change and innovate, with which the Lord is displeased.

But Paul does not touch upon those inventions which they had rashly devised, and which they enforced with tyrannical rigor. For it was his purpose to speak only of the resurrection of the dead.

For though they had corrupted the Law in many points, yet it was fitting that the authority of that sect should be held in higher esteem in defending the sound and true faith than that of the others, which had departed further from natural purity. Moreover, Paul speaks only of the common perception, which regarded the appearance of more subtle knowledge.