Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 13:39
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
And by him – By means of him; by his sufferings and death.
All that believe – See the notes on Mar 16:16.
Are justified – Are regarded and treated as if they were righteous. They are pardoned, and admitted to the favor of God, and treated as if they had not offended. See this point explained in the notes on Rom 1:17; Rom 3:24-25; Rom 4:1-8.
From all things – From the guilt of all offences.
From which ye could not … – The Law of Moses commanded what was to be done. It appointed sacrifices and offerings as typical of a greater sacrifice. But those sacrifices could not take away sin. See the notes on Heb 9:7-14; Heb 10:1-4, Heb 10:11. The design of the Law was not to reveal a way of pardon. That was reserved to be the unique purpose of the gospel.
The law of Moses – The commands and institutions which he, under the direction of God, established.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 39. And by him] On his account, and through him, all that believe in his Divine mission, and the end for which he has been manifested, namely, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, are justified from all things, from the guilt of all transgressions committed against God; from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses; because it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, or any other rite or service of this kind, could take away sin from the soul, cancel its guilt in the conscience, or make an atonement to the Divine justice; but this is the sacrifice which God has required; this is every way suited to the end for which it has been instituted; and this is the sacrifice alone which God can accept. Your law says, “Do this, and ye shall live;” and, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.” Ye have not done these things required; ye have not continued in any good thing; ye have not only not done all things commanded, but ye have done none, none as they ought to be done; and therefore ye are under the curse. The Gospel says, Believe on the Lord Jesus; credit his Divine mission; consider his death an atonement for sin; believe in his resurrection, as a proof that the atonement is made, believe that he suffered, died, and rose again for your justification; and that for his sake God, though he be infinitely just, can be the justifier of all who believe in him. By the law of Moses there is neither justification nor salvation: in Jesus Christ there are both, and all the sure mercies of David. Therefore, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall be justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Are justified; it is a forensic word, opposed to condemned; all that believe in Christ with the heart, by his merit and mediation shall be absolved, and shall not come into condemnation: and thus this agrees with the former words, and shows us whence remission of sins is to be had. If any will take this word as signifying also to be purged from sin; yet it is evident, that the law can bring neither of these benefits unto us. The law declares what is sin, and what the curse is that is due unto sin, but not how to be delivered from them; it shows the spot, but not how to wash it off; and the sore, but not how to heal it; but, on the other side, we are bidden to glory in the Lord, ( Jesus), who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1Co 1:30,31.
From all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses; to which may be added, that there were some sins which by the ceremonial law there was no sacrifice appointed for; and for such sins which a sacrifice was appointed for, it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take them away, Heb 10:4; which may make us more to admire the grace of the gospel, by which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Heb 10:10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
39. by him all that believe arejustified from all thingsThe sense requires that a pause inthe sentence be made here: “By him the believer is absolved fromall charges of the law.” What follows,
from which ye could not bejustified by the law of Mosesis not an exceptional butan explanatory clause. The meaning is not, “Though thelaw justifies from many things, it cannot justify from all things,but Christ makes up all deficiencies”; but the meaning is, “ByChrist the believer is justified from all things, whereas the lawjustifies from nothing.” (Note.The deeper sense ofjustification, the positive side of it, is reserved for theEpistles, addressed to the justified themselves: and whereas it isthe resurrection of Christ here, and throughout the Actschiefly, which is dwelt on, because the first thing in order to bringpeace to the guilty through Christ was to establish His Messiahshipby His resurrection, in the Epistles to believers His death asthe way of reconciliation is fully unfolded).