Acts 13:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do not be troubled that it is said of Jesus that He was raised by God. If Jesus is none other than the incarnate Word, and the Word, according to Scripture's witness, is "Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God," then He is the power of the Father, by which He accomplishes all things. Thus one must understand that Jesus raised Himself. If it is said that He was raised by the Father, this is said in the sense that everything is ascribed to the Father as such a principle and such a cause, beyond time. Jesus Himself also says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19).

For those who pay attention, it is clear that, according to the Apostle Paul's words, the Son rose from the dead at the resurrection of the body. What concerns His body is also referred to His person. Therefore, when he says, "The Father gave life to the Son" (Jn 5:26), one should understand that life was given to the flesh. For if He is life, how can life receive life?

Paul's preaching in the synagogue there gives us the first example of the apostle's wisdom and skill in acting upon the hearts of his hearers.

Wishing to gain their attention and trust, he first points out how God chose them as a people set apart for Himself. Then he briefly surveys all that God did for His people up to David.

From David's seed, in fulfillment of the promises, the Messiah was to come. After this preparation, the apostle turns to the chief aim of his speech.

He speaks of the manifestation of the Messiah and of what He accomplished for the salvation of the human race.

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to the peninsula of Asia Minor and came to Perga in Pamphylia. From there John Mark returned to Jerusalem.

Paul, with his other companions, continued his journey and went deeper into the interior regions of Asia Minor. He came to Pisidian Antioch.

There the Apostle Paul's preaching about Christ made a powerful impression on the city's inhabitants. It converted many Jews and Gentiles to Christ.

Yet the majority of the Jews remained deaf to the apostles' preaching. They even stirred up a disturbance against Paul and Barnabas and drove them from the city.

Therefore the apostles went on, shaking off the dust from their feet against them, according to Christ's commandment (Mt 10:14).

"But God raised Him." In contrast to what men did to Christ, the apostle sets forth what God did with Him. Men killed Him; God raised Him.

The apostle softens his words about the death of Jesus Christ here. He attributes His killing, as it were, to Pilate, although Pilate did this at the request of the Jews.

The Jews, for their part, were acting in fulfillment of the prophecies about Him. Crucifixion was regarded as a particularly shameful execution.

Therefore the apostle speaks generally of the killing of the Innocent One, of taking Him down from the tree, and of laying Him in the tomb. Men did all this, but God raised Him.

"See how the apostle, moved by the Spirit Himself, continually preaches about the Passion and burial of Christ. He speaks of the manner of His death and mentions Pilate so that His suffering may be more clearly shown by the trial held over Him.