Acts 13:26-29 fddd26Men, brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, not recognizing this one nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28And though finding no charge for death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29And when they had finished all the things written about him, after taking him down from the cross, they laid him in a tomb.
With verse 26, Paul made a significant shift in topic, marked by another direct address with three descriptions. First, he called the listeners as Brothers, making Paul and the team one with them. He was not speaking as an outsider but as a spiritual sibling. This term would include both the Jewish and Gentile listeners. Second, they were sons of Abraham, part of the special covenant community that stretched back to the beginning. This address would draw in the Jews. Third, once again, Paul included God-fearers, who were likely Gentiles and believed in the one true God of the Jews but were not ethnically connected to the Jews. God sent Jesus, the Savior, to each of them. Paul spoke to both the corporate group and to each individual.
Verse 27 introduces how the Jewish leaders and people in Jerusalem rejected, condemned, and killed the Messiah. The first problem they had was did not recognize (agnoēsantes) him. The word used here is brought into English as “agnostic.” Their problem was not due to not having access to the truth. They had the truth because Jesus spoke clearly to them. They just refused to understand and accept it. They ignored the revelation of Jesus, which was clearly prophesied in the Scriptures they read each week. They acted in a way prophesied long before. Lest Paul’s audience might come to the defense of the religious leaders in Jerusalem and think Jesus deserved what he got, Paul made clear in verse 28 that Jesus was guiltless. He did nothing wrong to deserve execution. Verse 29 ends with the tragedy of Jesus’ death on the cross and burial in a tomb. Everything thus far could be verified by news from Jerusalem. Quite a bit of time had passed, possibly fifteen years or more. News like this may have spread even as far as Antioch.
The story of Jesus would be captivating to an audience with the Scriptural background, like those gathered in the synagogue. Jesus was an innocent victim of the ignorance of the Jews. Scripture pointed to his coming. Paul could have drawn upon many Scripture texts to support each of his points. Through his rhetoric, he involved his readers and drew upon their knowledge of their Bibles and traditions. He was building a strong case based on Scripture and historical facts to convince his listeners to accept his claims. The person of Jesus may have been distant geographically and in time from them, but the Holy Spirit could apply these words to them and to anyone of any time or location who will open his or her heart to the truth.
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