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And by him all that believe are justified from all things,…. Christ, as God, is not only the justifier of his people, who pronounces them righteous in the sight of God; but his righteousness imputed to them is the matter of their justification, or that by which they are justified; and not the works of the law, or obedience to the Gospel, or internal holiness, either in whole or in part, or the grace of faith, but the object of it, Christ, and his righteousness: and justification by this is complete and perfect; it is from all sin, original and actual, secret and open, greater or lesser sins; sins of presumption and ignorance, of omission or commission; from all things the law can charge with, as breaches of it; from all things which the justice of God can demand satisfaction for; and from all things that Satan, or a man’s own conscience, can justly accuse him of. And those that believe in Christ with the heart unto righteousness, are openly and manifestly justified in their own consciences, and can claim their interest in it, and have the comfort of it, as well as they were before secretly justified in the mind of God, and in their head and representative Jesus Christ. And from all sin these are justified of God, as Beza’s ancient copy reads, “for it is God that justifies”, Ro 8:33 against whom men have sinned, and whose law they have violated, and whose justice they have affronted, by reason of which they are liable to condemnation; but God justifies them, by imputing the righteousness of his Son to them, in which he views them as without fault, unblamable and irreprovable; and though all men are not justified, yet many are; even all the seed of Israel, all the elect of God, everyone that believes in Christ, as all do who are ordained to eternal life; Christ’s righteousness is imputed and applied to all these, and therefore they shall never enter into condemnation, but shall be acquitted and discharged from all things,
from which, it is added,
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses; that is, by the works of the law, or by obedience to it, because such obedience is imperfect; and therefore the law cannot justify, discharge, and acquit upon it, but instead thereof, must curse and condemn; as it does everyone, that does not do all things commanded in the law, and in the manner that requires; besides, if righteousness was hereby, the grace of God in justification would be frustrated, the death of Christ would be rendered null and void, and boasting would not be excluded; all which are contrary to the scheme of the Gospel. It may be observed, that pardon of sin and justification are two distinct blessings, or the apostle must be guilty of a great tautology; since having spoken of forgiveness of sin in the preceding verse, he speaks of justification in this, as another blessing enjoyed by and through Christ, and published in the Gospel, styled therefore the word and ministration of righteousness. And indeed they are distinct; in pardon the man is considered as a sinner, in justification as a righteous man; pardon takes away his sin, justification gives him a righteousness; pardon frees from punishment, but justification besides that gives him a title to eternal life; to pardon, the blood of Christ is sufficient; but to justification are required the holiness of Christ’s nature, the perfect obedience of his life, as well as his suffering of death; moreover, justification passed on Christ as the head and representative of his people, but not pardon; he may be said to be justified, but not pardoned: these two blessings make a considerable figure in the ministry of the word.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses ( ). This is a characteristic Greek sentence with the principal clause at the end and Pauline to the core. A literal rendering as to the order would be: “And from all the things from ( not repeated in the Greek, but understood, the ablative case being repeated) which ye were not able to be justified in this one every one who believes is justified.” The climax is at the close and gives us the heart of Paul’s teaching about Christ. “We have here the germ of all that is most characteristic in Paul’s later teaching. It is the argument of the Epistle to Galatians and Romans in a sentence” (Furneaux). The failure of the Mosaic law to bring the kind of righteousness that God demands is stated. This is made possible in and by () Christ alone. Paul’s favourite words occur here, , believe, with which , faith, is allied, , to set right with God on the basis of faith. In Ro 6:7 Paul uses also after . These are key words ( and ) in Paul’s theology and call for prolonged and careful study if one is to grasp the Pauline teaching. primarily means to make righteous, to declare righteous like , to deem worthy (). But in the end Paul holds that real righteousness will come (Ro 6-8) to those whom God treats as righteous (Ro 3-5) though both Gentile and Jew fall short without Christ (Ro 1-3). This is the doctrine of grace that will prove a stumbling block to the Jews with their ceremonial works and foolishness to the Greeks with their abstract philosophical ethics (1Co 1:23-25). It is a new and strange doctrine to the people of Antioch.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And by Him all that believe,” (en touto pas ho pisteuon) “in this one (Jesus) everyone who believes,” or all who trust in Him, 1Jn 5:1; Rom 4:3; Rom 4:5.
2) “Are justified from all things,” (dikaiothenai kai apo panton) “Even from all things (are) to be justified,” acquitted from the consequence of all kind of charges or accounted as just, Rom 3:24; Rom 3:26; Rom 3:28; Rom 3:30; Rom 4:5; Rom 4:25; Rom 5:1. For He (Jesus) gave Himself to redeem us from all iniquity, Tit 2:13.
