Acts 13:30-35 - We tell you good news

13:30,31

“But God raised Him from the dead”. Man killed Him, God raised Him. God has the final say all matters. And we see again that the resurrection is central to gospel preaching in Acts, we also note that it was central to Peter’s preaching, and it was central to Paul’s preaching. Paul did not preach a different gospel. Moreover, the centrality of the resurrection does not mean that other things do not matter, rather it means that they matter all the more. And there were many witnesses to the resurrection, and Paul refers to these in 1 Cor 15.

13:32,33

In Christ the promises made to Israel are fulfilled. The Old Testament is full of promises about Israel, but it is also full of the sinfulness of Israel and God’s judgement upon her sinfulness. How could these promises ever be fulfilled. The answer is that they are fulfilled in Christ, and the resurrection is the proof that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul describes this as good news. It is also good news for the whole world. While the Old Testament focuses upon Israel, it also includes both condemnation of the sins of other nations and promises of salvation for other nations. The quote comes from Psalm 2:7.

13:34,35

Paul then quotes two further passages from Scripture, Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10. Note that in Paul’s letters he often gives quotes from Scripture to back up or explain his arguments, just as he does here. This lends credibility to the fact that Luke is giving an authentic record of Paul’s preaching. Isaiah 55 speaks of the offer of salvation from God, an invitation to come to God to buy true food and drink that truly satisfies, instead of wasting our lives on what does not satisfy. In Christ alone do we find the true mercies of God. Everything else is fake.

Lazarus rose again only to die again later. Jesus rose again, never to die again, never to see decay or corruption.