Acts 26:23
“how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.””
What does Acts 26:23 mean?
Paul is describing what Jesus came to accomplish: first, to suffer and die (which happened on the cross), and then to rise from the dead and bring light to all people, both Jews and non-Jews. The "resurrection of the dead" here points to Jesus' own resurrection as the foundation for everything that follows. By rising, Jesus becomes the first one to break through death and reveal God's saving light to the whole world, not just to one nation. This was Paul's core message throughout his missionary journeys, and it's what got him in trouble with those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.