Acts 13:31

And he was seene many dayes of them which came vp with him from Galilee to Hierusalem, who are his witnesses vnto the people. Acts 13:31 (KJV)

In Acts 13:31 the apostle Paul, while preaching in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, addresses a Jewish audience and recounts the pivotal events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The verse records that after His resurrection Jesus “was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.” This wording underscores that the resurrection was not a private or secret event but one witnessed by a group of disciples who had traveled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Their continuous presence after the empty tomb provided a living testimony that could be presented to the Jewish community. The fact that they were “his witnesses unto the people” indicates that their eyewitness account was intended to confirm the reality of the risen Christ to those who knew Him.

Draft 2 adds that many saw the risen Lord after that time, yet most of those who saw Him were still not believers. This contrast highlights that even clear eyewitness evidence did not automatically produce faith, and that belief required a response to the testimony. The combined picture therefore emphasizes two truths: first, the resurrection was historically attested by those who had walked with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem; second, the presence of witnesses alone was not sufficient to secure belief for all, underscoring the need for the proclamation of the gospel.

For contemporary believers the passage calls us to follow the example of those early witnesses. We are invited to be active proclaimers of Christ’s love, forgiveness, and salvation, sharing the same message that the original witnesses delivered to the people of their day.