3) “From which ye could not be justified,” (hon ouk edunethete) “From which ye could not be (or exist as) justified,” from sins that render a man unjust before God, under the law, Rom 3:19-20; Gal 3:24. Every man has broken the moral and ethical principles of the law of right and wrong and subsequently and consequently can not obey it in letter and in spirit, Ecc 7:20; Rom 3:23.
4) “By the law of Moses.” (en nomo Mauseos) “By means of a law of Moses,” by the means, instrument or agency of the Law of Moses, in part or in whole, at all. The Law of Moses could condemn, but not justify a guilty sinful lawbreaker. The Law could not justify in that it was weak (impotent) through the flesh, through the carnal, depraved weakened nature of man, Rom 8:3; Gal 2:16; Gal 3:10-12; Rom 3:28; Rom 10:4; Gal 3:22.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
39. Every one that believeth. Paul showeth how men obtain the righteousness of Christ; to wit, when they receive it by faith; and that which faith doth obtain is not obtained by any merits of works. Wherefore, Paul’s opinion is plain, that we are justified by faith alone, which, notwithstanding the Papists oppugn [oppose] and strive against no less obstinately than bitterly, nevertheless, it is requisite that we know what the word believe doth import, which is made unsavory to the Papists through ignorance. There be also other benefits of Christ which we reap by faith; for when he regenerateth us by his Spirit, he restoreth in us the image of God; and after that the old man is crucified he fashioneth us unto newness of life. But it was enough for Luke to express this one thing, how men return into favor with God, from whom they be estranged by sin, because we may easily pass thence unto the residue.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(39) And by him.Literally, in Him, as the sphere in which forgiveness was found, rather than as the instrument through whom it came.
All that believe are justified.Literally, with a more individualising touch, every one that believeth is justified. The latter verb is not found elsewhere in the Acts. It is interesting to note in this, the first recorded example of St. Pauls teaching, the occurrence of the word which, as time passed on, came to be almost identified with him and with his work. It is clearly used, as interpreted by the forgiveness of sins in the context, in its forensic sense, as meaning acquitted, declared not guilty. (Comp. Note on Mat. 12:37.)
From which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.The words are full of meaning, as the germ of all that was most characteristic in St. Pauls later teaching. The Law, with its high standard of righteousness (Rom. 7:12), its demand of entire obedience, its sacrifices which bore witness to the burden of sin, yet had no power to liberate conscience from its thraldom (Heb. 8:1-3), had taught him that its function in the spiritual life of man was to work out the knowledge of sin (Rom. 7:7), not to emancipate men from it. The sense of freedom from guilt, and therefore of a true life, was to be found, as he had learnt by his own experience, through faith in Christ. The just by faith shall live (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
39. Justified Paul’s favourite term, borrowed from the Roman law, being the key-word to the doctrine here indicated, but more fully expanded in his epistles. While thus introductorily preaching to unconverted Jews and Gentiles, the resurrection is the prominent topic; but in writing his epistles to his converts, he unfolds the consequent doctrines of faith and the atonement.
Act 13:39. From which ye could not be justified, &c. The law appointed sin-offerings to expiate smaller offences, so far, as that the offender whooffered them should be free from all further prosecution on account of them; but this very view of them shews how absolutely necessary it was to the being of society, that they should not be admitted in cases of murder, adultery, &c. These crimes therefore were made capital; nor was the dying criminal, however penitent, allowed to offer these sin-offerings, which would have been quite inconsistent with the temporal pardon connected with them: but the expiatory sacrifice of Christ takes away the guilt of all sin: and though it by no means affects the manner in which offenders would stand in human courts, (which the Mosaic sacrifices did,) it delivers from the condemnation of God in the invisible world, with respect to which the others could have no efficacy at all; as it was a very supposable case, that an impenitent sinner might present them in all their exactest forms. See Rom 8:3. Gal 2:16. Heb 10:4.
