³⁸”Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. ⁴⁰Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ⁴¹‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

Now comes the application to Paul’s message in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch. Seemingly long at twenty-six verses, Luke is probably condensing it down for publication; certainly Paul’s preaching went longer than the time to read these verses (see Acts 20:9).

His proclamation is unambiguous: “Therefore let it be known to you” (vs. 38) signals a conviction that what he said to them was true and not open for debate. This is followed by, “Therefore take heed” (vs. 40)—don’t scoff at the message. He expects that may be their initial reaction, so he addresses it before they express it.

Notice Paul’s conclusion of his message, his application: God forgives sins through Jesus Christ. That is what the apostle proclaimed. This wasn’t just teaching; it was preaching with authority on behalf of God. Commentators spend much time discussing various ways rabbis of that day communicated their teachings, but clearly Paul sees his message as binding and true. The issue he has dealt with is this: what do we do about the sin problem we all have? Notice, he assumes that all need to hear this message, not just the Gentile world, but the Jews also (since he is preaching in the synagogue). Nobody could go away saying, “That’s not for me; I don’t have a problem with sin.” The universal plight of sin is assumed.

The gospel answer to the sin problem, then, is Jesus Christ, and Paul goes on to describe this forgiveness as freedom. Any humble, sober self-analysis of one’s life will reveal the heart’s desire to be free from sin. Yet pride and the blindness of sin prevent many from recognizing this, and as a result, they scoff at this message. To the sinful mind, the unbelieving mind, the answer to the sin problem is to just stop sinning! But that is an eternally elusive dream, a carrot on a stick that many religions use to manipulate people into conforming to their rules and traditions. Supposed well-meaning zealots actually think they can solve the sin problem themselves through an overabundance of pious deeds. But the freedom Christ offers is from things that the we cannot be freed from through the Law of Moses. Religious zealots will always scoff at this notion

Lord, thank You for the freedom I have in Christ, who has truly set me free.