Paul's First Missionary Journey - In Pisidian Antioch; Acts 13:13 – 52 Part 5

Church History: That he rose again from the dead, and saw no corruption was the great truth that was to be preached; for it is the main pillar, by which the whole fabric of the gospel is supported, and therefore he insisted largely upon this, and showed; That he rose by consent. When he was imprisoned in the grave for our debt, he did not break prison, but had a fair and legal discharge from the arrest he was under. God raised him from the dead, sent an angel on purpose to roll away the stone from the prison-door, returned to him the spirit which at his death he had committed into the hands of his Father, and quickened him by the Holy Spirit. His enemies laid him in a sepulchre, with design he should always lay there; but God said, No; and it was soon seen whose purpose should stand, his or theirs. Paul showed that there was sufficient proof of his having risen. He was seen many days, in diverse places, upon diverse occasions, by those that were most intimately acquainted with him; for they came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, were his constant attendants, and they are his witnesses unto the people. They were appointed to be so, have attested the thing many a time, and are ready to attest it, though they were to die for the same. Paul says nothing of his own seeing him, which was more convincing to himself than it could be when produced to others.
He told of the resurrection of Christ and the promise made to the patriarchs; it was not only true news, but good news: "In declaring this, “we declare unto you glad tidings” which should have been in a particular manner acceptable to the Jews. He acknowledged it to be the dignity of the Jewish nation that to them pertained the promises (Romans 9:4), that they were the heirs of the promise, as they were the children of the patriarchs to whom the promises were first made. The great promise of the Old Testament was that of the Messiah, in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed, and not the family of Abraham only; though it was to be the peculiar honor of that family that he should be raised up. It was to be the common benefit of all families that he should be raised up to them.