What is the meaning of Acts 1:18? Now with the reward for his wickedness • Scripture is clear: Judas received “thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 27:3–5) for betraying Jesus. • That payment is labeled “the reward for his wickedness,” underscoring personal responsibility (Psalm 62:12; Galatians 6:7). • The word “now” ties this verse to the narrative flow of Acts 1, showing how sinful choices carry real-world consequences. Judas bought a field • Matthew 27:6–8 explains the priests used the returned silver to purchase “the Potter’s Field,” yet Acts speaks of Judas buying it. Both statements are true: Judas’ money secured the land, so Scripture attributes the purchase to him. • This fulfills prophetic imagery from Zechariah 11:12–13, highlighting God’s sovereign foreknowledge. • The field becomes a somber monument to betrayal, contrasting with believers who receive “an inheritance that can never perish” (1 Peter 1:4). there he fell headlong • The narrative proceeds matter-of-factly: Judas went to that very place and “fell headlong.” • The manner of his end echoes Psalm 55:23, “But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction”. • His fall is not mere accident but the outworking of divine justice. and burst open in the middle, • Luke records a vivid, historical detail. The description heightens the seriousness of sin’s wages (Romans 6:23). • Far from embellishment, it reinforces that sin brings literal devastation to body and soul (Proverbs 14:12). and all his intestines spilled out. • The gruesome result underlines how betrayal of the Son of God ends in utter ruin (Mark 14:21). • This is a physical picture of spiritual truth: a person torn apart by unrepented sin (Acts 8:20–23). • The apostles will shortly contrast Judas’ fate with the life-giving power of the risen Christ (Acts 1:22). summary Acts 1:18 soberly chronicles Judas’ payment, purchase, plunge, and perishing. Every phrase testifies that sin’s profit is fleeting, God’s Word is exact, and divine justice is sure. Believers can trust the literal accuracy of Scripture and take warning: the only safe reward is found in loyal obedience to Christ. |
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