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Ver. 39. And by him all that believe are justified ] This saying of St Paul is the more to be heeded, saith an interpreter, because it is the very basis, foundation, and state of Christian religion, whereby it is distinguished from all other religions whatsoever. Jews, Turks, Pagans, and Papists explode an imputed righteousness; as if we could not be justified by the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith. The Papists (as Saul) forbid us to eat of this honey, this precious comfort in Christ (viz. justification by faith alone), as if hereby we should be hindered in our pursuit against sin; whereas indeed it is the only strength and help against it. Hold fast therefore the faithful word; and transmit this doctrine safe and sound to posterity. It was Luther’s great fear, that when he was dead it would be lost again out of the world.
39. ] [And] from all things, from which ye could not in (under) the law of Moses be justified, in Him (as , passim) every believer is (habitual pres.) justified . ( ) , from all things (sins), from which . but not implying that in the law of Moses there might be justification from some sins; under the law there is no justification ( , Gal 3:11 ): but = Christ shall do for you all that the law could not do : leaving it for inference, or for further teaching, that this was absolutely ALL: that the law could do nothing . The same thought is expanded Rom 8:3-4 , , , . . . . . This interpretation will be the more clearly established, when we remember that was not in any sense, and could not be, the office of the law, by which came the knowledge of sin. The expression is only once used again by Paul (ref.), and that where he is arguing against the continuing in sin. is not to be joined with , which (see above) is contrasted with . It is quite in Paul’s manner to use thus absolutely: see Rom 1:16 ; Rom 3:22 ; Rom 10:4 ( Gal 3:22 ). Still less, with Luther, can we take as far as with Act 13:38 , and make . a separate sentence.
Act 13:39 . So far the words represent the entire harmony between the preaching of St. Peter and St. Paul, and there is no reason to attribute this verse, as also Act 10:43 , with Jngst, to any reviser; only elsewhere in Rom 6:7 . But if St. Paul’s next words seem to imply that within certain limits, i.e. , so far as it was obeyed, the law of Moses brought justification, they affirm at the same time the utter inefficacy of all legal obedience, since one thing was certain, that the law exacted much more than Israel could obey; complete justification must be found, if anywhere, elsewhere. Can we doubt that St. Paul is here giving us what was really his own experience? (See Briggs, Messiah of the Apostles , p. 76.) In spite of all his efforts to fulfil the law, there was still the feeling that these efforts were hopelessly deficient; there was an area of transgression in which the law, so far from justifying, condemned. But in the Messiah, the Holy One of God, he saw a realisation of that perfect holiness to which in the weakness of the flesh he could not attain, and in Him, Who died, and rose again, for us that Righteous One, Whom he saw, not only on the road to Damascus, but ever on his right hand by the eye of faith he found complete and full justification. That this forgiveness of sins is not connected specially with the Death of Christ, but with His Resurrection, or rather with His whole Messianic character, to which the Resurrection put the final seal, is certainly not to be regarded as an indication of a non-Pauline view, cf. Rom 4:25 ; Rom 8:34 , 2Co 5:15 . Moreover, if we consider the connection of the whole address, the Resurrection is not regarded apart from the Death of Christ: Act 13:26-29 show us that the Message of Salvation starts from the Death of Christ, and is based upon that, cf. Bethge, Die Paulinischen Reden , p. 54. It is unreasonable to complain that St. Paul’s conception of justification in this address falls below his characteristic and controlling idea of it (McGiffert, p. 186). We could not justly expect that the Apostle’s utterances, thus summarised by St. Luke, would contain as full and complete a doctrinal exposition as his Galatian and Roman Epistles. To the former Epistle McGiffert points as giving us what Paul actually taught in Galatia; but there is no contradiction between the teaching given us in St. Luke’s account of the address in Pisidian Antioch and St. Paul’s account of his teaching to his converts in his letter “the coincidences between the two are so striking as to make each the best commentary on the other and there is no such close resemblance between the Epistle and any other of Paul’s addresses reported in Acts,” Ramsay, Expositor , December, 1898. “Historical Commentary on Gal.” see below, and also Lightfoot, on Gal 3:11 . St. Paul’s teaching is essentially the same in the synagogue at Antioch as when he is writing to his Galatian converts: only in Christ is justification, and in the law as such there is no forgiveness of sins. He does not say in so many words that there was no sin from which men could be freed under the law of Moses, but it is evident that the most solemn warning with which the Apostle follows up his declaration could only be justified on the ground that some essential principle was involved in the acceptance or rejection of the work of Christ. On in classical literature, in LXX, and in N.T., see Kennedy, Sources of N. T. Greek , pp. 104, 105, and Sanday and Headlam, Romans , pp. 30, 31.
by = in. Greek. en.
