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Scripture Reading: Acts 13:13-52
In this message we shall continue to consider Acts 13. We have seen that Paul went to the synagogue to speak the word of God to both the Jews and the Gentile seekers after God. Paul’s speaking is focused on Christ. In 13:27-35 he speaks in particular concerning Christ’s death and resurrection. We have seen that resurrection was a birth to the Lord Jesus. Although He was the only begotten Son of God from eternity (John 1:18; 3:16), after incarnation and through resurrection He was begotten of God in His humanity to be God’s firstborn Son. As the only begotten Son Christ is the embodiment of the divine life, but as the firstborn Son He is the propagation of this life.
In 13:34 Paul speaks a further word regarding the resurrection of Christ: “And as to His having raised Him up from among the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He spoke in this way, I will give you the holy and faithful things of David.” The phrase “the holy and faithful things of David” has bothered translators of the New Testament. Verses 33 and 34 are concerned with the resurrected Christ. Verse 33 says, “That God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm, You are My Son; today I have begotten You.” We have pointed out that Christ’s resurrection was His second birth to bring Him forth as the firstborn Son of God. God promised to give Him to His people, and this resurrected One is the holy and faithful things of David. The phrase “the holy and faithful things of David” indicates that Christ was of David, for it was out of David’s seed that God raised up such a One. To God, the resurrected Christ is the firstborn Son, but to us He is the Savior. Moreover, He is a great gift given by God to His chosen people, and this gift is entitled “the holy and faithful things.”
Literally, the Greek words rendered “the holy and faithful things” are the holy things (Gk. hosios, plural), the faithful or sure. The same word (hosios) is used for “Holy One” in the next verse, but in the singular. But it is not the regular word for holy, which is hagios. Hosios is a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word chesed, which is translated “mercies” in Isaiah 55:3; 2 Chronicles 6:42; and Psalm 89:1, both in the Septuagint and in the King James Version. In Psalm 89 chesed in verse 1 for mercies in plural is the same word in verse 19 for Holy One in singular. This Holy One is Christ, the Son of David, in whom God’s mercies are centered and conveyed. Hence, the holy and faithful things of David refer to the resurrected Christ. This is fully proved by the context, especially by “Your Holy One” in the following verse (Acts 13:35), and by the verse following Isaiah 55:3.
Paul’s thought in 13:33 and 34 is very deep. The resurrected Christ, who is God’s firstborn Son brought forth through His second birth, His resurrection, is the holy and faithful things. In verse 34 the word “faithful” means trustworthy. The resurrected Christ is the holy and trustworthy things God gives to us. Here Paul indicates that the resurrected Christ is not only our Savior bringing us God’s salvation, and He is not only the firstborn Son of God. This resurrected One is also the holy and faithful things as a gift given to us by God.
It is easy for us to understand that Christ is our Savior. It is more difficult to understand that Christ is the firstborn Son of God. But it is very difficult to understand that the resurrected Christ is the holy and trustworthy things. Many of us have never been taught that the resurrected Christ is the holy and trustworthy things given to us by God. The holy and faithful things cover a wide span, a span much wider than that covered by the titles “Savior” and “firstborn Son.” The phrase “the holy and faithful things” is actually a divine title, a title of Christ. In these verses Christ is called the holy and trustworthy things. The Savior God raised up out of the seed of David has become the holy and trustworthy things.
What are these holy and trustworthy things? They are all the aspects of what Christ is. According to the New Testament, Christ is life, light, grace, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, and justification. He is also the bread of life and the living water. Furthermore, the holy and trustworthy things include all the aspects of Christ unveiled in 1 Corinthians: power, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, glory, the depths of God, the unique foundation of God’s building, the Passover, the unleavened bread, the spiritual food, the spiritual drink, the spiritual rock, the Head, the Body, the firstfruit, the second Man, and the last Adam. We see many more aspects of Christ in the Gospel of John, such as the Shepherd and the pasture. Oh, how much Christ is to us as the holy and trustworthy things! As the resurrected One, He is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and all the holy and trustworthy things.
In the Old Testament the holy and faithful things are regarded as mercies. Isaiah 55:3 speaks of “the sure mercies of David.” Second Chronicles 6:42 mentions “the mercies of David,” the Lord’s servant, and Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” Do you know what mercy is? Mercy implies both love and grace, but it reaches further than love. Where love and grace cannot reach, mercy can reach. All the holy and faithful things are Christ Himself as mercies to us. Life is a mercy, and light is also a mercy. Likewise, righteousness, holiness, justification, and sanctification are mercies. In chapter ten of the Gospel of John we have the door, the pasture, and the Shepherd, all of which are mercies. Try to count all the aspects of these mercies. If you took the time to count them, you would have a long list of mercies.
A husband’s love for his wife and the wife’s submission to her husband are Christ as mercies to us. If, in Christ, I love my wife, this surely is a mercy. My love for her is Christ Himself as a mercy to me. In a similar way, if a sister, in Christ, submits to her husband, that also is a mercy. Her submission is Christ Himself as a mercy to her.
