Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 3:20
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
20. and he shall send ] The construction is continued from the previous verse. Read, and that he may send.
In the rest of this verse both the order of the words and the reading of the Tex. Rec. is different from that of the best MSS. The sentence should read: the Christ which was appointed for you, even Jesus. Not only is this the more authoritative reading but it agrees with the proofs which St Peter presently cites ( Act 3:25), “Ye are the children of the covenant which God made with our fathers.” The Christ, the Messiah, had been appointed and promised unto the Jewish nation, and now the promise of the covenant is fulfilled in Jesus.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he shall send … – Act 1:1 l. Under this economy of things, he shall send Jesus Christ, that is, the Messiah, to teach people; to redeem them; to save them; to judge the world; to gather his people to himself; and to condemn the wicked. Under this economy they were then. This, therefore, was an argument why they should repent and turn to God, that they might escape in the day of judgment.
Which before was preached … – Who has been proclaimed as the Messiah. The name Jesus Christ is equivalent here to the Messiah. The Messiah had been proclaimed to the Jews as about to come. In his time was to be the period of refreshing. He had come; and they were under the economy in which the blessings of the Messiah were to be enjoyed. This does not refer to his personal ministry, or to the preaching of the apostles, but to the fact that the Messiah had been a long time announced to them by the prophets as about to come. All the prophets had preached him as the hope of the nation. It may be remarked, however, that there is here a difference in the manuscripts. A large majority of them read prokecheirismenon, who was designated or appointed, instead of who was preached. This reading is approved by Griesbach, Knapp, Bengel, etc. It was followed in the ancient Syriac, the Arabic, etc., and is undoubtedly the true reading.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Act 3:20
And He shall send Jesus.
The Missionary Christ
A missionary is one sent. Jesus was a missionary when He came to save; He will be a missionary when He comes to judge. These missions have been loosely termed the First and Second Advents as though there were no others. But if the Old Testament theophanies were manifestations of Christ, then Christ came on a pre-incarnate mission. Then, again, He had aa important mission after the Resurrection; and further, we see from the text in conjunction with Act 3:26 and His promise, Lo, I am with you, that He has been engaged in a mission ever since the Ascension. So there are four advents which characterise the successive phases of the mission of the Son of God. The text refers to that in which He is now engaged. Note–
I. The missionary.
1. The name Jesus is generally used of the Saviour in His human capacity; and it is not without the profoundest interest that the Great Ambassador from on high is that same Jesus who assumed our humanity to qualify Himself for a real brotherhood with our race. We have suggested, therefore, in the name sympathy, helpfulness, accessibility, companionship. While we carefully remember His august position on the throne of the universe, let us not forget that that throne is occupied by our Brother, and that therefore we may come boldly to the throne of grace!
2. Christ is the official title which represents our Lord as embodying all that was meant by the anointed personages of the Old Testament. He is the reality of which they were the type–the Messiah.
(1) Christ, then, still discharges His teaching functions, and says many things which He could not say to His ancient disciples–not so much revealing new truth as unfolding fresh developments, exhibiting new aspects, and bringing it home in unlooked-for ways.
(2) Christ is the Priest of His Church. Atonement was only one function. He ever lives to apply the benefits of His sacrifice, to make intercession, to pour forth His ceaseless blessings.
(3) Christ is King to legislate, rule, and lead to victory.
II. The Sender God (Act 3:19). That Jesus was the Sent of God shows–
1. The harmony of the missions of Christ incarnate and Christ glorified. No more frequent thought was in our Lords mind than that He came from God except the cognate thought that He was glad to come. So our text regards Christ as still being sent, and, since the effects of His mission are so blessed (Act 3:26), with the same joy. What dignity and blessedness does this give to those who receive Him! We are amazed at the condescension and love which marked the advent to Bethlehem; but under the same grand auspices does Christ come to our soul, home, church.
2. The relation of Christ.
(1) To the Father.
