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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 13:26 - 13:41
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_13:26-41
26"Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30But God raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'You are My Son; today have begotten You.' 34As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' 35Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.' 36For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; 37but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41'Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.'"
Act_13:26 "sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God" This refers to both the Jewish hearers (or proselytes) and the Gentiles (God-fearers) attached to Judaism's monotheism and morality.
▣ "this salvation" This is referring to God's promise to redeem fallen humanity through a Messiah (cf. Gen_3:15). It includes Gentiles (cf. Gen_12:5; Exo_19:5-6; and Act_28:28; Act_13:46).
Act_13:27 This is such a tragic verse. It succinctly summarizes the blindness of the Jews in Jerusalem about the Scriptures even though they read them continuously. By missing the prophetic signs (cf. Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah; Malachi) and prophecies (Isaiah, Jonah) they became the prophetic sign! He came to His own, but His own received Him not (cf. Joh_1:11-12).
Act_13:28 Acts records again and again the spiritual responsibility of the Jews in Jerusalem (cf. Act_2:23; Act_2:36; Act_3:13-15; Act_4:10; Act_5:30; Act_7:52; Act_10:39; Act_13:27-28).
Act_13:29 "they. . .they" These must refer to different groups. The first were those who sought His death (i.e., Jewish leadership, the crowd before Pilate). The second involves those who wanted a proper burial. This could have involved sincere Jewish people who saw the injustice (similar to Act_8:2, involving the burial of Stephen) or secret disciples like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (cf. Joh_19:38-42).
▣ "all that was written concerning Him" Jesus' life was one of fulfilled prophecy. One strong evidence for the inspiration of the Bible and the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth is predictive prophecy (cf. Luk_22:22; Act_2:23; Act_3:18; Act_4:28; Act_10:43; Act_13:29; Act_24:14; Act_26:22).
It is surely true that many of the details of Jesus' life, which we in the church today call prophecy, are in a sense typology. Many events happened in the life of Israel which later seem to also occur in Jesus' life (one example, Hos_11:1). Often ambiguous, oblique passages, which would not have been understood in context as prophetic, seem to jump to life as one views Jesus' earthly experience (ex. Psalms 22; Isaiah 53). It takes inspiration and a sense of the flow of redemptive history to fully appreciate the OT foreshadowing of Jesus. I would also add that although inspired NT writers use typology, even allegory, that modern teachers and preachers should not use this method of interpretation! See Bob's Biblical Interpretation Seminar online at hyperlink
▣ "the cross" See notes at Act_5:30; Act_10:29.
Act_13:30; Act_13:33-34; Act_13:37 "But God raised Him from the dead" The NT affirms that all three persons of the Trinity were active in Jesus' resurrection:
1. the Spirit (cf. Rom_8:11)
2. the Son (cf. Joh_2:19-22; Joh_10:17-18)
3. the Father (cf. Act_2:24; Act_2:32; Act_3:15; Act_3:26; Act_4:10; Act_5:30; Act_10:40; Act_13:30; Act_13:33-34; Act_13:37; Act_17:31; Rom_6:4; Rom_6:9; Rom_10:9; 1Co_6:14; 2Co_4:14; Gal_1:1; Eph_1:20; Col_2:12; 1Th_1:10).
This was the Father's confirmation of the truth of Jesus' life and teachings. This is a major aspect of the Kerygma (i.e., content of the sermons in Acts). See Special Topic at Act_2:14.
Act_13:31 "for many days" Act_1:3 says "forty days." However, forty is a common OT round number. See Special Topic at Act_1:3.
▣ "He appeared" See Special Topic: Jesus' Post-resurrection Appearances at Act_1:3
Act_13:32 "the promise made to the fathers" This refers to the initial promise of YHWH to Abraham for a land and a seed (cf. Gen_12:1-3; Romans 4). This same promise of God's presence and blessing was repeated to the Patriarchs and to their children (cf. Isa_44:3; Isa_54:13; Joe_2:32). The OT focuses on the land, while the NT focuses on "the seed." Paul alludes to this very promise in Rom_1:2-3.
Act_13:33 This quote from Psa_2:7, which is a royal messianic psalm about the conflict and victory of God's Promised Messiah. Jesus had been killed by evil forces (human and demonic), but God had raised Him to victory (cf. Rom_1:4).
This verse and Rom_1:4 were used by early heretics (adoptionists) to assert that Jesus became Messiah at the resurrection. There is surely a NT emphasis on Jesus being affirmed and glorified because of His obedience, but this must not be taken in isolation from His preexistent glory and deity (cf. Joh_1:1-5; Joh_1:9-18; Php_2:6-11; Col_1:13-18; Heb_1:2-3).
