A MESSAGE VERIFIED BY SCRIPTURE
ACTS 13:32-35
ACTS 13:32-35 NKJ
32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.'
34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:
'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'
35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm:
'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'
OBSERVATION:
In this chapter, we find Paul and Barnabas beginning their assignment of carrying the gospel message to the Gentiles.
Their model was to go into the different countries outside of Israel. And they would start in the Jewish synagogues first. Their message was directed to the Jewish people and then to the Gentiles in that city.
Here in this passage, Paul and Barnabas are speaking in a Jewish synagogue. They gave a brief history of how things were in Israel before Jesus and then began to declare Jesus to those who were gathered.
With the Jewish people, Paul and Barnabas quoted Old Testament scriptures that backed up their declarations about Jesus. The Jews knew the scriptures, so there was a common language. Jesus was and is the fulfillment of scripture, and in their message, they directly quoted five Old Testament scriptures.
So, their message was not simply believe what we say about Jesus but rather, believe what the scriptures say about Him.
It is interesting to note that years later, Paul would speak to Greek philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens. There he did not directly quote scriptures. His message was based on scriptures, but the Greeks, his audience, had no knowledge or respect for Hebrew writings.
APPLICATION:
What Paul and Barnabas did two thousand years ago is still applicable today.
Our messages about Jesus need to be based on, verified, by scripture. Tradition will not cut it. Neither will opinion or any type of vision or special revelation. What do the scriptures say about Him?
We may not directly quote scriptures when we share Jesus. But we do need to base what we say on what He, God, says in His word.
The importance of knowing scripture cannot be underestimated. We base our lives here on earth on scripture. We base our eternity on scripture.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me more of Jesus in the scriptures. Your word has not lost its meaning or power in the last two thousand years and never will.