Is Acts ch23 v8 necessary

Answer 1

Strictly speaking, it was not necessary to the dialogue, but the comment attributed to Paul was very useful in showing that Paul had created such dissent between the Sadducees and Pharisees that they would not reach agreement on Paul's trial. Because there is relatively limited information regarding what Jews believed about heaven and hell, and the existence of angels during the first century, it is also important to modern scholars.

The explanatory note which Luke put it in Acts 23:8 simply explains why Paul's comment caused such an uproar. The differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees were well known, both theologically and politically, certainly to Paul, who exploited here such sectarian differences to create quite a dissension among his opponents. The pharisees evidently considered the saducees worse enemies than Paul and were prepared to speak in Paul's favor rather than be seen to be in agreement with the saducees.

The insertion of such an explanatory note by Luke also tells us that Luke's audience(to whom he was writing) were not entirely familiar with Jewish religious customs otherwise such an explanation would have been extraneous.

If the question is referring to the specific details which were under dispute, the first in particular, the resurrection is the one central event of Christianity, as outlined by Paul in 1Corinthians 15. The existence of angels and spirits refers to the spiritual realm which also certainly exists.