This isn't just a promise; it's THE promise, the singular hope passed down through generations. Paul and Barnabas are announcing that this long-awaited fulfillment has finally arrived, not for a select few, but for "us their children."
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul and Barnabas are speaking to a Jewish audience in Antioch of Pisidia, explaining how Jesus fulfills the ancient promises God made to their ancestors. This declaration of good news about Jesus' resurrection directly follows their account of God's saving acts throughout Israel's history, showing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of those long-awaited divine pledges.
Paul and Barnabas aren't just sharing a new idea; they're announcing the fulfillment of something ancient. What does this mean for us today?
In Acts 13:32, Paul and Barnabas frame their message not as a novel revelation, but as "good news" or "glad tidings" that directly relates to promises made long ago to the "fathers." This highlights a crucial aspect of the early Christian message: it was deeply rooted in Jewish history and scripture.
Connecting Past and Present
The gospel isn't a sudden, disconnected event. It's the climax of God's unfolding plan, a plan initiated with promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. When Paul preaches, he's essentially saying, "Remember those ancient promises? God has just kept them!"
More Than Just a Story
This perspective shifts the gospel from a set of beliefs to a divine act of faithfulness across generations. It’s the fulfillment of a covenantal hope that sustained God's people for centuries.
What specific promise are Paul and Barnabas referring to? The context that follows reveals it all points to one person.
While the verse itself is introductory, the immediate verses following (Acts 13:33-37) clarify precisely which promise is being fulfilled: the resurrection of Jesus.
Resurrection as Proof
The commentators note that the verb used here can imply "bringing to completion" or "fulfilling" a promise. The resurrection of Jesus is presented as the ultimate demonstration that God is faithful to His word.
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A New Beginning
This isn't just about Jesus coming back to life. It signifies the inauguration of God's promised new era, proving His power and validating Jesus as the promised Messiah and Son of God. It’s the decisive moment where the ancient hope becomes present reality.
Understand the original words
euangelizometha · Greek Verb
The message of salvation; literally 'evangel.' It refers to the proclamation of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes.
ekpeplērōken · Greek Verb
To bring to pass, complete, or realize that which was formerly foretold or promised by God. It signifies the transition from shadow or prophecy to the historical reality of the New Covenant.
Huios · Greek Noun
A unique title of Jesus Christ, emphasizing His divine nature, His eternal relationship with the Father, and His position as the mediator and representative of God’s kingdom.
gegennēka · Greek Verb
The process of being brought forth. In the New Testament, it is used in the context of the resurrection to signify the manifestation or declaration of Jesus as the eternal Son of God in human history.
Paul's message in Acts 13 hinges on the idea that God's ancient promises to Israel – stretching back to Abraham and David – find their ultimate fulfillment in the resurrected Jesus. This framing connects the past history of God's faithfulness directly to the present hope offered in Christ.
c. 2000 BC - 1500 BC
Promises Made to Abraham
God makes foundational promises to Abraham regarding numerous descendants and a land, setting the stage for future fulfillment.
c. 1500 BC - 1200 BC
Mosaic Covenant and Law
God establishes a covenant with Israel through Moses, outlining laws and blessings tied to obedience, with ongoing promises of restoration.
c. 1000 BC - 500 BC
Davidic Covenant and Prophecies
Promises are made to King David concerning an everlasting dynasty, with prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah foretelling a future descendant and a new covenant.
605 BC - 539 BC
Babylonian Exile
Many Israelites are deported to Babylon, a period of national trauma and longing for God's promises of return and restoration.
c. 140 BC
Maccabean Revolt
A period of conflict and religious upheaval as Jews fight for religious freedom, often reflecting on God's promises amidst struggle.
c. 4 BC - AD 30
Life of Jesus Christ
Jesus lives, teaches, performs miracles, and is crucified and resurrected, fulfilling many Messianic prophecies.
c. AD 45-48— this verse
Paul and Barnabas' First Missionary Journey
Paul and Barnabas travel through Pisidia, proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers, particularly through His resurrection.
This passage contains God's initial promise to Abraham that 'in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,' directly connecting to the 'promise made to the fathers' that Paul is now proclaiming as fulfilled in Christ.
Jeremiah 31:31-34The prophet foretells a new covenant, which is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers. This new covenant, established through Christ, brings forgiveness and inner transformation, echoing the good news Paul is sharing.
Luke 1:54-55Mary's song references God 'helping his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.' This shows that the promise to the fathers was a central hope anticipated for generations.
Romans 1:1-4Paul explicitly states that the Gospel is 'concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.' This passage links the promised Messiah, descended from David, with his resurrection, the very fulfillment being announced.
Hebrews 11:39-40This chapter on faith highlights that 'all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that they might together be made perfect.' It sets the stage for Christ being the ultimate realization of these ancient promises.
pulpitActs 13:32: "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,"
Verse 32. - Bring you good tidings of the promise made for declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made, A.V.
bengelActs 13:32: "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,"
Acts 13:32 . Τὴν ) The sense is, εὐαγγελιζόμεθα , ὄτι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίαν ὁ Θεὸς ἐκπεπλήρωκε . Comp. ὄτι , ch. Acts 16:3 , “They all knew his father, that ( ὄτι ) he was a Greek,” for, “they all knew that his father was a Greek.”— ἐκπεπλήρωκε ) A rare verb, nowhere else employed either in the Old or New Testament of a promise having been fulfilled ,— ἀναστήσας Ἰησοῦν ) in that…
This isn't just a promise; it's THE promise, the singular hope passed down through generations. Paul and Barnabas are announcing that this long-awaited fulfillment has finally arrived, not for a select few, but for "us their children."
Paul and Barnabas are speaking to a Jewish audience in Antioch of Pisidia, explaining how Jesus fulfills the ancient promises God made to their ancestors. This declaration of good news about Jesus' resurrection directly follows their account of God's saving acts throughout Israel's history, showing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of those long-awaited divine pledges.
Paul and Barnabas are speaking to a Jewish audience in Antioch of Pisidia, explaining how Jesus fulfills the ancient promises God made to their ancestors. This declaration of good news about Jesus' resurrection directly follows their account of God's saving acts throughout Israel's history, showing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of those long-awaited divine pledges.
"And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’" — This isn't just *a* promise; it's THE promise, the singular hope passed down through generations. Paul and Barnabas are announcing that this long-awaited fulfillment has finally arrived, not for a se…
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Last reviewed October 2026