(a) Subordination. Send.
(b) Equality. God only could do what Christ is sent to do (Act 3:26).
(2) To the Holy Spirit. The times of refreshing are regarded as emphatically the Spirits, but our text shows that they are also Christs. This harmony of operation is seen throughout the New Testament. And what God hath joined together let no man put asunder.
III. The time; Times of refreshing. Christ is always here, but He is not always manifest. But He is supremely manifest during periods of spiritual revival.
1. In the revival of personal religion it is the vivid realisation of Christ that brings refreshment. Our dead, dry, barren times are when Christ is partially or altogether hidden. But when the clouds break the showers fall and the Sun of Righteousness shines forth, and all is glad and fruitful.
2. In the revival of Church life it is Christ brought home to the sinner, magnified by the saint, and honoured in all effort that is the prime cause.
IV. The means. Preached unto you.
1. Christless preaching is never marked by a time of refreshing. There were learned rabbis prophesying in a valley of dry bones; but it was a rude fisherman that was the instrument of bringing them to life. This Peter did by simply preaching Christ. Scholastic philosophers were scattering their ponderous tomes on an age that was not only dark but dead; but it was a rude miners son that awakened Europe into life. This Luther did by simply preaching Christ. Stately essays were read by cultured thinkers in that barren, arid eighteenth century; but untutored evangelists simply held up Christ and times of refreshing came.
2. As a means of revival, therefore, preaching Christ is the chief. Other things are important–architecture, music, visitation, schools, pleasant evenings, etc. But a Church may have all, and yet lack the one thing needful. But the Subject to be preached is a whole Christ: not His tender humanness apart from His sovereign dignity; not His precious promises apart from His atoning sacrifice. Let the whole Christ be preached accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, with and through whom He works, and times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord will come. (J. W. Burn.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 20. Which before was preached unto you] Instead of , before preached, ABCDE, fifty-three others, both the Syriac, all the Arabic, the Armenian, Chrysostom, and others, have , who was before designed, or appointed; and this is without doubt the true reading. Christ crucified was the person whom God had from the beginning appointed or designed for the Jewish people. It was not a triumphant Messiah which they were to expect; but one who was to suffer and die. Jesus was this person; and by believing in him, as thus suffering and dying for their sins, he should be again sent, in the power of his Spirit, to justify and save them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To remove all evils and miseries from his people; when that Sun shines all clouds and mists are scattered. This refers especially to Christs second coming, which is here promised, to encourage us to do good, and to deter us from doing evil; as also to move us to repentance, and to comfort us when penitent.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. he shall send Jesus ChristThetrue reading is, “He shall send your predestinated (orforeordained) Messiah, Jesus.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he shall send Jesus Christ,…. Or “that he may send Jesus Christ”, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it: not in person, for this regards neither his first, nor his second coming, both which might be terrible to the awakened Jews; the former, because he had been sent, and was come, and was gone again; and therefore might fear there was no hope for them, who had denied him, and crucified him; the latter, because they might conclude he would be sent, and come to take vengeance on them, when they should look upon him whom they had pierced with horror and trembling; but here it regards his being sent, and his coming in the ministration of the word, and by his Spirit, to the comfort of their souls:
which before was preached unto you; in the writings of the Old Testament, in the books of Moses, and of the Prophets, Ac 3:22 or, as it is read in the Alexandrian copy, and in other copies, and in the Complutensian edition, and in the Syriac and Arabic versions, who was “predetermined” or “prepared for you”; that is, in the purposes, council, and covenant of God. The Ethiopic version reads, “whom he before anointed”; to be prophet, priest, and King; and from each of these considerations much comfort might be drawn by sensible sinners.