Key Verse: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:" - Acts 13:38 KJV
Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch of Pisidia, and on the Sabbath they enter the synagogue. Paul is invited to speak, and he takes the opportunity to tell the story of God's faithfulness. His message begins with Israel's history. He speaks of Abraham, the Exodus, the kings, and especially David. But Paul is not simply giving a history lesson. He is showing how God's promises were leading to Jesus Christ.
Paul explains that Jesus, the promised Savior, was rejected and crucified. But the cross was not the end.
“But God raised him from the dead.”
The resurrection is at the heart of Paul's message. Jesus died, but God raised Him. The One whom people rejected is the One through whom God offers salvation.
Then Paul makes the message personal:
“Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.”
What the law of Moses could never accomplish completely, Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. Those who believe in Him can be justified, declared righteous before God.
This is the good news of the gospel.
We don't have to earn our way into God's favor. We cannot make ourselves righteous through our own efforts. Salvation is found in Christ.
Paul's message also reveals the worldwide scope of God's plan. The gospel is not only for Israel. God had appointed His servants to carry the message “unto the ends of the earth.”
The response to Paul's preaching was mixed. Some believed, while others rejected the message. This reminds us that our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim the truth; how others respond is ultimately between them and God.
Paul and Barnabas continued preaching despite opposition because they understood the value of the message they carried.
