Matthew Henry Commentary Acts 13:14-31

"But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he them forth out of it. And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave [them] their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years: and after these things he gave [them] judges until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who shall do all My will. Of this man`s seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not [he]. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose. Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled [them] by condemning [him]. And though they found no cause of death [in him], yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people." — Acts 13:14-31 (ASV)

When we come together to worship God, we must do so not only through prayer and praise, but also by reading and hearing the word of God. Merely reading the Scriptures in public gatherings is not enough; they should be explained, and the people exhorted from them. This helps people do what is necessary to make the word profitable: to apply it to themselves.

Everything is touched upon in this sermon that might best persuade the Jews to receive and embrace Christ as the promised Messiah. And every view, however brief or faint, of the Lord's dealings with His church, reminds us of His mercy and long-suffering, and of man's ingratitude and perverseness. Paul passes from David to the Son of David, and shows that this Jesus is His promised Seed—a Savior to do for them what the judges of old could not do: to save them from their sins, their worst enemies.

When the apostles preached Christ as the Savior, they were so far from concealing His death that they always preached Christ crucified. Our complete separation from sin is represented by our being buried with Christ. But He rose again from the dead and saw no corruption: this was the great truth to be preached.