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus ( ). First aorist active subjunctive with as in 15:17 and Lu 2:35. There is little real difference in idea between and . There is a conditional element in all purpose clauses. The reference is naturally to the second coming of Christ as verse 21 shows. Knowling admits “that there is a spiritual presence of the enthroned Jesus which believers enjoy as a foretaste of the visible and glorious Presence of the .” Jesus did promise to be with the disciples all the days (Mt 28:20), and certainly repentance with accompanying seasons of refreshing help get the world ready for the coming of the King. The word (perfect passive participle of , from , at hand, to take into one’s hands, to choose) is the correct text here, not . In the N.T. only here and Acts 22:14; Acts 26:16. It is not “Jesus Christ” here nor “Christ Jesus,” but “the Messiah, Jesus,” identifying Jesus with the Messiah. See the Second Epiphany of Jesus foretold also in 1Ti 6:15 and the First Epiphany described in 1Pe 1:20.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Which before was preached [ ] . But the best texts read prokeceirismenon, appointed. Compare ch. 22 14. Used by Luke only, ch. Act 22:14; Act 26:16. The verb originally means to take in hand.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And He shall send Jesus Christ,” (kai aposteile Christon lesoun) “And He may (shall) send Jesus Christ,” at the final time of judgement and refreshing of the universe in His restitution of all things to the Father, through the millennial redemption age and reign, Act 1:11; Luk 1:32-33; 1Co 15:24-28; Heb 10:36-37.
2) “Which before was preached unto you:” (ton prokecheirismenon humin) “The one having been foreappointed to or for you all,” to be or for your Redeemer, your Saviour. That same Jesus will come again and all men of all ages shall be brought before Him for final judgement of rewards or retribution on the basis of whether they have been saved or unsaved at the end of life on earth, Joh 5:28-29; Act 17:31-32; 2Ti 41; 2Co 5:10; Rom 14:11-12; Rev 20:11-15.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
20. That when If we follow Erasmus and the old interpreter, this sentence shall be unperfect, (185) which may be made perfect, thus: When the time of refreshing shall come, you may also enjoy this refreshing; when Christ shall come to judge the world, you may find him a redeemer and not a Judge. But because Beza doth fitly translate it, After that they shall come, it is better to retain that which is not so racked; (186) so you resolve it thus: That sins are so forgiven against the day of the last judgment; because, unless we be cited to appear before God’s judgment-seat we are not greatly careful to pacify God. First of all, we must note, that he setteth before them the day of judgment, to the end the former exhortation may take the greater effect. For there is nothing which doth more prick us, than when we are taught that we must once give an account. For so long as our senses are holden and kept in this world, they are drowned, as it were, in a certain drowsiness, (187) that I may so call it. Wherefore the message of the last judgment must sound as a trumpet to cite us to appear before the judgment-seat of God. For then at last being truly awaked, we begin to think of a new life. In like sort, when Paul preached at Athens, God saith, that he doth now will all men to repent; because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world, (Act 17:30.) The sum is this, that Christ, who is now unto us a Master, when as he teacheth us by the gospel, is appointed of the Father to be a Judge, and shall come in his due time; and that, therefore, we must obey his doctrine betimes, that we may gather the fruit of our faith then.
But some man may object, that Peter speaketh otherwise of the last day. For this doth not serve to make them afraid, when he saith, the time of refreshing. I answer, that there is a double prick, wherewith the faithful are pricked forward when as they are told of the last judgment. For the profit of faith doth not appear in this world, yea rather it seemeth to go well with the despisers of God; but the life of the godly is full of miseries. Therefore our hearts should oftentimes faint and quail, unless we should remember that the day of rest shall come, which shall quench all the heat of our trouble, and make an end of our miseries. The other prick whereof I spoke is this, when as the fearful judgment of God causeth us to shake off delicacy and drowsiness. So Peter mixeth in this place threatenings with promises, partly to the end he may allure the Jews unto Christ, and partly that he may prick them forward with fear. Furthermore, this is a thing much used in the Scripture, as it speaketh either unto the reprobate, or unto the elect, sometimes to make the day of the Lord doleful and fearful, sometimes to make the same pleasant and to be wished for. Peter therefore doth very well, who, whilst that he putteth the Jews in good hope of pardon, doth make the day of Christ pleasant to them, to the end they may desire the same.
