NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 41
A cts 1 3 : 2 7
1997
13:17
Exod 6:67
Deut 7:68
13:18
Exod 16:35
Num 14:34
13:19
Deut 7:1
13:20
Judg 2:16
1 Sam 3:20
13:21
1 Sam 8:5; 10:2124
13:22
1 Sam 13:14; 16:1, 13
13:23
2 Sam 7:12
Isa 11:1
Luke 2:11
q so-te-r (4990)
Eph
5:23
13:24
Mark 1:45
13:25
Mark 1:7
John 1:20
16 So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet
them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,”
he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen
to me.
17 “The God of this nation of Israel chose
our ancestors and made them multiply and
grow strong during their stay in Egypt. Then
with a powerful arm he led them out of their
slavery. 18 He put up with them* through
forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
19 Then he destroyed seven nations in Ca
naan and gave their land to Israel as an in
heritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.
“After that, God gave them judges to rule
until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then
the people begged for a king, and God gave
them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe
of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.
22 But God removed Saul and replaced him
with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I
have found David son of Jesse, a man after
my own heart. He will do everything I want
him to do.’*
23 “And it is one of King David’s descen
dants, Jesus, who is God’s promised q Savior
of Israel! 24 Before he came, John the Baptist
preached that all the people of Israel needed
to repent of their sins and turn to God and be
baptized. 25 As John was finishing his minis
try he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah?
No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m
not even worthy to be his slave and untie the
sandals on his feet.’
26 “Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and
also you God-fearing Gentiles—this mes
sage of salvation has been sent to us! 27 The
people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not
recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had
13:18 Some manuscripts read He cared for them; compare Deut 1:31. 13:22 1 Sam 13:14.
him (1 Pet 5:13). Early tradition says it was
from Peter himself that Mark got the infor
mation for his account of the life and words
of Jesus. Generally considered to be the
earliest of all the Gospels, Mark’s Gospel was
almost certainly one of the key sources used
by Matthew and Luke when they later wrote
their own Gospels. For this reason, Mark’s
Gospel is one of the most influential of all
the early Christian writings.
Mark’s story reminds us that God can
overcome human failings and restore rocky
relationships for the sake of Christ and the
Good News. Early failures do not disqualify
a person from a life of effective service and
even lasting significance.
13:15 After the usual Scriptures for
the day had been read, one from the
books of Moses and the other from the
prophets (see Luke 4:1628), the officials
of the synagogue invited the visitors to
speak any word of encouragement for
the people.
13:1641 Paul accepted the invita
tion, motioned to quiet his audience
(cp. 19:33; 21:40), and launched into
a straightforward proclamation of the
Good News. This is Paul’s first great
speech in Acts, and it provides a model
of his preaching to a Jewish audience
(see 22:121).
13:1722 To establish common ground,
Paul traced Jewish history from the
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
Exodus onward, stressing the Jews’
powerful deliverance from Egyptian
bondage, the providential occupation
of their inheritance in Canaan, the
establishment of the monarchy, the
removal of Saul, and the special place
of David.
13:22 David was a man after God’s
own heart despite his sins (e.g., 2 Sam
11–12).
13:2325 Paul here moved to the
theme of his message: Jesus, one of
David’s descendants, was God’s promised Savior of Israel. The Messiah’s
way had been prepared by John the
Baptist, who insisted that Israel needed
to repent . . . and turn to God and be
GOSPELS & ACTS
baptized. John was a humble servant
who simply cleared the ground for the
one whose coming he announced.
13:2637 Paul reviewed the shameful
treatment Jesus had received, involv
ing unjust condemnation and death.
But God raised Jesus from the dead,
as attested by witnesses. This message
provides good news, for through Jesus
sinners can experience the forgiveness
of sins. But this message must be met
with faith, or dire consequences will
follow.
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