I can testify that my speaking the word of God year after year is certainly a mercy. What a mercy that I can speak the word inexhaustibly. In the past I spent a few months every year in the Philippines ministering the word. An elderly sister, who was my hostess, was greatly surprised that I always had something new to say. She thought that after some years I would have nothing further to minister. One day after a conference meeting, she said, “I thought that by now you would be exhausted and have nothing to say. But your ministry is even fresher and richer now than before. Where do you get all these things to speak?” If I were asked this question today, I would say that my speaking the word is Christ as a mercy to me. This is not a matter of my ability or gift. It is altogether a matter of mercy.
Not only is it a mercy for me to speak the word of God, but even the dear Savior is my speaking. My speaking is Christ, and to me this speaking Christ is a mercy. I do not have an advanced degree, and my speaking is not eloquent. Nevertheless, this speaking is full of Christ. This is wholly due to Christ being a mercy to me in speaking the word of God.
We all need to see that the resurrected Christ is the firstborn Son of God, the Savior, and holy and faithful things of David. All genuine Christians know that Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and some may realize that He is the firstborn Son of God. But have you ever heard that the resurrected Christ is all the holy and trustworthy things as mercies given to us by God as an all-inclusive gift? We may have never heard of this, but this was the Christ preached by Paul in Acts 13. I am very happy to see that Paul, in his gospel message, not only preached Christ from the Old Testament, but also preached the resurrected Christ as the holy and trustworthy things. Actually, what Paul proclaimed here in his preaching of the gospel requires all the Epistles written by him for its definition. Therefore, if you want to see more concerning Christ as the holy and trustworthy things, you need to study the fourteen Epistles of Paul.
In his preaching Paul set up an excellent pattern for us to follow in our gospel preaching today. Like Paul, we need to preach Christ in a rich and uplifted way.
In 13:35 through 37 Paul continues, “Wherefore He says also in another psalm, You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption. For David indeed, when he had served his own generation by the counsel of God, fell asleep and was buried with his fathers and saw corruption; but He whom God raised did not see corruption.” The word “served” in verse 36 indicates that David’s reigning as a king was a service to his generation by the counsel of God. Literally, the Greek word translated “buried” means “added to.” As in Acts 13:30, Paul again in verse 37 emphasizes the fact that God raised up the Man Jesus.
In 13:38 and 39 Paul goes on to say, “Therefore let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this One forgiveness of sins is announced to you, and from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, in this One everyone who believes is justified.” To be forgiven of sins (v. 38) is negative, for our release from condemnation. To be justified (v. 39) is positive, for our reconciliation to God and acceptance by Him.
In both 38 and 39 Paul speaks of “this One.” Who is this One? This is the One who has been resurrected to be God’s firstborn Son, our Savior, and the many holy and trustworthy things. Therefore, through the One who is the holy and trustworthy things as God’s mercies to us we are forgiven and justified. Have you ever heard such a gospel? Through the One who is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and the holy and trustworthy things, forgiveness of sins has been announced to us. And through this One we are justified from all the things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses.
The One by whom we are forgiven and justified is not only our Savior; He Himself is our forgiveness and justification. Both forgiveness and justification are mercies from God to us, and these mercies are aspects of the resurrected Christ. Today Christ in His resurrection is our forgiveness and our justification. Never consider forgiveness and justification as something apart from Christ. Both forgiveness and justification are aspects of Christ Himself as mercies from God to us, and these mercies are holy and faithful things.
Do you not regard forgiveness and justification as gifts that God has given to us? Do you not believe that this forgiveness and justification are holy and trustworthy things? To be sure, forgiveness and justification are gifts of God, and they certainly are holy and trustworthy things. If we have this understanding, we shall see that forgiveness and justification are not common. Rather, they are holy. Furthermore, they are faithful, sure, trustworthy.
I very much appreciate Paul’s preaching of Christ in Acts 13. Through his preaching many were saved.
In 13:40 and 41 Paul spoke a word of warning: “Therefore beware, that what is spoken in the Prophets may not come upon you: Look, you despisers, and marvel, and vanish away; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though someone tells it to you in detail.” Then as the people were going out of the synagogue, “they entreated that these words be spoken to them on the next Sabbath” (v. 42). Verse 43 says, “When the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the proselytes who were worshipping followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” As in 2:10, the proselytes were Gentiles who were converted to Judaism (6:5). The grace of God, in which the Jews and proselytes who followed Paul and Barnabas were exhorted to continue, is the Triune God received and enjoyed by the believers and expressed in their salvation, change in life, and holy living.
We need to pay particular attention to the word “grace” in 13:43. We even need to analyze this grace. Although we may be familiar with this word, we need to realize that the grace in 13:43 is a compound formed of a number of elements. This grace is compounded of all the holy and faithful things.
