What is the meaning of Acts 13:31? For many days He was seen Acts 13:31 opens with concrete history: “and for many days He was seen….” Scripture records a literal forty-day window between the resurrection and the ascension (Acts 1:3). During that stretch: - Jesus ate with the disciples (Luke 24:41-43), proving He was no phantom. - He allowed them to touch Him (John 20:27), dispelling doubt. - He taught them about “the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Every appearance added layer after layer of undeniable evidence. Our faith rests on facts, not feelings (1 Corinthians 15:5-7). By those who had accompanied Him The risen Christ chose to reveal Himself to people who had walked with Him earlier. They had: - Heard His teaching in Galilee (Matthew 5-7). - Watched His miracles (Mark 6:30-44). - Observed His sinless life up close (1 Peter 2:22). Because they already knew Him, they could not mistake an imposter for their Lord (John 10:14). Their firsthand familiarity anchors the trustworthiness of their testimony. From Galilee to Jerusalem This phrase sweeps across the whole terrain of Jesus’ ministry. Galilee represents three years of public proclamation (Luke 4:14-15); Jerusalem culminates in the cross and tomb (Luke 23:33, 50-53). By spanning that distance, Luke reminds us that: - The witnesses saw the full arc of redemption—life, death, and resurrection. - The gospel is not a regional rumor; it moved from rural hills to the nation’s holy city (Isaiah 2:3). - The same Savior reigns over every place in between (Matthew 28:18-20). They are now His witnesses The verb “are” highlights an ongoing commission. These men and women did not retire after the ascension; they spoke boldly (Acts 4:20). Their witness included: - Preaching Christ crucified and risen (Acts 2:23-24). - Performing signs that confirmed their message (Hebrews 2:3-4). - Suffering for the name they proclaimed (Acts 5:40-42). Their living testimony models what every believer is called to do—tell what we have experienced of Jesus (1 John 1:1-3). To our people Paul, addressing a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, stresses that the original witnesses reported first “to our people,” the Jews (Romans 1:16). God keeps His promises to Israel (Acts 3:25-26): - The resurrection validates Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah (Psalm 16:10; Acts 13:32-33). - Israel’s privilege becomes the world’s blessing (Genesis 12:3; Acts 13:47). - Even today, the gospel still calls Jewish hearts—and every heart—back to their covenant God (Romans 11:23-24). summary Acts 13:31 packs a rich, literal narrative: the risen Jesus appeared repeatedly, to companions who knew Him well, across the very ground where He had lived and died. Those eyewitnesses continue to speak through Scripture, offering Israel—and the entire world—an unshakable foundation for faith. |
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