And shall send him. He saith expressly that Christ shall be Judge, to the end they may know that the contempt of the gospel shall not be unpunished. For how should not Christ punish the same? In the meanwhile, this doth greatly comfort the faithful, when as they know that it shall be in his hand to give salvation, who doth now promise and offer the same. He addeth, moreover, that he shall come who is now preached unto them. Whereby he taketh away all excuse of ignorance. As if he should say, Christ is preached unto you now before he come to judge the world; to the end that those who will embrace him may receive the fruit of their faith at that day; and to the end that others, who shall refuse him, may be punished for their unbelief. Although the Grecians do read this two ways; for some books (188) have προκεκηρυγμενον, that is, preached before; and other some προκεχειρισμενον, that is, showed, or set before their eyes. But both have one sense, to wit, that Christ is not offered unto them in vain now by the doctrine of the gospel; because he shall be sent the second time by his Father to be a Judge, armed and prepared to render vengeance, unless they embrace him now for their Redeemer.
(185) “ Ecliptica,” elliptic.
(186) “ Coactum,” forced.
(187) “ Quodam, ut ita loquar veterno obruti sunt,” are oppressed, so to speak, with a kind of lethargy.
(188) “ Codices,” manuscripts.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) And he shall send Jesus Christ.Better, as before, and that He may send.
Which before was preached unto you.The better MSS. have, which was fore-appointed, or fore-ordained, for you.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. And he shall send In order that he may send.
Before was preached It is generally agreed now that the true reading here is, which was chosen or appointed. The same Greek word occurs in Act 22:14, “Hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will,” and Act 26:16, “To make (or choose) thee a minister.” The verse should read: And (in order that) he may send the chosen Jesus Messiah unto you. The unto you depends upon send.
Act 3:20 . The final aim of the preceding exhortation. In order that times of refreshiny may come . Peter conceives that the and the Parousia ( . . .) will set in, as soon as the Jewish nation is converted to the acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah. It required a further revelation to teach him that the Gentiles also were to be converted and that directly, and not by the way of proselytism to Christ (chap.10).
, with the subjunctive (Act 15:17 ; Luk 2:35 ; Rom 3:4 ; Mat 6:5 ), denotes the purpose that is to be attained in dependence on a supposition (here: in this event ; if ye comply with the summons). See Hartung, Partikell. II. p. 289; Klotz, ad Devar. p. 685 f. This , consequently, is not equivalent to (Vulg.: ut cum venerint ), in which case an apodosis which would be wanting is arbitrarily supplied in thought (see Erasmus and, recently, Beelen). Others (Beza, Castalio, Erasmus Schmid, Eckermann, et al. ) consider as a particle of time = : quandocunque venerint . Against this it may be decisively urged, in point of linguistic usage, that in Greek writers (in Herod, and the poets) the temporal is joined with the indicative or optative, but does not occur at all in the N. T.; and, in point of fact, the remission of sins takes place not for the first time at the Parousia, but at once on the acceptance of the gospel.
.] seasons of refreshing: namely, the Messianic , as is self-evident and is clear from what follows. It is substantially the same as is meant in Luk 2:25 by , namely, seasons in which, through the appearance of the Messiah in His kingdom, there shall occur blessed rest and refreshment for the people of God , after the expiration of the troublous seasons of the (2Ti 3:1 ; Gal 1:4 ; Act 14:22 ). [145] The in chap. Act 2:7 are not different from these future . This explanation is shown to be clearly right by the fact that Peter himself immediately adds, as explanatory of .: . . ., which points to the Parousia . Others rationalizing have, at variance with the text, explained the . either of the time of rest after death (Schulz in the Bibl. Hag. 5. p. 119 ff.), or of deliverance from the yoke of the ceremonial law (Kraft, Obss. sacr. Fasc. IX. p. 271 ff.), or of the putting off of penal judgment on the Jews (Barkey), or of the sparing of the Christians amidst the destruction of the Jews (Grotius, Hammond, Lightfoot), or of the glorious condition of the Christian church before the end of the world (Vitringa). On , comp. LXX. Exo 8:15 ; Aq. Isa 28:12 ; Strabo, x. p. 459.
