Acts 10:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

NIV: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

NASB: You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

CSB: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.

NLT: And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

KJV: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

NKJV: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

God's anointing of Jesus is clear. Matthew records Jesus' baptism: "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice form heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:16–17). Somewhere around the age of thirty to thirty-three, the time when Jewish men were considered mature enough to teach, God publicly ordained Jesus' ministry. He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1–3, accepting God's anointing to bring us good news.

How and why God the Father anointed Jesus with power is more confusing. Jesus is God the Son who "took on" the flesh of humanity so that He is fully God and fully man. He had to do this to be a suitable sacrifice for our sins. Philippians 2:7 says Jesus "emptied himself." The theological term for this is kenosis. The big question is, what did Jesus empty Himself of? Certainly not His deity, holiness, or righteousness. He did set aside His privileges as God—His right to be worshiped and to rule creation. We know He took on human limitations, like hunger, fatigue, thirst, and pain. What's less clear is His perfect knowledge and power. He did not know when He would return (Matthew 24:36). He claimed His power was from the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28–30). What, exactly, that means is unclear.

Peter might have given some examples of the "good and healing" Jesus did, but either he cut his narration to Luke short or Luke only covered the basics. Throughout His ministry, Jesus blessed the vulnerable and held the powerful responsible (John 2:1–11, 13–16; Mark 10:13–16), He healed the demonically oppressed (Mark 1:23–26; 5:1–13; Matthew: 17:14–18), and brought the dead to life (Mark 5:39–43; John 11:38–44). Most importantly, not only was God with Him, He is God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

Acts 10:34–43 describes the first group of Gentiles receiving salvation. A Roman centurion in the Roman capital of Caesarea Maritima has filled his house with friends and family to hear from Peter, one of the leaders of a new Jewish sect. As a God-fearing Gentile in Samaria, the centurion knows about the prophets and the events around Jesus' ministry and crucifixion. He apparently needs to know about the resurrection and Jesus' role in God's plan of forgiveness. Before Peter is even finished speaking, the Holy Spirit falls on the group, and the era of Gentile Jesus-followers begins.

Peter has been a dominant voice in the spread of Jesus' message to Jews and proselytes. Now he brings the gospel to Gentiles. An angel tells Cornelius, a centurion, to ask Peter to come to him. Peter is praying when he receives a vision of food—including non-kosher food—and God's voice telling him to eat. When the centurion's messengers arrive, Peter realizes the dream meant that Gentiles are no longer unclean. He follows the messengers and tells Cornelius' household about salvation through Jesus. Before Peter can lay his hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit falls on them.

Jesus told the disciples they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Oddly, the disciples didn't understand this meant the Holy Spirit would come upon Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles alike. After several years reaching Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem (Acts 1—7) and Samaritans in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25), God calls Peter to bring the message to Gentiles. Peter's witness that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 11) clears the way for Paul's ministry to Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, Greece, and Italy (Acts 13—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.