Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

For more information and resources from Dr. Craig, go to reasonable faith.org.

Last time we surveyed briefly views on the state of the soul after death in the Old Testament

and saw that the belief in the resurrection of the soul after death in the Old Testament and saw that the belief in the resurrection

of the dead was a gradually developing doctrine within Judaism. Although the belief in the

resurrection was widespread in Judaism during Jesus' time, it wasn't universally held. Jews were divided

about this doctrine. We see this division explicitly in Acts chapter 23, verses 6 to 10,

where we have this marvelous story about how Paul exploits this division between the Pharisees

and the Sadducees to his own advantage. Paul had been arrested and is brought in front of the

Sanhedron, the Jewish High Court, to be tried. Let's read in Acts 23, 6 to 10,

what happened. But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees,

he cried out in the council, brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees, he cried out in the council, brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees, with respect to the

hope and resurrection of the dead, I am on trial. What a clever move. He's being tried for what he

preached about Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus.

But he says, I am on trial because I believe in the resurrection of the dead,

which immediately parts the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the

Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,

nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledged them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes

of the Pharisees party stood up and contended, we find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or

an angel spoke to him? And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, that is the Roman

tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down

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