Resurrection as Vindication

Abstract The resurrection and the hope of Israel have been acknowledged as the raison d’être of Paul’s trial in Acts. However, what has intrigued scholars is why Luke seems to portray Paul as focusing on general Jewish expectations regarding the resurrection of the dead in his defense speeches when the point of contention appears to be Jesus’s resurrection. This article argues that the narrative of Acts seeks to vindicate Paul not only through the rhetorical strategy of claiming continuity between Paul and Jewish resurrection traditions, but also by portraying Paul as a faithful Jew who exemplifies the hope of Israel in his own life, thereby adding a personal dimension to the role of Jesus’s resurrection as vindication for Paul’s claims of faithfulness.