Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 10:37

"that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;" — Acts 10:37 (ASV)

Peter begins his sermon with a resume of Jesus’ life and work during his earthly ministry. Though Peter assumes that his hearers already know something about this ministry through living in Palestine, he proceeds to summarize it in greater detail than anywhere else in his recorded preaching. In scope and emphasis, the account is much like the portrayal of Jesus’ ministry in Mark’s gospel. It begins with John the Baptist, moves on to Jesus’ anointing with the Holy Spirit, refers to Jesus’ many acts of divine power in Galilee, alludes to his continued ministry throughout Palestine and in Jerusalem, stresses his crucifixion, and concludes with a declaration of his resurrection and its verification by his appearances to chosen followers.

As it stands before us, the sermon is only a summary of what Peter actually said at the time. Originally it may have contained a number of examples of Jesus’ acts of kindness and healing, such as those recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. In addition, as a summary of what Peter said, it shows several interests of Luke who put the sermon into its present form: (1) the influence of Isa 61:1 in v.38, an OT passage Luke highlighted in his theme paragraph of Lk 4:14–30 at the start of his two-volume writing; (2) the importance of the apostolic witness in establishing the Christian tradition (see vv.39–41); (3) Luke’s interest in Jesus’ postresurrection eating and drinking with his disciples (cf. Lk 24:41-43; Acts 1:4) as a convincing proof of his physical presence.