In his hearing before Governor Festus, King Agrippa, and Queen Bernice, Paul asked, “Why does it seem incredible to you that God should raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8). It’s an excellent question. Despite all the contemporary interest in “the zombie apocalypse,” it’s impossible to believe that the dead can rise on their own: but what would be the basis for saying that resurrecting Jesus would be too hard a miracle for God to accomplish?

Paul was quite frank about admitting his past as a persecutor of the Christian faith (26:9-11). He was not shy about explaining how he had been converted by Jesus’ appearing to him, and commissioning him to service as apostle to the Gentiles (26:12-18) – a vision which called for his obedience (26:19).

As the story progresses it becomes clear that Paul was not just offering a defense of his actions; he was proclaiming the message of the gospel. That is, he was aiming not at a verdict of “not guilty” for himself, but at a verdict of “redeemed” for his hearers (26:23-27). It appears that King Agrippa, at least, was strongly moved in that direction: “a little more, and your arguments would make a Christian of me” (26:28).

There is irony in the verdict of this hearing, as Agrippa commented to Festus: “The man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (26:32). Yet I suppose that Paul would not have cared much about that irony: he was going to Rome, where he would have the chance to proclaim the gospel (23:11), as he had known would happen (19:21).

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Sooner or later we are all dead, and dead forever – unless it is true that you raise the dead, O Lord. Yet this is what you have done: in the resurrection of Jesus we find the promise of our own eternal life. Grant us the grace to proclaim this message with boldness, before all the world.

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