Limitless Word
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
Acts 13:24 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.
  • BSB Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
  • NKJV after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
  • NASB after John had proclaimed, before His coming, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
  • NLT Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Before Jesus came, John preached a baptism of repentance to all Israel. John prepared the way for the Savior.

Overview

Paul recalls John the Baptist's ministry of preparing Israel through a call to repentance. John's role as forerunner authenticates Jesus and marks the turning point from promise to fulfillment. The reference would connect with hearers who knew of John, directing their attention beyond him to the One he announced.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Acts 1:22Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
  • Matt 3:1–11In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
  • Luke 3:2–20Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
  • Acts 10:37That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
  • Mark 1:2–8As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
  • Acts 19:3–4And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
  • John 3:25–36Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
  • John 5:33–36Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
  • Luke 1:76And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
  • John 1:6–8There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
  • John 1:15–18John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 13:24YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 13:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.