Paul delivers a long-ish gospel message to the people in Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13.16-43.  He starts with Old Testament history, to get to David, the ancestor of the Messiah Jesus.  Then he fills in some gaps of the bare-bones “first importance” message of 1 Corinthians 15.3-6.

 

 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,”

Paul tells Antioch that the rulers and people in Jerusalem did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and did not understand what the prophets said, even though the scriptures were read every Sabbath in the synagogue.  So the rulers fulfilled what the prophets predicted by condemning Him – Pilate ordered Jesus executed and the Romans carried it out.

Paul also notes that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and begs them not to be scoffers at this amazing news, citing the prophet Habakkuk.

“that he was buried,”

They took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

Paul says that even though Jesus was laid in a tomb, God raised him from the dead.  Paul uses Psalms 2 and 16 to show how the psalms predict the holy one will not see corruption.

“and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

Paul proclaims how Jesus appeared for many days to those who had come from Galilee, who were now His witnesses.

Then Paul proclaims the good news, “that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus.” And, “by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”

On that day, some believed and some did not, just as Habakkuk had predicted.

Paul’s presentation shrewdly makes use of the knowledge his hearers have of the law and the prophets, and the good news message covers all the items of first importance.