If we would understand this, we need to see that verse 43 is part of the continuation from verse 34. In verse 34 we have the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things. According to both the promise and prophecy of the Old Testament, these holy and faithful things are mercies. We have pointed out that these mercies are different aspects of what Christ is. In verse 43 the expression is changed from “the holy and faithful things” to “grace.” God has given us the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things, and we have believed in Him and have received all these holy and faithful things. But what do we experience in our daily life? We experience the compound, all-inclusive grace, which is the processed Triune God, the very God who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. This is the reason Paul persuaded the believers to continue in the grace of God.
To continue in the grace implies that we have already received this grace. Having received the grace of God, we now need to continue in it. Actually, the believers received the holy and faithful things spoken of in verse 34. Then these holy and faithful things become the grace of God in verse 43. Hence, the grace of God is compounded of all the holy and faithful things.
In 13:44-52 we see that Paul and Barnabas were rejected by the Jews. Verses 44 through 46 say, “And on the coming Sabbath almost all the city was gathered together to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and contradicted the things spoken by Paul, blaspheming. And Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and said, It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to you first; since you thrust it away and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” To thrust away the word of God proves that such a one, by his own judgment, is unworthy of eternal life.
In his preaching as recorded in this chapter Paul did not speak of eternal life. Rather, he spoke of the Son of God, the Savior, the holy and faithful things, and the grace of God. But now, with regard to the Jews who were rejecting them, Paul and Barnabas said that they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. This is a strong proof that the totality of all that Paul preached concerning the resurrected Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the holy and faithful things, and the grace of God is eternal life.
If we would have a proper understanding of eternal life in 13:43, we need adequate spiritual experience. From our experience we know that eternal life is the Savior, the firstborn Son of God, the holy and faithful things, and the all-inclusive grace. When the Jews rejected the word spoken by Paul and Barnabas, they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, which is the Savior, the Son of God, the holy and faithful things, and the grace of God.
In 13:47 Paul said to the rejecting Jews, “For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the remotest part of the earth.” This word is a quotation from Isaiah 49:6, which refers to Christ as God’s Servant, whom God makes a light to the Gentiles so that His salvation may reach to the end of the earth. The apostle Paul, because he was one with Christ in carrying out God’s salvation in Christ, applied this prophetic word to himself in his ministry of gospel preaching for the turning of the gospel from the Jews, because of their rejection, to the Gentiles. In His ministry on earth the Lord expressed the same thing to the stubborn Jews in Luke 4:24-27.
Acts 13:48 continues, “And the Gentiles, hearing this, rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” The Greek word translated “appointed” also may be rendered “ordained.” To reject the gospel is evidence of one’s being unworthy of eternal life (v. 46); to believe it is proof of one’s being appointed, or ordained, by God to eternal life. God’s ordination or predestination for man’s salvation is sovereignly of Himself. However, He still leaves man to his own free will. Whether man will believe or reject His salvation is left up to man’s own decision.
Whether or not we are appointed to eternal life is made evident by our rejecting or believing the gospel. If you receive the word of the gospel, this is a proof that God has appointed you to eternal life. But if a particular person rejects the word of the gospel, this is a proof that he is not worthy of eternal life, that he has not been appointed to eternal life. Concerning this, God has His authority and jurisdiction, and man has a free will. On the one hand, God has the power to assign, to appoint; on the other hand, man has the ability to accept or refuse.
In these verses we have the Savior, the Son of God, the holy and faithful things, the grace of God, and eternal life. When we enjoy eternal life, we enjoy the grace of God. When we enjoy this grace, we enjoy the holy and faithful things. When we enjoy the holy and faithful things, we enjoy the firstborn Son of God and the Savior.
Acts 13:49-52 say, “And the word of the Lord was carried through the whole country. But the Jews incited the worshipping women of high standing and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out from their districts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium. And the disciples were made full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.” In verse 52 the Greek word translated “made full” is pleroo, which means to be filled inwardly. According to its usage in Acts, pleroo denotes to fill a vessel within, as the wind filled the house inwardly in 2:2. In 13:52 the disciples were filled inwardly and essentially with the Spirit for their Christian living. This infilling is of the Holy Spirit essentially for life, not for power economically. Joy, being a matter of life, not of power, proves this.
In addition to the Savior, the Son of God, the holy and faithful things, the grace of God, and eternal life in verses 34 through 48, we now have the Holy Spirit in verse 52. The Savior, the Son of God, the holy and faithful things, the grace of God, and the eternal life are compounded in the one, all-inclusive, life-giving Holy Spirit. This all-inclusive Spirit is now the all-inclusive “sandwich” for our experience and enjoyment. When we partake of this “sandwich,” we enjoy eternal life, grace, the holy and faithful things, the firstborn Son of God, and the Savior.
In this message we have seen the way to study the Bible and to preach the gospel. First we have Christ Jesus, and eventually we have the Holy Spirit. We have Christ Jesus as the Savior, the firstborn Son of God, the holy and faithful things, grace, and eternal life. Now we see that all this is in the Holy Spirit, and we are made full of this Spirit essentially. Thank the Lord that within the all-inclusive Holy Spirit we have forgiveness, justification, sanctification, righteousness, holiness, power, strength, authority, life, and light. Praise the Lord for all that is included in the all-inclusive Spirit!
