Acts 13

24-25 First, John the Baptist had come to prepare all the people of Israel (the Jews) to repent and to accept Christ (Mark 1:2-3; Acts 10:37). But John himself was not the Christ. John wasn’t even worthy to untie the thongs of Christ’s sandals (Mark 1:7).

26 Paul kept both the Jews and Gentiles in mind as he spoke. Here he calls the Jews children of Abraham, and the Gentiles God fearing Gentiles (see verse 16). His message was the message of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles equally.

27-28 But the Jews in Jerusalem did not recognize the Savior when He finally came to them (Acts 3:17-18). Instead, they killed Him. But in killing Him they were, in fact, fulfilling the prophecies written in their own Scriptures, which they had heard read every Sabbath (Saturday) in their synagogues (Isaiah 53:3-12; Acts 2:23; 3:13 and comments).

29 After Christ was dead, they took him down from the tree, that is, from the cross (Deuteronomy 21:23; Acts 5:30; 10:39). Those who took Christ down from the cross were Joseph of Arimethea and Nico-demus, both of them Jews who had secretly sympathized with Jesus (see John 19:3842). They then laid Jesus’ body in a tomb. And Jesus’ body remained in that tomb for three days.

30-31 But God raised him from the dead. This is the message of victory, victory over death. Without Christ’s resurrection, there is no Gospel (Acts 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:10; 10:40-41).

32-33 The good news, the Gospel, in Paul’s words is this: “What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.”

First, God raised up Jesus to be His Son. Paul here quotes from Psalm 2:7, in which God says: “You are my Son” (see Mark 1:11).

34 Second, God raised up Jesus from the dead. Having first raised up Jesus to be His Son, God then allowed Him to be killed. Then, after three days, He raised Him up again. And God gave Jesus the blessing He had promised to David: namely, that Jesus’ kingdom would have no end. Paul quotes that promise from Isaiah 55:3.

35 God also gave Jesus a body that would not decay but would last forever. Here Paul quotes from Psalm 16:10.

36-37 The promise of a body that would not decay wasn’t made to David; it was made to Christ. For David died and his body decomposed. But Jesus died and rose again; His body never saw decay (see Acts 2:25-32 and comment).

38 In order for a person to be saved, his sins must first be forgiven. Without forgiveness of sins there can be no salvation. Forgiveness of sin is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior (Acts 2:38; 3:1920; 10:43).

39 The law of Moses, that is, the Jewish law, provided forgiveness only for those sins done in ignorance. According to the Jewish law, there was no forgiveness possible for sins committed knowingly (Numbers 15:22-31). But through faith in Christ we are justified; that is, through faith we receive Christ’s righteousness and become RIGHTEOUS in God’s sight. All of our sins, whether done knowingly or unknowingly, are erased. The Jewish law could not justify anyone. The law could not purif y anyone’s heart or conscience. Through faith in Christ alone can a person be justified (see Galatians 2:15-16; Hebrews 7:27; 9:13-15 and comments).

40-41 Paul here quotes from Habakkuk 1:5. The prophet Habakkuk warned the Jews that if they did not obey God, God would destroy them. Through Habakkuk, God said to the Jews: “I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe” (verse 41). That is, God was going to give them a great punishment. But the Jews did not heed Habakkuk’s warning. Instead, they scoffed. And an enemy nation overcame them, and they perished.

Now Jesus Christ had come. The something that God said He would do was not only the giving of a great punishment; the something was also the sending of Jesus. Jesus was God’s great “work.” But the Jews could not believe that Jesus was their Savior. They scoffed at Him. Thus Paul’s warning to the Jews of his own day was this: “Do not scoff. Do not reject Christ. For if you do, an even worse fate will fall upon you than fell upon your fathers who scoffed in Hab-akkuk’s time.”

42-43 Some of the Jews and many of the Gentile converts to Judaism accepted Paul’s word. They asked to hear more. They had heard many sermons in the synagogue before, but never one like this!

44-45 On the next Sabbath, most of the Gentiles in the city came to hear Paul speak. As a result, the Jewish leaders became jealous of Paul’s popularity. Furthermore, they feared that the Gentiles who had been following the Jewish religion would turn away and begin following Paul instead. Therefore, the Jews began to oppose Paul.

46 Paul and Barnabas said to the Jews, “We had to speak the word of God to you first.” The Jews should have accepted Christ. If they had done so, they would have received ETERNAL LIFE. They wouldhavebeen a light for the Gentiles (verse 47). That was what God wanted Israel to be—a light. But the Jews rejected God’s word—that is, God’s Son Jesus. “Therefore,” Paul said to the Jews, “since you have rejected God’s word, we must now preach it to the Gentiles.”

47 Then Paul quoted from Isaiah 40:6. It was God’s will that Israel should be a light for the Gentiles. It was His will that, through the Jews, salvation should be brought to the ends of the earth, that is, to the Gentiles. Therefore, no matter what the Jews of Pisidian Antioch thought, Paul and Barnabas were determined to preach to the Gentiles the good news of salvation in Christ, even to the ends of the earth.

48 The Jews didn’t like Paul’s message, but the Gentiles rejoiced in it, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Men are appointed for eternal life. God first chooses us. He calls us; He draws us (see John 6:44; Romans 9:16,18; Ephesians 1:4-5). We come to Christ by God’s grace. But remember, we are also free to refuse God’s grace.⁶¹

49-50 Whenever God begins to do a great work, Satan is always right there to oppose it. Wherever God opens up for us a door of opportunity for service, there we shall find opposition (see 1 Corinthians 16:8-9). And, sadly, Satan of ten uses God-fearing women of high standing and leading men to do his work.

But in spite of opposition, the word of the Lord spread through the whole region (verse 49). The new believers told their neighbors the good news of salvation in Christ. They did not hide their new faith. In the same way, if we ourselves have truly believed in Christ, then we will want to share with others the salvation we have received. Let us do so!

51-52 Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet in protest against them; that is, they completely turned their backs on the hostile Jews (see Mark 6:11). Those who reject Christ’s servants will themselves be rejected. The Jews of Pi-sidian Antioch had lost their chance to receive salvation. It was now time for Paul and Barnabas to move on to the next city, Iconium (Acts 14:1). But those Gentile disciples who had recently come to Christ were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (verse 52).