Acts 26:1-8
Paul on God Raising the Dead
1Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2"King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4"The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
I was listening to a debate on the existence of God between a nonbeliever and a believer...One point of contention that caught my attention was when the nonbeliever said when Paul said that "Why should you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"...After I heard the debater say this he added, it is incredible because God had never done this before (raised someone from the dead)...
As a defender of the text in Acts, Paul no doubt knew much about what Jesus had done and His miracles...In fact, all four gospels write about Jesus raising the young girl or Lazarus from the dead...The written gospels may not have been written yet, or perhaps were newly written, or partially written, but the oral stories would have been circulating about Jesus and these resurrections...Paul probably knew that Jesus had raised Lazarus, which is later written about in John 11:1-44...Jesus also in Capernaum raised a young girl from death to life and is written about in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, and Luke 8:40-56...Paul knows the power of God...
But in fairness Jesus did have to come back to life...What good is a dead Messiah, we never see or hear from anymore???...So many may not believe in God and Jesus because they do not believe in the resurrection and think it is not possible or scientifically possible...
Paul in Acts 26 is talking to King Agrippa about Jesus...I think King Agrippa has the same feelings and thoughts as some other nonbelievers...But unlike most of us, Paul got to meet Jesus on the way to Damascus, where Jesus ask him why he was persecuting Him (Jesus)...So, Paul got to see and hear Jesus...We and most will not have this type of encounter with Jesus...For most of us, to believe we have to examine the evidence and ask ourselves if it is accurate...St. Luke is writing about St. Paul in the Acts...But St. Paul also writes about this contact with Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:8 and in some of his other letters...
But even after one has read the Bible, it still takes faith (in my opinion) to believe in Jesus, and in God and that God has raised Jesus from the dead...At least it does for me...Maybe, it is because it was so long ago and the times were different...But facts, remain facts not only when they are fresh, but also as they age...St. Peter was writes about being an eyewitness and in 2 Peter 1:16-18 sums up his belief and being an eyewitness...St. Peter did not invent the story of Jesus...We as modern believers can read and believe the eyewitness we read about (or not believe it)...God give us this choice to examine the evidence and believe or examine the evidence and believe...
I think it is a problem when we have those who do not examine the evidence and do not believe...Because St. Paul tells us in Romans 1:20 that God has created the earth and gives us these invisible evidences and qualities, and they are there for all of us, when we look around us and see the sky, the oceans, the sun, the moon, all of His divine nature...This still requires faith and hope...