This same verb, "raised up" (anistçmi), is used in Act_3:26 of God raising up "His Servant"; in Act_3:22 of God raising up the Prophet (cf. Act_7:37; Deu_18:19). This seems to be a distinct usage from "raised" from the dead (cf. Act_13:30; Act_13:34; Act_13:37). Jesus was "raised up" before He died!
Act_13:34 "no longer to return to decay" This statement refers to Jesus' death and resurrection. He was the first to be resurrected (first fruits of the dead, cf. 1Co_15:20) rather than resuscitated. Many people were brought back to physical life in the Bible, but they all had to die again. Enoch and Elijah were translated to heaven without death, but they were not resurrected.
▣ "I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David" This is a quote from Isa_55:3 from the LXX. The quote includes the plural "sure blessings," but does not specify to what this refers. It is something that passed from God to David, to Jesus, then to His followers (plural "you" in the quote). The OT context shows the significance of "you" (cf. Isa_55:4-5 LXX, "Behold, I have made him a testimony among the Gentiles, a prince and commander to the Gentiles. Nations which know thee not, shall call upon thee, and peoples which are not acquainted with thee, shall flee to thee for refuge, for the sake of the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified thee," The Septuagint, Zondervan, 1976, p. 890).
The blessings and promises to David (i.e., Jews) are now the blessing and promises of the Gentiles (i.e., the entire human race).
Act_13:35-37 This is the same argument used earlier in Peter's Pentecost sermon (cf. Act_2:24-32), also taken from Psalms 16. These early sermons in Acts reflect an early Christian catechism. Several OT Messianic texts were strung together. Therefore, often the pronouns and details do not seem to be relevant to the central purpose of the NT author, which was to affirm the physical resurrection of Jesus and the decay of David.
Act_13:38 Paul is using an OT augmented argument, as does Peter (Acts 2) and Stephen (Acts 7) to reach these synagogue hearers.
Paul promises a full and complete forgiveness of sins, which Judaism could not provide (cf. Act_13:39), to all who trust Jesus as the Christ (i.e., "This One," Act_13:38-39).
Act_13:39 "and through Him everyone" Notice the universal element. God loves all humans and all humans have the opportunity to respond to Him by faith (cf. Act_10:43; Isa_42:1; Isa_42:4; Isa_42:6; Isa_42:10-12; Isaiah 55; Eze_18:23; Eze_18:32; Joe_2:28; Joe_2:32; Joh_3:16; Joh_4:42; Rom_3:22; Rom_3:29-30; Rom_10:9-13; 1Ti_2:4; 1Ti_4:10; Tit_2:11; 2Pe_3:9; 1Jn_2:1; 1Jn_4:14).
▣ "who believes" See Special Topics at Act_3:16; Act_6:5.
NASB, NKJV "is freed from all things" (Act_13:39)
NRSV "is set free from all those sins" (Act_13:39)
TEV "is set free from all the sins" (Act_13:39)
NJB "justification from all sins" (Act_13:38)
This is literally "justified" (present passive indicative). This is a legal term which describes our standing before God through Jesus Christ's righteousness (cf. 2Co_5:21). In Hebrew it originally means a "river reed" (see Special Topic at Act_3:14). It reflects an OT construction term used metaphorically for God as the standard or ruler by which judgement is made.
▣ "which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses" This was Paul's major theological point (cf. Rom_3:21-30). The Mosaic law was a tutor to bring us to an understanding of our personal sin and to cause us to desire Christ (cf. Gal_3:23-29). The OT Law is not a means of salvation, because all sinned (cf. Rom_3:9-18; Rom_3:23; Gal_3:22). It had become a death sentence, a curse (cf. Gal_3:13; Col_2:14).
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Act_13:40-41 Paul calls on his hearers (present active imperative) to respond by trusting Jesus as the Promised Messiah, as the only way to receive forgiveness (cf. Joh_14:6; Act_4:12; 1Ti_2:5).
He quotes Hab_1:5 from the Septuagint as a warning. In other places in Paul's writings he quotes Hab_2:4 as an appropriate response (cf. Rom_1:17; Gal_3:11). Paul preaches for a decision. Intellectual assent is not enough; a complete personal surrender to Jesus as the only hope is required. This initial faith and repentant response must be matched by daily Christlike living.
Act_13:41 describes the shocking new methodology of salvation of the new covenant in Christ.