Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.
John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel - "In connection with Christ, the apostle first recalls the fact that John the Baptist, His forerunner, had preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. The phraseology here is important. Many preachers who hold to water baptism today, say apologetically: 'We do not preach baptism. Like Paul, we preach Christ, and Him crucified.' All such should remember at least that John 'the Baptist' did preach baptism — 'the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.' This is plainly stated, not only in Paul's sermon here, but also in such passages as the following: 'John did ... preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins' (Mark 1:4). 'And he came ... preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins' (Luke 3:3). '... the baptism which John preached' (Acts 10:37). Nor did John's hearers come to his baptism with the feeling of joy that possesses the hearts of many who come to be baptized today, supposing that they are now to symbolize to the world that they have been buried and raised with Christ. Rather, they came pale and shaken to confess their sins and to ask for the cleansing signified by baptism. They came to a 'baptism of REPENTANCE for the REMISSION OF SINS' (Mark 1:4) and 'were baptized of him in Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS (Matt 3:6). But the apostles, in his address here, emphasizes the fact that John's ministry was but an introduction to Christ. John, though immensely popular for a time, was not the Christ, as some suspected. He merely called upon the people of Israel to repent that they might be ready to receive Christ. As we know, Israel as a nation rejected John's message, their Messiah and the remission of their sins. Yet now Paul says not only to the Jews but also to the God-fearing Gentiles in his audience: 'To you is the word of this salvation sent' (Acts 13:26). Does this mean that Paul, like John the Baptist and Peter, also preached 'the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,' offering Christ as King? Not at all. Nowhere, ever, do we find Paul proclaiming repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and in this sermon in Pisidian Antioch he certainly did not do so if Verses 38 and 39 mean anything at all ... Careful note should be taken as to how and why salvation was now being sent to these Jews of the dispersion and the God-fearing Gentiles among them. 'To YOU is the word of this salvation sent,' says Paul, 'For THEY that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers ... condemned Him.' It was not, then, because Jerusalem and Israel's rulers had accepted Christ and therefore the kingdom could now be proclaimed in the regions beyond. The very fact that Paul, rather than one of the twelve, is the preacher here would refute this idea. It was rather because Jerusalem and Israel's rulers had rejected Christ. They had rejected Christ, so now Paul offers Him to these dispersed Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. The reason he could thus offer salvation to his hearers apart from Israel's conversion was because though those at Jerusalem neither knew Christ nor understood the prophets, they had nevertheless fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures in condemning Christ! At first, according to Acts 10:36, the Word of God was 'sent unto the children of Israel.' Here in Acts 13:26 'the word of this salvation' is 'sent' to the 'children of the stock of Abraham' and Gentiles among them who 'feared God.' In acts 28:28 'the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles.'" (Stam)
And when they had carried out all that was written of him - "While Israel, as a nation, had crucified Christ and was even now standing by that awful deed, all had progressed according to God's immutable plan. Christ was alive in spite of His enemies, and gloriously able and ready to save." (Stam)
by raising Jesus - "Refers to His incarnation (cf Acts 13:23), though some believe that it refers to His bodily resurrection and others to His exaltation." (Ryrie)
in the second Psalm - Ps 2:7
today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.
John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel - "In connection with Christ, the apostle first recalls the fact that John the Baptist, His forerunner, had preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. The phraseology here is important. Many preachers who hold to water baptism today, say apologetically: 'We do not preach baptism. Like Paul, we preach Christ, and Him crucified.' All such should remember at least that John 'the Baptist' did preach baptism — 'the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.' This is plainly stated, not only in Paul's sermon here, but also in such passages as the following: 'John did ... preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins' (Mark 1:4). 'And he came ... preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins' (Luke 3:3). '... the baptism which John preached' (Acts 10:37). Nor did John's hearers come to his baptism with the feeling of joy that possesses the hearts of many who come to be baptized today, supposing that they are now to symbolize to the world that they have been buried and raised with Christ. Rather, they came pale and shaken to confess their sins and to ask for the cleansing signified by baptism. They came to a 'baptism of REPENTANCE for the REMISSION OF SINS' (Mark 1:4) and 'were baptized of him in Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS (Matt 3:6). But the apostles, in his address here, emphasizes the fact that John's ministry was but an introduction to Christ. John, though immensely popular for a time, was not the Christ, as some suspected. He merely called upon the people of Israel to repent that they might be ready to receive Christ. As we know, Israel as a nation rejected John's message, their Messiah and the remission of their sins. Yet now Paul says not only to the Jews but also to the God-fearing Gentiles in his audience: 'To you is the word of this salvation sent' (Acts 13:26). Does this mean that Paul, like John the Baptist and Peter, also preached 'the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,' offering Christ as King? Not at all. Nowhere, ever, do we find Paul proclaiming repentance and baptism for the remission of sins and in this sermon in Pisidian Antioch he certainly did not do so if Verses 38 and 39 mean anything at all ... Careful note should be taken as to how and why salvation was now being sent to these Jews of the dispersion and the God-fearing Gentiles among them. 'To YOU is the word of this salvation sent,' says Paul, 'For THEY that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers ... condemned Him.' It was not, then, because Jerusalem and Israel's rulers had accepted Christ and therefore the kingdom could now be proclaimed in the regions beyond. The very fact that Paul, rather than one of the twelve, is the preacher here would refute this idea. It was rather because Jerusalem and Israel's rulers had rejected Christ. They had rejected Christ, so now Paul offers Him to these dispersed Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. The reason he could thus offer salvation to his hearers apart from Israel's conversion was because though those at Jerusalem neither knew Christ nor understood the prophets, they had nevertheless fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures in condemning Christ! At first, according to Acts 10:36, the Word of God was 'sent unto the children of Israel.' Here in Acts 13:26 'the word of this salvation' is 'sent' to the 'children of the stock of Abraham' and Gentiles among them who 'feared God.' In acts 28:28 'the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles.'" (Stam)
And when they had carried out all that was written of him - "While Israel, as a nation, had crucified Christ and was even now standing by that awful deed, all had progressed according to God's immutable plan. Christ was alive in spite of His enemies, and gloriously able and ready to save." (Stam)
by raising Jesus - "Refers to His incarnation (cf Acts 13:23), though some believe that it refers to His bodily resurrection and others to His exaltation." (Ryrie)
in the second Psalm - Ps 2:7
No comments:
Post a Comment