Acts 13:34-43

 

Rachel Workman: ³⁴ For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’^{[i] 35} Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’^{[j] 36} This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. ³⁷ No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.

^38 [k]“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. ³⁹ Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do. ⁴⁰ Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said,

⁴¹ ‘Look, you mockers,
    be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day,
    something you wouldn’t believe
    even if someone told you about it.’^[l]”

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next week. ⁴³ Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God.

It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that was the crucial event: “But God raised him from the dead” (Acts 13:30). (See Acts 13:33–34, 37, and note that “raised” in Acts 13:22–23 means “brought”) Paul has declared the gospel to them, “the word of this salvation” (Acts 13:26) and “the glad tidings” (Acts 13:32). Christ died, He was buried, and He arose again! Since Paul was addressing a synagogue congregation, he used the Old Testament Scriptures to support his argument. In Acts 13:33, Psalm 2:7 is quoted; note that it refers to the resurrection of Christ, not to the birth of Christ. The “virgin tomb” (John 19:41) was like a “womb” that gave birth to Jesus Christ in resurrection glory. Then he quoted Isaiah 55:3, referring to the covenant that God made with David, “the sure mercies of David.” God had promised David that from him the Messiah would come (2 Sam. 7:12–17). This was an “everlasting covenant” with a throne to be established forever (2 Sam. 7:13, 16). If Jesus is the Messiah, and He died and remained dead, this covenant could never be fulfilled. Therefore, Jesus had to be raised from the dead or the covenant would prove false.

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John Burnett:  4 As for the fact that He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.’ 35 Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’ 36 For David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, and was buried among his fathers and underwent decay; 37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him, everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40 Therefore, see that the thing spoken of in the Prophets does not come upon you:  Jesus was raised before he began to decay and because He was raised, we are forgiven and freed from the law that we could never fulfill.

41 ‘Look, you scoffers, and be astonished, 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.’”  Does this not sound like what is going on in this day and time?  People do not understand the importance of Christ dying and being raised from the dead.

42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these things spoken to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.

The Holy Spirit showed me an interesting connection this past Sunday.  In Sunday school we watched a video by Answers in Genesis and the speaker spoke on 2 Peter 3:8 (below) and how it is abused by those who don't hold to the 6-day creation account in Genesis 1.  They try and use it to explain billions of years and deconstruct the creation story and therefore suppress the truth of a God who is going to judge us someday.  They also leave out the part "that with the Lord".  You have to be dead and with the Lord in Heaven for one day to be like a thousand years.  Our Preacher then spoke on Revelation and we looked at Revelation 22:20 (below).  The "He" testifying is Jesus Christ and He says "Yes, I am coming quickly."  In our feeble minds, we don't consider 2000 plus years as quickly but to Jesus Christ, it is the equivalent of two days according to 2 Peter 3:8.  People get ready.

2 Peter 3:8 

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.  

Revelation 22:20

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

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Monday’s reading for Acts 13:44-52

⁴⁴ The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For the Lord gave us this command when he said,

‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
    to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’^[m]”

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. ⁴⁹ So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.

⁵⁰ Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. ⁵² And the believers^[n] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.