26:8

Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?: The word you is plural here. The pronoun probably refers to two groups:

(a) The king and his officials who came with him. They were probably Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection.

(b) The Romans at this meeting. In their religion, the Romans did not believe in resurrection.

This rhetorical question was probably then an invitation to believe in resurrection. It is also a leading question. It causes the person to think about the thing in question. Paul began to talk about Jesus in 26:9, and an important belief of Christianity is that God resurrected Jesus. Translate this clause as an invitation or a leading question. Some ways are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Why is it not possible that you(plur) think/believe that God resurrects dead people?
-or-
Why do you who are here find it impossible to believe that God raises the dead? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Is it impossible for you to believe that God resurrects dead people?

• As a statement. For example:

It is not impossible for you to believe that God raises dead people.
-or-
You(plur) should/must ⌊change your mind and⌋ think/believe that God can resurrect dead people.

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