] The times, which are to appear, are rhetorically represented as something real, which is to be found with God in heaven, and comes thence, from the face of God , to earth. Thus God is designated as of the times of refreshing (Chrysostom).
. . .] Jesus the Messiah destined for you (for your nation). On (Act 22:14 , Act 26:16 ), properly, I take in hand ; then, I undertake, I determine , and with the accusative of the person: I, appoint one . Comp. Mal 3:7Mal 3:7 ; 2Ma 8:9 ; Polyb. vi. 58. 3; Plut. Galb. 8; Diod. Sic. xii. 22; Wetstein and Kypke in loc .; Schleusn. Thes. iv. p. 513. Analogous is , Luk 23:35 .
[145] Analogous is the conception of and in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Comp. 2Th 1:7 , and the description given in Rev 21:4 f.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Ver. 20. Preached unto you ] Or handed to you, or put into your hands, .
20 .] (see above), literally , not figuratively, by the Spirit: even if the word send be no where else applied to the second coming of the Lord, there is no reason why it should not be here: the whole ground and standing-point of these two orations of Peter are peculiar , and the very mention of the ‘times of refreshment’ proceeding forth from the presence of the Father would naturally lead to the position here assigned to the Son, as one sent by the Father. See below, on Act 3:26 . Besides which, the aor. will not allow of the figurative interpretation, confining, as it does, the ‘ sending ’ to one definite event.
] before appointed , as apparently in the first ref.: or perhaps – merely gives the idea of forth , before the rest, as in the two others, and perhaps even in the first also. , to you , as your Messiah. According to the right reading, . , may be connected with . ., Him who was predestined your Messiah, namely, Jesus .
Act 3:20 . , i.e. , at His Parousia. The construction is still with the verb. . is here used as in Luk 4:18 ; Luk 4:43 , expressing that the person sent is the envoy or representative of the sender ( is also used of the mission of our Lord). , T.R., see on Act 3:18 ; but W.H [146] , Blass, Weiss, , : “the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus”. So R.V. This verb is found with accusative of the person in the sense of choosing, appointing, in Act 22:14 ; Act 26:16 , and nowhere else in the N.T.; cf. Jos 3:12 , 2MMal 3:7 ; 2Ma 8:9 , Exo 6:13 ( cf. its use also in Dem., Polyb., Plut., and instances in Wetstein); Latin eligere, destinare . The expression here refers not only to the fact that Jesus was the appointed Christ, inasmuch as the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Him, Act 3:25 , but also to the return of Jesus as the Christ, the Messianic King, at His Parousia, in accordance with the voices of the Prophets. This is more natural than to suppose that the expression means foreordained, i.e. , from eternity, although St. Peter’s words elsewhere may well be considered in connection with the present passage, 1Pe 1:20 .
[146] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.
send. Greek. apostello. App-174.
Jesus Christ = Christ Jesus. App-98.
before was preached. Greek. prokerusso. Compare App-121. Only here, and in Act 13:24. But the texts read procheirizomai, to choose or appoint before, as in Act 22:14; Act 26:16.
20.] (see above), literally,-not figuratively, by the Spirit:-even if the word send be no where else applied to the second coming of the Lord, there is no reason why it should not be here: the whole ground and standing-point of these two orations of Peter are peculiar, and the very mention of the times of refreshment proceeding forth from the presence of the Father would naturally lead to the position here assigned to the Son, as one sent by the Father. See below, on Act 3:26. Besides which, the aor. will not allow of the figurative interpretation, confining, as it does, the sending to one definite event.
