Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 17:3

"opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, [said he,] I proclaim unto you, is the Christ." — Acts 17:3 (ASV)

Opening. dianoigwn. See Luke 24:32. The word means to explain or to unfold. It is usually applied to that which is shut, such as the eyes, etc. Then it means to explain that which is concealed or obscure. It means here that he explained the Scriptures in their true sense.

And alleging. paratiyemenov. Laying down the proposition, that is, maintaining that it must be so.

That Christ must necessarily have suffered. This means that there was a suitability and necessity in his dying, as Jesus of Nazareth had done. The sense of this will be better understood by retaining the word Messiah: "That there was a suitability or necessity that the Messiah, expected by the Jews and predicted in their Scriptures, should suffer." The Jews were unwilling to admit this point, but it was essential to his argument in proving that Jesus was the Messiah to show that it was foretold that he should die for the sins of men. On the necessity of this, see Barnes on Luke 4:26.

Have suffered. That he should die.

And that this Jesus. And that this Jesus of Nazareth, who has thus suffered and risen—whom, he said, I preach to you—is the Messiah.

The arguments by which Paul probably proved that Jesus was the Messiah were:

1. That he corresponded with the prophecies respecting him, in the following particulars:
   1. He was born at Bethlehem.
   2. He was of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).
   3. He was descended from Jesse and of the royal line of David (Isaiah 11:1, 10).
   4. He came at the time predicted (Daniel 9:24–27).
   5. His appearance, character, work, etc., corresponded with the predictions of Isaiah 53.
2. His miracles proved that he was the Messiah, for he professed to be, and God would not work a miracle to confirm the claims of an impostor.
3. For the same reason, his resurrection from the dead proved that he was the Messiah.

The phrase "Opening and alleging" means "Explaining them." For "needs have suffered," see Luke 24:26, 46; Acts 18:28; Galatians 3:1.

The phrase "whom I preach" is expanded by the commentator to "whom, he said, I preach."