The Fulfillment of Scripture in Acts
(avg. read time: 10–19 mins.)
As my final post on Acts for the time being, I will examine the references to the fulfillment of Scripture in Acts. Scripture plays a formative role throughout Acts, but for the sake of simplicity, I am focusing here on explicit Scripture references where something is said to happen in accordance with Scripture, and Scripture may or may not be directly quoted to this effect. I include both conditions because not every Scripture quote contributes to the theme of fulfillment. For each instance in Acts, I proceed in the following steps. First, I identify the text. Second, I examine the form of the Scripture reference, including whether or not it agrees with the LXX/OG when it is a quote. Third, I identify what is said to fulfill Scripture. Fourth, I consider whether the use of Scripture in some way resonates with the original context the text is taken from. Fifth, I seek to determine what kind of fulfillment or use of Scripture each instance constitutes.
Acts 1:20 (Part 1)
There are actually two texts cited here and the citation may or may not be composite, as it is not entirely clear if the quotes are separated by an “and” or if the “and” is taken from the second text. As it is unclear, we will be dealing with them separately. The first text is Ps 69:25/26 (68:26 LXX), identified by the superscript and affirmed by Peter to be a psalm of David. This is clearly meant to be a quote, given the introductory formula, “for it is written in the book of Psalms” (1:20). However, it is not a quote of the LXX/OG as we have it (nine of the twelve words match the fourteen-word version in the LXX, but there is also variation in word order). Nor does it match the other Greek versions known today. It may be a different translation and/or a recitation from memory. In some measure, though, it probably represents a grammatical adjustment by Peter or Luke because he uses the singular pronoun where the LXX, and all other versions, use the plural. As the context leading up to v. 20 in 1:16–19 indicates, the fulfillment of this Scripture is the fate of Judas, who betrayed Jesus to the authorities and the field bought with his money is left desolate for inhabitants (we will not detain ourselves with comparing Matthew and Luke on Judas’s fate, as there have been multiple explanations). Does this use of Scripture resonate with the original context? In a general sense, yes, as the larger context is a cry of distress for God to answer and this particular section of the psalm seeks for retribution against enemies (vv. 18–28). Some of these portions resonate more clearly, such as Judas contributing to the persecution of the one whom God himself willed to wound (v. 26), him not entering God’s righteousness (v. 27), and him being wiped out from the book of life and not counted among the righteous (v. 28). What kind of fulfillment is this then? Peter does describe the Holy Spirit as “foretelling” through the mouth of David (1:16), but the form of entreaty does complicate taking it as a prophecy in the sense that many imagine. Rather, there are one or two other things happening here. One, the Holy Spirit foretelling this “through the mouth of David” implies what I have noted elsewhere about prosopological use of Scripture. That is, David is here speaking in the persona of Jesus, and when this event came to pass, it enabled the disciples to see how it applied to Jesus and how this particular portion concerned Judas. Two, it is fulfillment by application after the manner of homiletically applying texts to one’s own situation. I think the first is the case here because of the reference to foretelling, but I do not think the second could be ruled out altogether.
Acts 1:20 (Part 2)
The text here is Ps 109:8 (108:8 LXX). It is a brief quote of five or six words (depending on if the “and” is part of the quote or not) of the second half of the doublet in this verse. The one difference from the LXX/OG is that the third-person optative verb is a third-person imperative here. On the one hand, the context indicates that this text was fulfilled by Judas’s fate, but on the other hand, the implication is that the apostles must take it the rest of the way to fulfill the imperative of the text. It is not entirely clear how this fits with the original OT context simply because there is an odd transition in the original psalm. Some modern translations may insert “They say” before v. 6 and all that follows because the transition otherwise appears jarring. David had referred to plural people as causing him suffering, but vv. 6–19 are directed against a singular object. The text in between is thus taken as exemplifying lies and malice against David. But there is otherwise no grammatical signal as such, and it could be that David is wishing for these things against his enemies, whether he has a particular individual in mind or this is a generic singular. Verse 20 would then be a summary of this portion, rather than a shift in voice. On the former view, this use would seem to represent something against the grain of the text. On the latter view, this use would be in line with the prosopological application of it. Both parts of verse 8 would be thought of as particularly applicable to Judas. As with the previous text used, this does appear to be a case of prosopological usage, wherein David speaks in the persona of Jesus. But it is also a fulfillment with an action item, as the imperative is then taken by the apostles to decide who will replace Judas among the Twelve, which is what the rest of the story is about.
