14 But they, going through from Perga, came to Antioch in Pisidia; and they went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and were seated. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the Synagogue sent to them, saying, Brothers, if you have a word of comfort for the people, say on. 16 And Paul, getting up and making a sign with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you who have the fear of God, give ear. 17 The God of this people Israel made selection of our fathers, lifting the people up from their low condition when they were living in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm took them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the waste land. 19 And having put to destruction seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them the land for their heritage for about four hundred and fifty years. 20 And after these things he gave them judges, till the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then at their request for a king, God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the family of Benjamin, who was their king for forty years. 22 And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure. 23 From this man's seed has God given to Israel a Saviour, even Jesus, as he gave his word; 24 For whose coming John made ready the way by preaching to all the people of Israel the baptism which goes with a change of heart. 25 And when John was completing his work, he said, What do I seem to you to be? I am not he; but one is coming after me, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo. 26 My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those among you who have the fear of God, to us the word of this salvation is sent. 27 For the men of Jerusalem and their rulers, having no knowledge of him, or of the sayings of the prophets which come to their ears every Sabbath day, gave effect to them by judging him. 28 And though no cause of death was seen in him, they made a request to Pilate that he might be put to death. 29 And when they had done all the things said in the Writings about him, they took him down from the tree, and put him in the place of the dead. 30 But God gave him back from the dead: 31 And for a number of days he was seen by those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses before the people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 13:14-31
Commentary on Acts 13:14-31
(Read Acts 13:14-31)
When we come together to worship God, we must do it, not only by prayer and praise, but by the reading and hearing of the word of God. The bare reading of the Scriptures in public assemblies is not enough; they should be expounded, and the people exhorted out of them. This is helping people in doing that which is necessary to make the word profitable, to apply it to themselves. Every thing is touched upon in this sermon, which might best prevail with Jews to receive and embrace Christ as the promised Messiah. And every view, however short or faint, of the Lord's dealings with his church, reminds us of his mercy and long-suffering, and of man's ingratitude and perverseness. Paul passes from David to the Son of David, and shows that this Jesus is his promised Seed; a Saviour to do that for them, which the judges of old could not do, to save them from their sins, their worst enemies. When the apostles preached Christ as the Saviour, they were so far from concealing his death, that they always preached Christ crucified. Our complete separation from sin, is represented by our being buried with Christ. But he rose again from the dead, and saw no corruption: this was the great truth to be preached.