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“Hear My Defense”“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
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Paul now adopted a different strategy. Taking note that the Sanhedrin was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, he said: “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Over the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am being judged.”—Acts 23:6.
Like Paul, we seek common ground when speaking to those of a different religious background
18. Why did Paul call himself a Pharisee, and how might we use similar reasoning in certain circumstances?
18 Why did Paul call himself a Pharisee? Because he was “a son of Pharisees” from a family belonging to that sect. Hence, many would still view him as such.e How, though, could Paul associate himself with the Pharisees’ belief in a resurrection? Reportedly, the Pharisees believed that a conscious soul survived death and that the souls of the righteous would live again in human bodies. Paul did not believe such notions. He believed in the resurrection as taught by Jesus. (John 5:25-29) Still, Paul did agree with the Pharisees that there was a hope of life beyond death—as opposed to the Sadducees, who did not believe in a future life.
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“Hear My Defense”“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
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e In 49 C.E., when the apostles and elders were discussing whether Gentiles had to submit to the Mosaic Law, some among the Christians present were identified as “those of the sect of the Pharisees who had become believers.” (Acts 15:5) Evidently, those believers were still identified in some sense with their Pharisaic background.
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