In 13:34 Paul speaks a further word regarding the resurrection of Christ: “As to His having raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He spoke in this way, ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the faithful things.’” Verses 33 and 34 are concerned with the resurrected Christ. Verse 33 indicates that Christ’s resurrection was His second birth to bring Him forth as the firstborn Son of God. God promised to give Him to His people, and this resurrected One is the holy and faithful things of David. The phrase the holy things of David, the faithful things indicates that Christ was of David, for it was out of David’s seed that God raised up such a One. To God, the resurrected Christ is the firstborn Son, but to us, He is the Savior. Moreover, He is a great gift given by God to His chosen people, and this gift is entitled “the holy things...the faithful things.”
The Greek word for the holy things...the faithful things here is in the plural. The same Greek word is used for “Holy One” in the next verse, but in the singular. However, it is not the regular word for holy; it is a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word chesed, which is translated “mercies” in Isaiah 55:3, 2 Chronicles 6:42, and Psalm 89:1, both in the Septuagint and in the King James Version. In Psalm 89 the word mercies in plural in verse 1 (KJV) is the same word as for Holy One in singular in verse 19. This Holy One is Christ, the Son of David, in whom God’s mercies are centered and conveyed. Hence, the holy things of David, the faithful things refers to the resurrected Christ. This is fully proved by the context, especially by “Your Holy One” in the next verse, and by the verse following Isaiah 55:3.
Paul’s thought in Acts 13:33 and 34 is very deep. The resurrected Christ, who is God’s firstborn Son brought forth through His second birth, His resurrection, is the holy and faithful things. In verse 34 the word faithful means “trustworthy.” The resurrected Christ is the holy and faithful things God gives to us. Here Paul indicates that the resurrected Christ is not only our Savior bringing us God’s salvation and that He is not only the firstborn Son of God. This resurrected One is also the holy and faithful things as a gift given to us by God.
It is easy for us to understand that Christ is our Savior. It is more difficult to understand that Christ is the firstborn Son of God. But it is very difficult to understand that the resurrected Christ is the holy and faithful things given to us by God. The holy and faithful things cover a wide span, a span much wider than that covered by the titles “Savior” and “firstborn Son.” The phrase “the holy things...the faithful things” is actually a divine title, a title of Christ. In these verses Christ is called the holy and faithful things. The Savior God raised up out of the seed of David has become the holy and faithful things.
These holy and faithful things are all the aspects of what Christ is. According to the New Testament, Christ is life, light, grace, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, and justification. He is also the bread of life and the living water. Furthermore, the holy and faithful things include all the aspects of Christ unveiled in 1 Corinthians: power, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, glory, the depths of God, the unique foundation of God’s building, the Passover, the unleavened bread, the spiritual food, the spiritual drink, the spiritual rock, the Head, the Body, the firstfruits, the second man, and the last Adam. We see many more aspects of Christ in the Gospel of John, such as the Shepherd and the pasture. Oh, how much Christ is to us as the holy and faithful things! As the resurrected One, He is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and all the holy and faithful things.
In the Old Testament the holy and faithful things are regarded as mercies. Isaiah 55:3 speaks of “the sure mercies shown to David.” Second Chronicles 6:42 mentions “the mercies of David,” the Lord’s servant, and Psalm 89:1 says, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” Mercy implies both love and grace, but it reaches further than love. Where love and grace cannot reach, mercy can reach. All the holy and faithful things are Christ Himself as mercies to us. Life is a mercy, and light is also a mercy. Likewise, righteousness, holiness, justification, and sanctification are mercies. In chapter ten of the Gospel of John we have the door, the pasture, and the Shepherd, all of which are mercies. If we took time to count all the aspects of these mercies, we would have a long list of mercies. A husband’s love for his wife and the wife’s submission to her husband are Christ as mercies to us. If a husband, in Christ, loves his wife, this surely is a mercy. His love for her is Christ Himself as a mercy to him. In a similar way, if a sister, in Christ, submits to her husband, that also is a mercy. Her submission is Christ Himself as a mercy to her.
Our speaking the word of God year after year inexhaustibly is certainly Christ as a mercy to us. This is not a matter of our ability or gift. It is altogether a matter of mercy. Not only is it a mercy for us to speak the word of God, but even the dear Savior is our speaking. Our speaking is Christ, and to us this speaking Christ is a mercy. Though our speaking may not be eloquent, our speaking may be full of Christ. This is wholly due to Christ being a mercy to us in speaking the word of God.
We all need to see that the resurrected Christ is all the holy and faithful things as mercies given to us by God as an all-inclusive gift. This was the Christ preached by Paul in Acts 13. Paul, in his gospel message, not only preached Christ from the Old Testament, but also preached the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things. Actually, what Paul proclaimed here in his preaching of the gospel requires all the Epistles written by him for its definition. Therefore, if we want to see more concerning Christ as the holy and faithful things, we need to study the fourteen Epistles of Paul. In his preaching Paul set up an excellent pattern for us to follow in our gospel preaching today. Like Paul, we need to preach Christ in a rich and uplifted way.