Acts 2:16–21
As Peter opens his proclamation of the gospel on Pentecost, the first text he appeals to is Joel 2:28–32, which he introduces with a citation formula of referring to “what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” The relationship with the LXX is complicated, as there are some manuscripts where the text more closely matches the LXX, but many others in which it does not. In any case, the arrangement of 2:28 is different in v. 17, there is an additional verb for “prophesy” in v. 18, a few extra words in v. 19, and vv. 20 and 21 are a match. It is possible that we are dealing with an alternative version of the LXX or a quote working from memory, which would unsurprisingly include adding some words for accentuation (such as “above” and “below”). Of course, v. 16 serves as the direct connection of the event of speaking in tongues narrated to this point in Acts 2 and the text that it fulfills. As for the relationship to the context of Joel, this will be the first of many times I refer readers to my post on Proclamations of the Gospel in Acts for more on this subject, but yes it does resonate with that context. And this is a use of a text that highlights the eschatological setting of fulfillment, which is treated as direct fulfillment of prophecy here.
Acts 2:25–28
The second text in Peter’s Pentecost proclamation is Ps 16:8–11 (15:8–11 LXX), which features an introduction that “David said concerning him.” This text fully matches the LXX for as much of it as is quoted. The fulfillment of this text was Jesus’s resurrection, as Peter goes on to explicate, and as he prepared for in v. 24. Besides in the Proclamations post, I have gone into more detail elsewhere (in published work and on this Substack) on how this relates to the OT context, and I have addressed Ps 16 by itself as well. This is another case of prosopological fulfillment, like the other cases of the Psalms citations thus far, as David is seen as speaking in the persona of Jesus.
Acts 2:34–35
Peter’s third cited text in this proclamation is Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX), which is given an introduction akin to the previous citation of, “but he himself says.” The text cited here is a match for the LXX, unlike in 1 Cor 15:25. Here, it is the exaltation that is linked to the fulfillment of this text, as Peter has prepared for in v. 33 and as he punctuates in v. 36. Again, I have noted how this text and the larger Christian proclamation of Christology resonate with the context of Ps 110. This is not a prosopological use in the same ways we have seen thus far. It is rather that Peter presents David as speaking about Christ as “my Lord” here, so that this represents a more direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Acts 3:18
This text involves a general appeal to Scripture, and thus most of the steps will not be applicable to it. Peter says as part of his proclamation in 3:12–26, specifically in v. 18, that “the things God foretold through the mouths of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he has thus fulfilled.” The fulfillment is most directly applied to Christ’s suffering and death, but no specific text is cited. We are dealing with one of many generalized references to Scripture in the NT, as I have noted in my analysis of such in Luke 24. And as I noted there, it is not necessarily that no specific texts were in mind, but there may have been a number of them that could be invoked and a specific one was not included here. At the same time, the larger point is that the larger story of Scripture led up to this event and it is in fulfillment of the larger scriptural narrative that Christ’s crucifixion happened.
Acts 3:21, 24
While there is a text cited in between these references, I treat the second and third generalized references together. In the first case, Peter refers to a time of fulfillment yet to come, for he speaks of the “times of restoration of all things, which God spoke of through the mouths of his holy prophets from ancient times.” This fulfillment will be the ultimate consummation of the scriptural narrative, and in context it serves as the final stage of the proclaimed Christ story that has yet to be. The second case is actually in furtherance of the point made in the citation of Scripture in between these general references, when Peter says, “And likewise all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel to those who succeeded him have also proclaimed these days.” That is, as with the use of Joel 2:28–32, but with a broader focus to a number of texts and the story of Scripture as a whole, Peter is signifying his own time as the eschatological time. It is so because what the prophets spoke of was the gospel narrative, as that is what fulfills Scripture here.
