Acts 13:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

NIV: Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

NASB: Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

CSB: Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.

NLT: Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.

KJV: Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

NKJV: Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Paul and Barnabas are in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, near the center of modern-day Asia Minor. This is the fourth of five parts of Paul's address. The first was how God saved Israel in their past (Acts 13:16–25). The second was the story of Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 13:27–31). The third was how Jesus' resurrection was promised in prophecy (Acts 13:32–37). Paul will end with a warning to accept Jesus or risk the punishment promised in prophecy (Acts 13:40–41).

In this fourth part, Paul faces his hardest task. To the Jews, "salvation" looks a lot like what Paul talked about earlier: rescue from slavery in Egypt, hardships in the wilderness, homelessness, and enemies (Acts 13:17–22). When God promised a Savior would come from David's line and John the Baptist declared that Savior was imminent (Acts 13:23–25), Jews naturally believed He would free them from Roman rule and bring the years of peace and prosperity the prophets promised. That didn't happen. The man who followed John died and, as far as the synagogue members know, that was the end of it.

Paul explains how Jesus of Nazareth is the Savior but He offers an even more complete type of salvation. Ultimate salvation from slavery, hardships, and enemies is still in their future. Now, Jesus offers salvation from sins. Paul has a hard time convincing his audience, but Jesus did, too. Early in Jesus' ministry, four men lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof while He was speaking. Jesus declared that the man's sins were forgiven. The scribes could not believe Jesus had the authority to forgive sins, so Jesus healed the paralyzed man, as well. Later, Jesus told His disciples how His death gave Him the right to forgive sins (Matthew 26:28); the resurrection acts as the accompanying miracle that proves His claims (Luke 24:45–47). Right before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus told the disciples to be His witness—to tell others about Him (Acts 1:8).

This is what Paul and Barnabas have come to do.

Acts 13:16–41 gives the transcript of Paul's message in Pisidian Antioch. It is the only recording of Paul's many synagogue sermons. Paul's message can be broken into five parts, each identified with a call to heed Paul's words: 1. God's saving work in Israel's history and promise of a future Savior (Acts 13:16–25); 2. The Savior's story (Acts 13:26–31); 3. The prophecies of the Savior (Acts 13:32–37); 4. The nature of ''salvation'' (Acts 13:38–39); 5. A warning to accept the Savior (Acts 13:40–41). Some Jews and many Gentiles do accept the message, but the synagogue leaders drive Paul and Barnabas out of town (Acts 13:42–51).

Acts 13 transitions Luke's account (Acts 1:1) fully into a record of Paul's ministry to spread the news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary journey. They teach about Jesus' offer of forgiveness of sins on the island of Cyprus and in the district of Pisidia in modern-day south-central Asia Minor. Along the way, they face opposition, desertion, and persecution: themes that will follow Paul throughout his life. But they also experience the joy of watching the people they'd least expect come to a saving faith in Jesus.

The first chapters of Acts, save for a quick account of Paul's conversion (Acts 9:1–31), cover the ministry of the apostles, particularly Peter. Those passages also detail the spread of the news about Jesus from His followers. That message goes to the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 2—7) and Judea (Acts 8:26–40; 9:32–43), the Samaritans (Acts 8:4–25), and God-fearing Gentiles (Acts 10—11). Now, Paul's contribution to the ''end of the earth'' portion of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8 begins, as he and Barnabas start their first missionary journey. Luke will record two more of Paul's journeys (Acts 15:36—18:22 and 18:23—20:38) before settling in on his return to Jerusalem, arrest, and sea voyage to Rome (Acts 21—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.