Acts 13, 26-39.
Ye men, brethren, children of the seed of Abraham, and them that fear God among you, unto you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing him, nor the voice of the prophets (which are read upon all the sabbaths), have filled them with their judgment. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet they besought Pilate to put him to death. And when they had finished all that was written of him, they took him down from the wood, and laid him in a grave. But God raised him from the dead. And he appeared many days unto them that went up with him from Galilee unto Jerusalem; which are his witnesses unto the people. And we also declare unto you the promise which was made unto our fathers, that God hath fulfilled it unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus: as it is written in another Psalm, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. And because he hath raised him from the dead, that he should no more perish, thus saith he: I will faithfully keep the grace promised to David. Therefore saith he also in another place, Thou shalt not suffer thy saint to see corruption. For David, having served the will of God in his time, fell asleep and joined his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised from the dead has not seen corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the remission of sins, and of all that by which ye could not be justified under the law of Moses. But he that believeth on this man is justified.
1 This sermon was preached by St. Paul in the school of Antioch, in the land of Pisidia, both Jews and Gentiles who were there (as he said to them, "All who fear God");
and agrees entirely with the next one, which St. Peter did to Caesaria; for it is nothing more, even in the first piece, than a narration of the history or story of the Auf-
Christ's resurrection to prove that he is the true Messiah and Christ promised in the Scriptures; which alone is proven and attested by the work and experience that by his own divine power and authority he was torn from death and the grave and resurrected, seen and heard alive; which no other has ever done, nor can anyone ever do, except this one Christ. As St. Paul also says in Romans 1:3, 4: "That this Jesus our Lord, born of the seed of David according to the flesh, should be declared to be the Son of God according to the Spirit, who sanctifies, having risen from the dead.
2) But St. Paul does not leave it at the narration of history, but beside it he also brings testimonies and sayings of the Scriptures, so that he proves and makes sure that Christ had to rise from the dead, and thus would begin his spiritual and eternal kingdom through the word, which he commanded the apostles to preach in all the world. And also shows the right understanding of the Scriptures from the revelation; and shows us the way how we should seek and find Christ in it, as it is said in the next gospel.
3) Thirdly, he does not forget the main part of the custom of the histories, and
what such preaching and testimony of the Scriptures is to be of use to us, or what we gain from it, and how the power and benefit of it is applied and communicated to us; as St. Peter also did. And he also sets forth a beautiful, mighty, apostolic saying and conclusion, how we may obtain forgiveness of sins and be saved, namely, "By this is preached unto you forgiveness of sins, and of all that by which ye could not be justified in the law of Moses. But whosoever believeth in this man is justified." This is also a mighty text, and so bright and clear that it needs no glosses or further interpretation, and is used everywhere by St. Paul in his epistles. Paul in his epistles, and should be enough for us to remember and keep only such clear sayings to strengthen and assure ourselves of the foundation and main point of Christian doctrine; Because we see how the apostles' sermons so evenly and clearly agree with one another, as faithful, true, unanimous witnesses of Christ; and from this we can certainly conclude and judge that what does not conform to this or otherwise teaches about the forgiveness of sins and our salvation, are not the church's, but the devil's accursed teachers and doctrine, Galatians 1:1. 1.