Alex Kremer 05-29-2022 // ...So Paul Preached the Gospel; Acts 13:16-41

Picking up in Acts 13:16, Paul gets into the meat of the Gospel.  As we saw last time, Paul preaches nothing new, but the same Gospel which the other apostles have preached all along.  And this Gospel is not rooted in any new information or in human invention; rather it is rooted in the Scriptures.  So as Paul preaches to the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, he brings them to the Scriptures.  Rehearsing their own history, Paul recalls that Jesus is the fulfillment of the magnificent promises made to their forefathers centuries prior; the fulfillment of the promises made to David.

He reminds them of John the Baptist, of whom this group must have heard the stories coming out of Israel.  John, the prophet who came after 400 years of silence, pointed to the one who would come, "the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie."  John pointed to Jesus, but when Jesus did come, the rulers recognized "neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him" without cause.  But God raised Him from the dead, after which He appeared to many.

This is the Gospel Paul preached.  It is the Gospel to which the prophets pointed centuries before.  And it is the same Gospel which has been preached for nearly two millennia.  And so as we consider this same Gospel, may we be emboldened to preach the Gospel, turning to Scripture as the basis and foundation for our teaching.

Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.