] before appointed, as apparently in the first ref.: or perhaps – merely gives the idea of forth, before the rest, as in the two others, and perhaps even in the first also. , to you,-as your Messiah. According to the right reading, . , may be connected with . ., Him who was predestined your Messiah, namely, Jesus.
Act 3:20. , that He may send) Sent, in Act 3:26 : and yet the expression here, is not send back, or again, but simply send: comp. Act 1:1, note.-) Hardly anywhere is the reading to be found. Peter does not here preach beforehand Christ, but declares that He is already prepared. The same verb occurs, ch. Act 22:14, Act 26:16; Exo 4:13; Jos 3:12. Comp. Luk 2:31. He is prepared, that He may be received by us, (and) that He may be sent by God. Hesychius, , , ; for so we ought to read, for .
And he shall
The appeal here is national to the Jewish people as such, not individuals as in Peter’s first sermon Act 2:38; Act 2:39. There those who were pricked in heart were exhorted to save themselves from (among) the untoward nation; here the whole people is addressed, and the promise to national repentance is national deliverance: “and he shall send Jesus Christ” to bring in the times which the prophets had foretold
(See Scofield “Act 2:14”). The official answer was the imprisonment of the apostles, and the inhibition to preach, so fulfilling Luk 19:14.
Act 17:31, Mat 16:27, Mat 24:3, Mat 24:30-36, Mar 13:26, Mar 13:30-37, Luk 19:11, Luk 21:27, 2Th 2:2, 2Th 2:8, Heb 9:28, Rev 1:7, Rev 19:11-16
Reciprocal: Mat 5:22 – I say Act 3:26 – sent Act 8:35 – preached Col 1:28 – Whom
0
Act 3:20. Peter then deviates slightly in his subject matter, and speaks of the sending of Jesus Christ which refers to His second coming to earth; the same Jesus who was preached (prophesied about) before in the Scriptures.
Act 3:20. And he shall send Jesus Christ. See above, the note on the times of refreshing, with which period this Second Advent of the Lord must be considered as contemporaneous.
Here St. Peter enforces his exhortation to repentance with a strong motive; namely, the certainty of Christ’s coming to judge the world. God shall send Jesus, this Jesus whom we preach to you, visibly, to justify and glorify all penitentt and pardoned sinners, whom yet the heaven must contain till the restitution of all things; that is, to the end of the world, when the whole creation which now groaneth will be delivered, and man particularly restored to God, to himself, and to a blessed immortality.
Learn hence, That Christ, being ascended into heaven in our human nature, shall abide and continue there until the restitution of all things, and his corporal presence here on earth is not to be expected, until he has put all his enemies under his feet. Now if his body be, and must continue in heaven, surely then it is not in the sacrament, and the Papist’s dream; who ascribe to Christ’s human nature the property of a Godhead; namely, to be in ten thousand places at one and the same time, contrary to the nature of a human body. If the heavens must contain Christ, Christ must be contained in heaven, and then his presence in the sacrament doth not draw him from heaven; his bodily presence is in heaven, his spiritual presence with his people in the sacrament.
See notes on verse 19
RETURN OF CHRIST
20. The E. V. erroneously has a semicolon between the 19th and 20th verses. The inspired original, spoken by Peter and written by Luke, has no stop whatever between these verses. Then what will our brethren do who are unwilling to preach the second coming of Christ, as there is not even a comma here, much less a period, on which they may slide out? Inspired Peter preaches the glorious spiritual economy of full salvation and the second coming of Christ in the very same breath. Hence, if you preach the former and leave out the latter, you will certainly grieve the Holy Spirit by breaking one of His sentences in two in the middle without His authority. Good Lord, help us to be true to His Word and not get wise above what is written: And he may send forth unto you him who has been preached unto you as the Messiah, namely Jesus,
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament