Acts 13:32
ESV
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,
NIV
"We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors
NASB
And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers,
CSB
And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.
NLT
And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors,
KJV
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
NKJV
And we declare to you glad tidings— that promise which was made to the fathers.
What does Acts 13:32 mean?
Paul again starts a new section of his message by breaking through the narrative to grab his hearers' attention. He has shown how God saved the Jews throughout their history and promised them a Savior to come (Acts 13:16–25). Then he explained how that Savior came, was rejected and killed by the Jewish leaders, and was saved, Himself, when God resurrected Him (Acts 13:26–31). Now, he is going back to prophecy to show how the Savior's resurrection was always part of God's plan (Acts 13:32–37).Paul will reveal the "good news" in Acts 13:38–39. This message is that, beyond prosperity and political independence for Israel, God offers forgiveness of sins through Jesus which obedience to the Mosaic law could never accomplish. Some of the Jews and many Gentiles will gladly accept this news. But, like the leaders in Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders of Pisidian Antioch won't be able to see past the popularity Paul and Barnabas receive from their message. They don't see how forgiveness from sins would be better than their position in the synagogue and the city.
They're not only rejecting Jesus, but they're also rejecting God's promises "to the fathers." God promised Abraham that He would bless the world through him (Genesis 12:3). He reiterated that promise to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and to Jacob (Genesis 28:14). Further, God promised He would give His followers a heart that follows and loves Him (Deuteronomy 30:6). Through Ezekiel, God promised "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
It is this good news that is God's greatest gift of salvation, to the Jews and the Gentiles.
Acts 13:16–41 gives the transcript of Paul's message in Pisidian Antioch. It is the only recording of Paul's many synagogue sermons. Paul's message can be broken into five parts, each identified with a call to heed Paul's words: 1. God's saving work in Israel's history and promise of a future Savior (Acts 13:16–25); 2. The Savior's story (Acts 13:26–31); 3. The prophecies of the Savior (Acts 13:32–37); 4. The nature of ''salvation'' (Acts 13:38–39); 5. A warning to accept the Savior (Acts 13:40–41). Some Jews and many Gentiles do accept the message, but the synagogue leaders drive Paul and Barnabas out of town (Acts 13:42–51).
Acts 13 transitions Luke's account (Acts 1:1) fully into a record of Paul's ministry to spread the news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary journey. They teach about Jesus' offer of forgiveness of sins on the island of Cyprus and in the district of Pisidia in modern-day south-central Asia Minor. Along the way, they face opposition, desertion, and persecution: themes that will follow Paul throughout his life. But they also experience the joy of watching the people they'd least expect come to a saving faith in Jesus.