Acts 3:22–23
The text cited here as attributed to Moses as what he “said” consists of portions from Deut 18:15–19, specifically vv. 15, 18, and 19. However, the text is not a match for the LXX, nor is it closer to the MT. It matches enough of the vocabulary of the LXX to be identifiable as in reference to this text, but it appears to be more of a paraphrase, if it is not a quote from a different Greek translation than has been left to us today. This is especially true of v. 23 and its connection to Deut 18:19, where both texts refer to consequences for not listening to this prophet like Moses, but Peter’s quote invokes an often stated consequence of being cut off from the people (Exod 12:15, 19; 30:33, 38; 31:14; Lev 7:20–21, 25, 27; 17:4, 9–10, 14; 18:29; 19:8; 20:3, 5–6, 17–18; 22:3; 23:29; Num 9:13; 15:30–31; 19:13, 20). This text is fulfilled with the coming of Jesus, the prophet like but greater than Moses. There is not much else beyond the context relevant to this citation beyond the excerpts used, but as I noted in my Proclamations post, this use does fit with the OT context. And this use conveys a straightforward direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Acts 4:11
I have gone over this text in much more detail elsewhere, thus I will try to keep this brief. The text quoted without a proper introductory formula—only being introduced with “this one is”—is Ps 118:22. While Luke had earlier quoted this verse in a form identical with the LXX/OG, this one features multiple differences with that version. While I focused in my analysis on this text as linked to resurrection, given the larger context of Acts 4, this is so because the text presents an encapsulation of the larger gospel story, as the narrative dynamics of both texts resonate with each other. In my analysis, I also go over how this use of this text, being a summary of the dynamics of the larger psalm, thus connects with the OT context. This text has been fulfilled in that the narrative dynamics have been actualized in Jesus. Whether this is best described as typology or perhaps as more of a narrative fulfillment apropos to the eschatological—something like a more specific equivalent of the general references to Scripture noted to this point—is less clear, though I am inclined to think it is the latter.
Acts 4:25–26
It is unclear whether this text is properly speaking a “fulfillment,” but I am inclined to treat it here because the disciples describe God as speaking “by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David” (v. 25). The text in question is Ps 2:1–2. The text is a match for the LXX/OG. As the context indicates, what fulfills the Scripture in question is the coming of Jesus and the response of the nations to him, as they say that Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the nations against Christ (v. 27). This is seen as applicable especially because of the reference to “his anointed one,” which is understood as a reference to the Christ (Χριστός), who fulfills this word. It also fits with the OT context, as I have illustrated elsewhere for this text in ch. 13 and in the use of Ps 110 in the Proclamations post. The introduction to the quote makes it seem like this could be a direct prophecy fulfillment, but it could be a typological fulfillment as well, in light of the likely function of this psalm as a coronation psalm.
Acts 8:32–33
The text here is Isa 53:7–8, which is introduced in a non-diegetic fashion by Luke to say what text the Ethiopian eunuch was reading. With the possible exception of the participle in v. 32, which is actually a match for the LXX/OG in the majority of manuscripts, the text as a whole is a match for the LXX/OG. Obviously, although Luke does not narrate Philip’s explanation, the fulfillment of this text in Jesus is primarily tied to his crucifixion. As for if it fits the OT context, I have addressed this in the Proclamation post. This appears to be a case of direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Acts 10:43
In Luke’s summary of Peter’s gospel proclamation to Cornelius, we find another general appeal to Scripture, the fourth one thus far. After summarizing the gospel narrative of Jesus, Peter says that he is the one to whom all the prophets testify. On the one hand, this signifies that the gospel narrative outlined previously is the fulfillment of Scripture. On the other hand, as a result, he also declares that the story fulfills Scripture because the time the prophets testified to of receiving forgiveness of sins (as I noted in my Proclamation post) has now come to be in him.
Acts 13:32
Rather than reiterate the point repeatedly for the rest of this proclamation of Paul in Pisidian Antioch, I will say that I have engaged with the matter of whether the uses of the OT resonate with the OT context in the Proclamation post. But Paul begins the part of his proclamation about the fulfillment of Scripture with a general appeal to Scripture, the fifth one we have seen thus far. The fact that he then follows this up with a few specific cases should be a reminder to us that these general appeals that we find here and elsewhere probably tended to have specific examples accompanying them in actual proclamation (even if not always in writing). The general statement is that the gospel is the fruition of “what was promised to the ancestors” (v. 32). Indeed, the resurrection of Jesus is presented at as the primary fulfillment of what was promised in v. 33.
