How does Acts 13:31 affirm the truth of Jesus' resurrection? Placing the Verse in Its Setting Acts 13 records Paul’s synagogue message in Pisidian Antioch. After tracing Israel’s history, Paul reaches the climactic declaration that God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 30). Verse 31 supplies the concrete proof. Reading the Verse (Acts 13:31) “and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to the people.” Key Phrases That Underscore the Resurrection’s Reality • “He was seen” – not imagined, spiritualized, or merely rumored; bodily sight affirms literal resurrection. • “for many days” – repeated appearances rule out hallucination or deception. • “by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem” – long-time companions knew His voice, mannerisms, and wounds; they could not mistake Him for another. • “They are now His witnesses to the people” – eyewitnesses remained alive to testify publicly; the message could be cross-examined. Eyewitness Reliability Acts 1:3 – “He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a span of forty days.” Luke 24:39 – “See My hands and My feet… touch Me and see; a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 – more than five hundred witnesses at one time. Together with Acts 13:31, these passages form a cumulative, corroborated testimony. Consistency with Old Testament Promise • Psalm 16:10 foretold that God’s Holy One “would not see decay,” fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 13:35-37). • Isaiah 53:11 anticipated the Servant “seeing the light” after His suffering. The resurrection appearances vindicate these prophecies as literal historical events. Implications for Faith and Life • Certainty – Our confidence rests on verifiable, eyewitness history, not myth (2 Peter 1:16). • Commission – “They are now His witnesses”; the baton passes to every believer to share the same message (Acts 1:8). • Hope – Because He lives, those in Christ will also be raised (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Wrap-Up Acts 13:31 anchors the resurrection in concrete, observed reality. Multiple appearances across many days to well-known disciples produced a sturdy chain of testimony that still invites trust today. |
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