Acts 13:38
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:”
King James Version (KJV)
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During his first missionary journey, Paul preaches in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, concluding his survey of Israel's history with the offer of forgiveness through Jesus.
What Does Acts 13:38 Mean?
Acts 13:38 is the climax of Paul's first recorded sermon -- he announces that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is now proclaimed to all who hear. Paul and Barnabas had entered the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, and after the reading of the law and the prophets, Paul was invited to speak. He traced Israel's history, leading to Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. Now he reaches the point of it all: what this means for his listeners.
"Be it known unto you therefore" gathers up everything Paul has said and presses it home. The word "therefore" connects the message of forgiveness directly to the resurrection he had just proclaimed. The phrase "through this man" centers everything on Jesus -- it is by Him, and Him alone, that this gift comes. The heart of the announcement is "the forgiveness of sins." The Greek aphesis means release, pardon, the dismissal of debt. Sins that bind and condemn can be sent away. This was the longing beneath all of Israel's worship and sacrifice, and Paul declares it is now openly proclaimed. The next verse adds that by Jesus "all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law." What no system of human effort could fully accomplish, Christ provides. Paul's sermon ends not with information but with an offer -- forgiveness, freely held out to everyone listening.
In the Original Language
The Greek "aphesis" (forgiveness) means release, pardon, or the dismissal of a debt, here applied to the sending away of sins.
Cross References
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
- Ephesians 1:7
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
- Colossians 1:14
“And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
- Acts 13:39
Application
The central offer of the gospel is forgiveness through Christ; it is held out freely to everyone, inviting each hearer to receive the release from sin that human effort alone could never secure.