Acts 13:33
The text here, which is introduced with “it is written” and a location of the second psalm, is Ps 2:7. The quote is a match for the LXX. The primary referent for fulfillment is the resurrection, as Paul states earlier in the same verse, but it also seems to function as a synecdoche for the gospel story as a whole. This is another case in which the Psalms are presented as having a typological fulfillment, where the one originally coronated with this formula looked forward to the one who would be exalted above all as a consequence of his resurrection and in acknowledgment of who he always was (which was also vindicated by the resurrection).
Acts 13:34
The next text Paul cites, this time with an introduction of what God “said,” is Isa 55:3. Every word, except for the initial verb, matches the last five words of this text in the LXX/OG. As noted, it is primarily in reference to the resurrection that this text is said to come to fruition. But again, it could be that the resurrection is functioning as a synecdoche for the gospel story as a whole. As we are dealing with a promise from the Prophets, it seems that we are dealing with a direct fulfillment of prophecy rather than a prosopological use of the text per se (since the “you” here is still plural, and thus it is not representative of the Father talking directly to Jesus).
Acts 13:35
Paul’s final text in the string of three, again introduced with “he says,” is Ps 16:10. As with the earlier quote of this text, the quote matches the LXX/OG. The fulfillment is obviously accomplished by Jesus’s resurrection. And in this case, we are back to a prosopological fulfillment of the text (as in Acts 2), as Paul goes on to stress that David was not talking about himself (13:36–37) as Peter also had done.
Acts 15:15–17
At what is often called “the Council of Jerusalem,” James refers to Amos 9:11–12 with the introduction, “as it is written.” It is mostly a lexical match for the LXX/OG, but there are some rearrangements of words and some abridgement compared to the LXX translation. It is unclear if this is because James is working with another Greek translation he was familiar with, if he makes it himself, or if he is more or less paraphrasing in working from memory. What fulfills this text is the gentiles coming to faith, and this is one of those texts linked to the broader theme of expectation of the gentiles being included in the eschatological salvation. As befits the inaugurated eschatology on display in Acts and elsewhere in the NT, this type of event is seen as having eschatological significance. In the OT context, this is the turning point in ch. 9 from the judgment on Israel, which is not invoked in this part of Acts, to the restoration of Israel in vv. 11–15. As with Joel 2 and other such texts, this use does resonate with the OT context, but it unclear if the context is being assumed as the sort of conceptual freight attached to this text, as it is not being claimed that these other events are being fulfilled at the moment. But the context does confirm the eschatological significance to the statement quoted here, thus it is resonant in that sense if nothing else. The connection here also serves as a direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Acts 17:2–3, 11; 18:28; 24:14–15; 26:6–8, 22–23; 28:23
I treat this group of texts together because they all comprise the sixth through twelfth general references to fulfillment of Scripture in Acts. All other specific references to Scripture seem to constitute application but do not fit with a sense of “fulfillment” per se (e.g., in his use of Isa 6:9–10 in 28:26–27 Paul says that Isaiah spoke truly about their ancestors and that it is true of them as well). 17:2–3 shows that the gospel story consists of fulfillment of Scripture, which is also implied in 17:11 with the Bereans examining the Scriptures to confirm the gospel proclamation. Apollos is also said to demonstrate by Scripture that Jesus is the Christ, which would involve appealing to fulfillment of various kinds, as we have seen. Paul says his faith is in everything “that is in accordance with what is written in the law and in the prophets” (24:14), which includes the hope in God that he will raise the dead to final judgment (24:15). Here, the fulfillment of hope is aimed at what is still the future, as we saw in ch. 3, but his message about resurrection is connected with it, as I have argued previously. Indeed, he makes such a point in 26:6–8 where he says he is being tried on the basis of “the hope of the promise that was made by God to our ancestors,” which he defines in terms of God raising the dead. The fulfillment has already been inaugurated in Jesus’s resurrection, but it has not yet been consummated. He then says in 26:22–23 that he has testified in according with what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen to the Christ, that he would die and be the first of the resurrection of the dead. Finally, like Apollos, Luke tells us that when Paul was in Rome that he testified to the kingdom of God and persuaded his hearers about Jesus from the Torah and the Prophets (28:23). In each of these cases, one can imagine specific texts were appealed to, though it is unlikely, given the variety we have seen, that it was always the same group of texts. And the overarching point of the narrative of Scripture coming to fruition in the gospel story of Jesus, whereby he inaugurated the kingdom, remains the same in any case.