Paul' preaching before the Jews - Acts 13:17-43 - N. T. -
'Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! The God of our nation Israel chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt; then by divine power he led them out, and for about forty years took cares of them in the wilderness. When he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan, he put them in possession of the land for about four hundred and fifty years. After this he gave them judges, down to the prophets Samuel. Then they demanded a king and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years, he deposed him and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, "I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose". To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal."
My brothers, sons of Abraham's race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you. What the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did, though their did not realise it, was in fact to fulfill the prophecies read on every Sabbath. Though they found nothing to justify his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out everything that scripture foretells about him they took him down from the tree and buried him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and it is these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people.
'We have come here to tell you the Good News. It was to our ancestors that God made the promise but it is to us, their children, that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As scripture says in the first psalm: You are my son: today I have become your father. The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to return to corruption, is no more than what he had declared: To you I shall give the sure and holy things promised to David. This is explained by another text: You will not allow your holy one to experience corruption. Now when David in his own time had served God's purposes he died; he was buried with his ancestors and has certainly experienced corruption. The one whom God has raised up, however, has not experienced corruption.
'My brothers, I want you to realise that it is through Jesus Christ that forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed. Through him justification from all sins which the Law of Moses was unable to justify is offered to every believer. 'So be careful - or what the prophets say will happen to you. Cast your eyes around you, mockers; be amazed, and perish! For I am doing something in your own days that you would not believe if you were to be told of it.'
As they left they were asked to preach on the same theme the following Sabbath. When the meeting broke up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.
Cf. - Acts 2:22+; 10:2+ -
Cf. Isaiah 1:2 - O. T. - The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Listen, you heavens; earth, attend for Yahweh is speaking, 'I reared sons, I brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
Cf. - Exodus 1:7; 3-15 - O. T. - But the sons of Israel were fruitful and grew so immensely powerful that they filled the land.
Cf. - Deuteronomy 1:31; 7:1-11 - O. T. - In the wilderness too, you saw him: how Yahweh carried you, as a man carries his child, all along the road you travelled on the way to this place. When Yahweh your God has led you into the land you are entering to make your own, many nations will fall before you: Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than yourselves. Yahweh your God will deliver them over to you and you will conquer them. You must lay them under ban. You must make no covenant with them nor show them any pity. You must not marry with them: you must not give a daughter of yours to a son of theirs, nor take a daughter of theirs for a son of yours, for this would turn away your son from following me to serving other gods and the anger of Yahweh would blaze out against you and soon destroy you. Instead, deal with them like this: tear down their altars, smash their standing-stones, cut down their sacred poles and set fire to their idols. For you are a people consecrated to Yahweh your God has chosen to be his very own people out of all the peoples on the earth.
If Yahweh set his heart on you and chose you, it was not because you outnumbered other peoples: you were the least of all peoples. It was for love of you and to keep the oath he swore to your fathers that Yahweh brought you out with his mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know then that Yahweh your God is God indeed, the faithful God who is true to his covenant and his graciousness for a thousand generations towards those who love him and keep his commandments, but who punishes in their own persons those that hate him. He is not slow to destroy the man who hates him; he makes him work out his punishment in person. You are therefore to keep and observe the commandments and statues and ordinances that I lay down for you today.
Cf. - Genesis 5:13 - O. T. - After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived for eight hundred and forty years and he became the father of sons and daughters. In all, Kenan lived for nine hundred and ten years; then he died.
Cf. - Exodus 12:40-41 - O. T. - The time that the sons of Israel had spent in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And on the very day the four hundred and thirty years ended, all the array of Yahweh left the land of Egypt.
Cf. - 1 Samuel 8-10; 13:14 - O. T. - THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING - THE DISADVANTAGES OF THE MONARCHY - SAUL AND HIS FATHER'S SHE-DONKEYS - SAUL MEETS SAMUEL - THE CONSECRATION OF SAUL - THE RETURN OF SAUL - SAUL IS CHOSEN KING BY LOT - But now your sovereignty will not last; Yahweh has searched out a man for himself after his own heart and designated him leader of his people, since you have not carried out what Yahweh ordered you.
Cf. - Psalm 89:20-21 - O. T. - I have selected my servant David and anointed him with my holy oil; my hand will be constantly with him, he will be able to rely on my arm.
Cf. - Isaiah 44:28 - O. T. - I am he who says of Cyprus, 'My shepherd - he will fulfill my whole purpose, saying of Jerusalem "Let her be rebuilt", and of the Temple, "Let your foundation be laid"'.
Cf. - Acts 13:32; 19:3-4 -
Cf. - Malachi - 3:1-2 - O. T. - Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says Yahweh Sabaoth. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears?
Cf. - Luke 1:76 - N. T. - And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him.
Cf. - Matthew 3:11-12 - N. T. - John the Baptist - I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals' he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.
Cf. - John 1:19-20 - N. T. - This is how John the Baptist appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, 'I am not the Christ'.
Cf. - Acts 5:20+; 2:23+; 3:17+ -
Cf. - Luke 18:31-33; 13:14; 15:21 - N. T. - Then taking the Twelve aside Jesus said to them, 'Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man is to come true. For he will be handed over to the pagans and will be mocked, maltreated and spat on, and when they have scourged him they will put him to death; and on the third day he will rise again.'
Cf. - Acts 5:30+; 1:3; 1:8+; 2:24-31; 13:23 -
Cf. - Psalm 2:7 - O. T. - Let me proclaim Yahweh's decree; he has told me, 'You are my son, today I have become your father.'
Cf. - Acts 2:36+; 9:20+ -
Cf. - Isaiah 55:3 - O. T. - Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live. With you I will make an everlasting covenant out of the favours promised to David.
Cf. Psalm 16:9-11 - O. T. - So my heart exults, my very soul rejoices, my body, too, will rest securely, for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor allow the one you love to see the Pit; you will reveal the path of life to me, give me unbounded joy in your presence, and at your right hand everlasting pleasures.
Cf. - Acts 2:38+ -
Cf. - Romans 8:3; 5:11; 1:16-17; 3:20-23 - N. T. - God has done what the Law, because of the unspiritual nature, was unable to do. Let all the pagans praise the Lord, let all the peoples sing his praises. For I am not ashamed of the Good news: it is the power of God saving all who have faith - Jews first, but Greeks as well - since this is what reveals the justice of God to us: it shows how faith leads to faith, or as scripture says: The upright man finds life through faith. And this is because no one can be justified in the sight of God by keeping the Law: all that law does is to tell us what is sinful. God's justice that was made known through Law and Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law, since it is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone, Jew and pagan alike, who believes in Jesus Christ.
Cf. - Acts 28:26-27 -
Cf. - Habakkuk - 1:5 - O. T. - Cast your eyes over the nations, look, and be amazed, astounded. For I am doing something in your own days that you would not believe if you were told of it.
Cf. - Acts 10:2+; 17:4; 11:23; 14:22 -
- PAGE 118 -
Paul and Barnabas preach to the pagans
The next Sabbath almost......
- PAGE 119 -
Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!
If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -
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