Acts 3:26 To you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. St. Peter had been speaking of our Lord's resurrection, and it is natural to connect the expression of the text, "having raised up his Son Jesus," with that resurrection. The idea, however, seems to be more general - God having provided, prepared, given, set forth. Matthew Henry gives the complete thought: "God, having raised up his Son Jesus, appointed and authorized him to be a Prince and a Savior; and, in confirmation of this, raised him from the dead, sent him to bless you, in making tender of his blessing to you. God raised up Jesus when he constituted him a Prophet. Some refer the raising of him up to his resurrection, which was the renewal of his commission." This is St. Peter's direct appeal to the Jews, and declaration of the particular mission of Christ to the Jews. To them the gospel was first to be preached. Their former Divine revelation was a gracious preparation of them for the reception of the new revelation. But the new blessing would not come to them merely as a nation; it would come to each individual, and to the whole only through the individual, and depend upon the openness and acceptance of faith. Apostles were to "begin at Jerusalem." The points made prominent by this simple appeal are, (1) God is the Savior (2) he saves by his Son Jesus; (3) the essence of that salvation is the turning of men away from their iniquities. I. GOD IS THE SAVIOR. The apostles always kept to the idea that Christ is the Medium of the salvation, and God the source. Sometimes the exigencies of theological systems have led to the practical neglect of this important distinction. God saves men. God's love is the fountain of redemption. God's wisdom fashions the redemptive plan. God's Son executes the redemptive purpose. God is in all, and God must be glorified in all. No apostle puts this more plainly than St. Peter. Compare his very forcible language in 1 Peter 1:21, "Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. II. GOD SAVES BY his SON JESUS CHRIST. Whom he sent to the earth, and whom he raised from the dead. This is God's way of salvation. It is the only way. By both considerations we are urged to accept it. III. THE ESSENCE OF THAT SALVATION IS THE TURNING OF MEN AWAY FROM THEIR INIQUITIES. The special iniquity dealt with here is the rejection and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus; but that is ever regarded as displaying and proving, in a very impressive manner, the fallen and ruined condition of men. It was such a display of malice, prejudice, and hard-hearted willfulness, as revealed the utter badness and corruption of humanity. Show that the root-cause of evil in man is stir-love, self-seeking, and self-will. In these things lie our iniquity. From them we can only be turned by the love of another, the seeking of the good of another, and the enthronement of the wilt of another. Therefore Jesus Christ is set forth, we are bidden to look at him, know him, set our love on him, and enthrone him. He can work a mighty saving work in every heart and every life that is turned towards him and opened to him. And penitence and faith can open our heart-doors. The way and the means to secure " Divine forgiveness," "blotting out of sins", and "times of refreshing, are that repentance and turning again" to which the apostle has been exhorting the people. This is urged first upon the Jews, but it is the condition of salvation for Jew and Gentile alike. - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. |
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