Article written by Nick Deiger

One of Paul’s longer sermons is recorded by Luke in Acts 13. Paul and his company came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue. After the reading, the rulers said, "Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on" (Acts 13:15b). This was an open invitation to exhort the people, and Paul took advantage of this invitation. Luke writes, "Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience" (Acts 13:15-16). Paul, then, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.

One of the passages that Paul used in his preaching was from Psalms 16:10, which reads, "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Paul argues that David was not the one under consideration. He said concerning David, "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption" (Acts 13:36).

If David was not under consideration, then who was? Paul continued his preaching, "But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption" (Acts 13:37). Peter, in Acts 2, declared, "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand" (Acts 2:29, 34). David is not ascended, but "HE" is! The "He" is He whom God raised. This Person is Jesus Christ. Again, Peter spoke, "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" (Acts 2:31-32). In preaching Christ, and obedience to the message, Paul says two things can be gained. He says, "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39). One can have forgiveness of sins, and one can be justified by this Man, Jesus Christ, that God raised.

Beloved, what was true with Paul’s message to those of Antioch in Pisidia is true with us today. If we want forgiveness of sins, if we want to be justified, then we must believe, and all that that entails, that Jesus Christ "saw no corruption" because He is the One "whom God raised again."

Do you believe? Will you obey?