This paper by Aaron Kees, submitted to Dr. Robert J. Cara for NT5250 – Acts & Romans at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, examines Paul’s three defense speeches before the Sanhedrin, Felix, and Agrippa. Kees argues that the recurring theme of “the hope of Israel” in these passages reveals a threefold theological meaning of resurrection.
Through close textual analysis, the paper demonstrates that Paul’s appeal to resurrection was not a mere point of doctrine or debate but the very heart of his gospel message. Kees shows that resurrection in Acts signifies (1) the fulfillment of Old Testament promises, (2) the confirmation that Jesus is Lord and Messiah, and (3) the arrival of God’s kingdom in redemptive history.
Drawing from Luke’s narrative theology and supporting scholarship from Beale, Wright, and Crowe, Kees concludes that Paul’s proclamation of resurrection unites covenant faithfulness, Christ’s kingship, and eschatological hope — a message that remains central to Christian theology today.
Course and semester: NT5250 Acts & Romans — January 2022