Acts 3:18
ESV
But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.
NIV
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
NASB
But the things which God previously announced by the mouths of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled in this way.
CSB
In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer.
NLT
But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah — that he must suffer these things.
KJV
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
NKJV
But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
What does Acts 3:18 mean?
Peter has been talking about the responsibility of his Jewish audience in Jesus' crucifixion. Details of that crucifixion are scattered all over the Old Testament:- In Psalm 22:16, "dogs" encompass the victim and evildoers "pierce" his hands and feet. "Dog" was a derogatory term for a Gentile; it was the Roman governor Pilate who ordered Jesus' death and the Roman guards who saw it done (Matthew 27:26–31).
- In Psalm 41:9, David talks about a close friend who lifted his heel against him. Of course, it was Judas who betrayed Jesus (Mark 14:10).
- The "Suffering Servant" passage (Isaiah 52:13–53:12) has many prophecies about Jesus. Isaiah 53:7 talks about His silence in the face of affliction. It is true that Jesus answered questions (Mark 14:62; John 18:20–23, 34–37) but He never spoke in His own defense.
- The words that Jesus spoke on the cross (Matthew 27:46) were originally found in Psalm 22:1.
- David also prophesied the insults Jesus received on the cross (Matthew 27:41–43) in Psalm 22:7–8, including the very specific, "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him."
- Psalm 22 also predicts that Jesus' clothes will be divided by lots (Psalm 22:18), which the soldiers did (John 19:23).