Him = This One.
all that believe are = every one who believes is.
justified. Greek. dikaioo. App-191.
could not = were not able to.
Moses. See Act 3:22.
39.] [And] from all things, from which ye could not in (under) the law of Moses be justified, in Him (as , passim) every believer is (habitual pres.) justified. () , from all things (sins), from which. but not implying that in the law of Moses there might be justification from some sins;-under the law there is no justification ( , Gal 3:11):-but = Christ shall do for you all that the law could not do: leaving it for inference, or for further teaching, that this was absolutely ALL: that the law could do nothing. The same thought is expanded Rom 8:3-4, , , … . . This interpretation will be the more clearly established, when we remember that was not in any sense, and could not be, the office of the law, by which came the knowledge of sin. The expression is only once used again by Paul (ref.), and that where he is arguing against the continuing in sin. is not to be joined with , which (see above) is contrasted with . It is quite in Pauls manner to use thus absolutely: see Rom 1:16; Rom 3:22; Rom 10:4 (Gal 3:22). Still less, with Luther, can we take as far as with Act 13:38, and make . a separate sentence.
Act 13:39. ) is to be repeated from what immediately goes before.- , ye could not) Not merely, ye cannot, but ye never could, although ye tried it.-) by the law, which ye so revere: ver.15. We ought not to suppose that the division of the law into the moral and ceremonial was as familiar to the Jews as it is to us in the present day, since at that time both flourished together. Wherefore this passage treats of the whole law. Moses is Moses, whether he enjoins concerning rites or concerning morals: and on the other hand, Christ is Christ.- , in Him) In antithesis to the law of Moses.-, every one) whether having, or not having the law: whether Jew or Gentile; for some of the latter were present: Act 13:42.
all things
(See Scofield “Rom 1:16”).
by: Isa 53:11, Hab 2:4, Luk 18:14, Joh 5:24, Rom 3:24-30, Rom 4:5-8, Rom 4:24, Rom 5:1, Rom 5:9, Rom 8:1, Rom 8:3, Rom 8:30-34, Rom 10:10, 1Co 6:11, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:8
from which: Job 9:20, Job 25:4, Psa 143:2, Jer 31:32, Luk 10:25, Luk 10:28, Joh 1:17, Rom 3:19, Rom 4:15, Rom 5:20, Rom 7:9-11, Rom 8:3, Rom 9:31, Rom 10:4, Gal 2:16, Gal 2:19, Gal 3:10-12, Gal 3:21-25, Gal 5:3, Phi 3:6-9, Heb 7:19, Heb 9:9, Heb 9:10, Heb 10:4, Heb 10:11
Reciprocal: Lev 25:9 – of the jubilee to sound Num 15:25 – forgiven them Num 19:20 – shall not 2Sa 12:13 – thou Psa 32:1 – transgression Psa 85:2 – forgiven Isa 45:25 – the Lord Jer 31:34 – for I Mic 7:18 – that Mat 1:21 – for Mat 9:2 – be Mar 16:16 – that believeth and Luk 1:77 – the Luk 7:42 – he Luk 14:17 – his Luk 24:47 – that Joh 1:29 – which Joh 20:23 – General Joh 20:31 – through Act 5:31 – forgiveness Act 10:43 – whosoever Act 16:31 – Believe Act 20:21 – faith Act 26:18 – that they Rom 2:13 – justified Rom 3:20 – Therefore Rom 3:25 – remission Rom 3:26 – that he Rom 3:28 – General Rom 5:16 – but the free Rom 5:18 – all men Rom 10:8 – the word of faith 1Co 15:17 – ye are 2Co 5:18 – hath given Gal 3:24 – the law Eph 1:7 – the forgiveness Eph 2:8 – through Phi 1:29 – not Col 1:14 – the Col 2:13 – having 1Ti 1:16 – for a 2Ti 3:15 – which Heb 7:18 – the weakness Heb 8:12 – General
JUSTIFICATION
By Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 13:39
Justification is an act of Gods free grace wherein He pardons our sin and reckons or accounts us righteous, for the sake of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith. It is therefore not an infusion of righteousness into us. We must clearly distinguish between justification and sanctification. Consider
I. The Author of justification.It is God that justifieth. It may seem strange that the Author of it should be the very Judge Who condemns us for our sin.
