Why were the apostles so bold after the resurrection?
The apostles were bold because they had witnessed the resurrected Christ, which gave them unshakable proof and resurrection power. That hope removed fear of death and persecution, so Rome and the Jews no longer frightened them, and they did not fear what could be done to the body.
Les teaches that the apostles' boldness after the resurrection came from the proof of resurrection and resurrection power. Before the resurrection, Peter had betrayed Christ, swore with an oath that he did not know Him, and the believers scattered in fear for their lives. But after the resurrection, the apostles had a boldness no one could shake. Les explains that nothing scared them—not Rome, not the Jews—because they were bound in the hope and power of resurrection. They had no fear of death, since death is only temporary because of resurrection power. Les applies this same readiness to believers, asking whether we are so bound in resurrection hope that we are not afraid of what can be done to this body of flesh.