The verse highlights a crucial point: while God's eternal plan and foreknowledge were behind Jesus' death, Peter directly accuses the people for their active role in it. This shows that knowing God's ultimate purpose doesn't erase human responsibility for wicked actions.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter is addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, forcefully accusing them of being complicit in the crucifixion of Jesus. He emphasizes that this wasn't a random event but part of God's divine plan, even though the people themselves actively participated in Jesus' death through the Roman authorities.
How can something be both God's definite plan and a crime committed by people? This verse tackles a tension that can feel impossible, but it's central to understanding Jesus' death.
Peter addresses the crowd directly, pointing out a profound truth: Jesus' crucifixion was not a cosmic accident. It was 'delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.'
This means God had a purpose, a detailed plan, that stretched back to before the creation of the world. He knew everything that would happen, and He ordained that this would be the way salvation would come.
But notice the sharp turn: 'you crucified and killed.' Peter doesn't let the divine plan obscure human responsibility. The very people he's speaking to, and those who acted with them, were the agents of this act. Their choices were real, their sin was real, and their hands were wicked.
The key here is that God's sovereign plan doesn't force people to sin. He works through the free, willing actions of humans – even their sinful choices – to accomplish His perfect will.
Peter calls the hands that crucified Jesus 'lawless' or 'wicked.' What does this tell us about the nature of sin and our own responsibility?
The phrase 'by the hands of lawless men' is crucial. While Peter has already established God's plan, he now indicts the perpetrators. These weren't just any hands; they were 'lawless' (Greek: ), meaning without law, or contrary to the law.
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This points directly to the Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion, but crucially, it also implicates the Jewish leaders and crowd who demanded it. They acted contrary to God's revealed law and will, even though their actions were foreseen and permitted by God.
This highlights a vital theological truth: God's foreknowledge and sovereign decree do not eliminate human culpability. The sinfulness of an action is determined by the intent and will of the actor, not merely by whether it fits into God's grand design. The Jews and Romans acted out of malice, hatred, and a rejection of Jesus, and their hands were indeed wicked for it.
Understand the original words
horismenos boulē · Greek NounPhrase
Refers to the divine decree or settled purpose of God regarding human history and redemption. It emphasizes that God is sovereign over all events, including the betrayal and crucifixion of Christ, while remaining distinct from the responsibility of those who perpetrate evil.
prognōsis · Greek Noun
The attribute of God whereby He has comprehensive, perfect knowledge of all things before they come to pass. It underscores His omniscience and sovereign control over history.
anomos · Greek Adjective
A term describing those who operate outside the boundaries of divine law. It characterizes those who act in rebellion against God's standards of righteousness and justice.
anistēmi · Greek Verb
Refers to the literal and historical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This act signifies God's vindication of Christ’s mission, His victory over sin and death, and the foundation of the Christian hope.
thanatos · Greek Noun
The state of non-existence or separation from God initiated by sin. In the context of Christ, it refers to the grave or the power of death that Jesus overcame through His resurrection, demonstrating that death has no ultimate claim on Him.
Peter's bold proclamation emphasizes that Jesus' death, though a heinous act by human hands, was part of God's eternal plan. This highlights a core paradox: human responsibility for sin coexists with divine sovereignty in fulfilling salvation.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth is arrested, tried, and executed by crucifixion under the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, following a death sentence issued by the Jewish high court.
c. 30 AD
Resurrection and Appearances of Jesus
Following his crucifixion, Jesus is resurrected from the dead and appears to his disciples and many others over a period of 40 days.
c. 33 AD
Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus' followers in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach the gospel. This event marks the birth of the Christian church.
c. 33 AD
Peter's Sermon in Jerusalem
As recorded in Acts 2, Peter preaches to a crowd in Jerusalem, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah and urging them to repent.
This verse is seen as the first promise of redemption, foretelling that the offspring of the woman would strike the serpent's head, pointing to Christ's victory over evil through his death.
Isaiah 53:10This prophecy explicitly states that it was 'the will of the Lord' to crush the suffering servant, directly echoing the 'definite plan' mentioned in Acts 2:23.
Luke 22:22Jesus himself affirms that he will go 'as it has been determined,' directly linking his suffering and death to a predetermined divine plan, similar to Peter's message.
John 19:11Jesus tells Pilate that his authority came from above, indicating that Pilate's actions, and by extension the actions of those who crucified Jesus, were permitted by God's sovereign plan, even though they were wicked.
Romans 8:28-30This passage explains that God works all things, including suffering, for the good of those he calls, and that those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, which directly relates to the foreknowledge and plan behind Christ's crucifixion.
barnesActs 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"
Him, being delivered - ἔκδοτον ekdoton. This word, delivered, is used commonly of those who are surrendered or delivered into the hands of enemies or adversaries. It means that Jesus was surrendered, or given up to his enemies by those who should have been his protectors. Thus, he was delivered to the chief priests, Mark 10:33 . Pilate released B…
vincentActs 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"
Being delivered (ἔκδοτον)An adjective: given forth, betrayed.Ye have takenThe best texts omit.Wicked handsThe best texts read by the hand of lawlessCrucified (προσπήξαντες)Only here in New Testament. The verb simply means to affix to or on anything. The idea of the cross is left to be supplied.Have slain (ἀνείλετε)See on Luke 23:32. Rev., rende…
The verse highlights a crucial point: while God's eternal plan and foreknowledge were behind Jesus' death, Peter directly accuses the people for their active role in it. This shows that knowing God's ultimate purpose doesn't erase human responsibility for wicked actions.
Peter is addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, forcefully accusing them of being complicit in the crucifixion of Jesus. He emphasizes that this wasn't a random event but part of God's divine plan, even though the people themselves actively participated in Jesus' death through the Roman authorities.
Peter is addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, forcefully accusing them of being complicit in the crucifixion of Jesus. He emphasizes that this wasn't a random event but part of God's divine plan, even though the people themselves actively participated in Jesus' death through the Roman authorities.
"this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." — The verse highlights a crucial point: while God's eternal plan and foreknowledge were behind Jesus' death, Peter directly accuses the people for their active role in it. This shows that knowing God's…
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Last reviewed October 2026