(a) It is God the Father Who contrived it, for He was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2Co 5:19).
(b) It is God the Son Who provided it by His obedience and His death.
(c) It is God the Holy Ghost Who applies it, convincing us of the insufficiency of our own righteousness, enabling us by faith to lay hold upon it, and giving us the witness of our acceptance as the ground of it.
II. The ground of our justification.
(a) Not our works, our righteousness, or our holiness (Rom 3:24).
(b) Not our acceptance of, or our obedience to, a new and milder law set forth in the Gospel.
(c) Not even our faith, though it is said, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness (Rom 4:3). The force of the proposition isit was counted to him unto righteousness, or, with the view of his becoming righteous. We are said to be justified by or through faith, but never on account of faith. Besides, the faith is always distinguished from the righteousness which it apprehendsthe righteousness which is by faith (Php 3:9).
(d) It is the righteousness of Christ (Rom 5:18). It consists of Christs obedience to the law in our stead, and His suffering of death to satisfy the laws penalty.
III. The form of justificationby imputation.
(a) The idea of imputation is scriptural (Philemon).
(b) The sinner has no righteousness of his own.
(c) He must be made righteous either by an inherent or an imputed righteousness. (Not inherentnot having mine own righteousness.)
(d) The righteousness of Christ is to reach Him in the same manner as the sin of Adamby imputation (Rom 5:19).
(e) Just in the same manner as our sins become Christs, so His righteousness becomes ours (2Co 5:21).
IV. The instrument of our justification is faith.
(a) Faith apprehends the righteousness of Christ (Rom 3:28). It is faith that makes it ours, and therefore the righteousness is said to be by faith (Php 3:9).
(b) Not as if God accepts the act of believing as righteousness, nor as a condition, for Christs obedience is the condition. Faith justifies, as it is the bond of union between the soul and the Saviour.
V. The effects of justification.
(a) No condemnation (Rom 8:1).
(b) Peace with God (Rom 5:1).
(c) Access to God in Christ (Rom 5:2).
(d) Acceptance of our person and service in Christ (Eph 1:6).
(e) Adoption (Gal 4:4-5).
(f) Sanctification (Rom 8:10).
(g) Glorification (Rom 8:17).
9
Act 13:39. By him has the same force as the italicized words in the preceding verse. The law of Moses could not bring the justification that is possible by belief in Christ.
Act 13:39. By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. In other words, Paul said to them, Jesus Christ, if ye believe on Him as Messiah, will do for you what the Law could not do. In Him shall you be justified from all your sinsthat is, you shall be freed from the galling chains and fetters of guilt.
In these words at the close of the Antioch sermon Paul proclaims that in Jesus Christ the Messiah all men may find peace, and may obtain forgiveness of every sin. He gently puts aside the Lawin which the Jews had trustedas incapable of procuring in any way for those who submitted to it, forgiveness and reconciliation with God. He shows to them a new and better way of approaching the Eternala way, too, which he points out may be trodden by all alike, by Gentiles as well as by Jews.
See notes one verse 38
39. In him, every one believing is justified from all things from which you are not able to be justified by the law of Moses. Paul enforces the fact that there never was justification in any other name. All the bleeding birds and beasts on Jewish altars slain, since the world began, never could wash away a solitary sin. They could only point earths guilty millions to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The first four thousand years were prospective, faith looking forward through types and symbols to the coming Christ. Paul assures them their own Christ of prophecy, whom the patriarchs and prophets trusted to save them, has already come; and, of course, it is the best news they ever heard.
13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from {q} all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
(q) Whereas the ceremonies of the Law could not absolve you from your sins, this man absolves you, if you lay hold of him by faith.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes