Acts 3:26 - Exposition

Servant for Son Jesus, A.V. and T.R.; your for his, A.V. Unto you first . In virtue of the covenant, the first offer of salvation was made to the Jews (see Acts 1:8 ; Acts 13:26 , Acts 13:46 ; Luke 24:47 ; Romans 2:10 , etc.; comp. Matthew 15:24 ). His Servant (as in Acts 3:13 ). As regards the phrase, "having raised up," however natural it is at first sight to understand it of the raising from the dead, the tenses make it impossible to do so. Nor could it be said that God sent Jesus to bless them after his resurrection. We must, therefore, understand ἀναστήσας as to be equivalent to ἐξαγείρας , and to mean "having appointed," set up, raised up (as the English word is used, Luke 1:69 ; Romans 9:17 ). In this sense God raised up his Servant by the incarnation, birth, anointing, and mission to be the Savior. To bless you; to fulfill to you the blessing promised to Abraham's seed. In turning away , etc., deliverance from sin being the chief blessing which Christ bestows upon his people (so Acts 5:31 , repentance is spoken of as Christ's great gift to Israel). So closed the second great apostolic sermon.