Bible Reading and brief but important comments

Acts 13: 16-44

This section of Acts is known as “Paul’s Discourse.” It is an extremely important summary that Christians would do well to regularly read and comprehend in its fullness. I will annotate the Bible references that Paul cites and also point out key concepts that are today either overlooked or misunderstood.

“Paul’s Discourse”

16. Then Paul arose, and motioning with his hand for silence, said, “Israelites and you who fear God, hearken.”

(Notice Paul says “who fear God” and not “who worship Jesus Christ.” Paul, like Jesus, continually pointed back to and referenced God.)

17. The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm led them forth out of it.

18. And for a period of forty years be bore with their ways in the desert,

(Exodus 16: 3)

(“Bore with their ways:” the Greek may also give the meaning, “bore them like a nurse” or “fed them.”)

19. and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land among them by lot.

(Jos 14: 2)

20. after about four hundred and fifty years. After that he gave them judges, until the time of Samuel the prophet.

(Judge 3: 9)

(Notice that Paul is educating the listeners in, for lack of better contemporary words, “job descriptions” of the holy people raised up by God. He explains that God gave the people judges, but then saw the need to raise up a prophet.)

21. then they demanded a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

(People who don’t study the Bible don’t realize that God did not decide people should have “kings” but that people demanded that role.)

(3 Kgs 8:5, 9:16, 10:1)

22. And removing him, he raised up David to be their king, and to him he bore witness and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all that I desire.’

(Notice the Biblical source of the expression “a man after my heart.” )

(1 Kings 16:13, Psalm 88:21)

(Notice that because the people, not God, had created the demand for a “king,” it was an inherently flawed role, and the Bible relates the issues with the sanctity of the people God raised to be king due to their human flaws. David was the closest and most loved of King by God, flawed human though he was too).

23. From his offspring, God according to promise brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus;

(Isa 11:1)

(Notice that Paul cites the “job description” of Jesus as Savior by citing Isaiah 11: 1 But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.)

(For illiterate New Agers let me explain that “but” does not mean rear-end, “shoot” does not mean video or a gun, “Jesse” does not mean someone reincarnated with that name, and “bud” does not mean a beer. And that ‘but’ is not an anagram for 'tub,' which is a secret message to install hot tubs or look for someone who is tubby. And that ‘bud’ is not an anagram for ‘dub’ which does not mean that heretics can substitute their own voices for that of God’s. I know it’s confusing.)

24. John having first preached before his coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

(Notice that Paul is explaining that before the Savior can arrive there must be an attitude and awareness of the prevailing sins and need for repentance. )

25. And when John was coming to the end of his career, he would say, ‘I am not he whom you suppose me to be; but behold, there comes one after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

(Remember, these were real people who spoke real words and who lived real lives. Here Paul is quoting the great John the Baptist).

26. Brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.

(Again, notice that Paul is addressing himself to everyone who is descended from Abraham in theology, in other words, believes and knows the One God. This is why I keep repeating in my blogging that the three Abrahamic faiths are truly as one in their understanding of the One God. And again, Paul reminds people to fear God, and that those who do are those he is preaching to).

(Continued in next blogging.)