The apostle Paul appeared much later than the original disciples. Paul and his co-workers were involved with spreading the gospel message throughout Asia Minor. Paul spoke at the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, encouraging the Jews there about Jesus Christ. At one point he said, “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39; italics mine). This type of forgiveness is more than just saying “excuse me.” It actually removes the stain of sin from a person’s soul so that that person is no longer encumbered by it. It allows the person to go through life without carrying this burden. Paul even told the believers at Colossae that God removes the legal indebtedness of sin: “He [Christ] forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

Coming to Christ with sorrow and repentance over sin is not a secret. After Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, He rose in bodily form from the grave. Before He ascended into heaven He told His disciples, “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47; italics mine). This is not a private issue, but a public one. Christ’s message of forgiveness is proclaimed to everyone. What is also interesting is that this proclamation started at Jerusalem, which is locally. This is the mandate for all local churches: proclaim Jesus’ forgiveness of sins to the local community. I researched this concept in my doctoral thesis and published the book, New Testament Evangelism: How It Is Practiced in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Although written for my doctoral thesis, this book spells out the concepts and importance of sharing the gospel of Christ to those around us in the local community.

God provided witnesses who went forth proclaiming the fact that only through Jesus Christ is there forgiveness of sins. In addition to the twelve disciples, John the Baptist was sent by God (Malachi 3:1) preaching a message of forgiveness of sins: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way – a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Mark 1:2-4). Not only did Jesus Christ proclaim Himself to be the forgiver of sins, but others proclaimed Him as well. We too, as part of the Christian Church, share the responsibility of being a witness to Jesus Christ. We do so implicitly by making decisions and living our lives according to God’s Word. We can also witness explicitly by sharing the news about Christ’s forgiveness for our sins to others.

The apostle Paul was dispatched by Christ upon his conversion to Christianity. Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians when he was knocked off of his horse with what seemed to be a bolt of lightning according to those who were with him. A voice said, “Saul [Paul’s previous name], Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Paul inquired as to who was speaking and received this reply:

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness [italics mine] of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Acts 26:9-18).

Paul’s conversion was not just for himself, he was actually converted so that he would be used by God as a witness to both Jews and Gentiles two thousand years ago and ever since then. In fact, Paul was the author of several books in the New Testament as a result of the letters that he sent to other people. Paul was (and still is through the books he authored in God’s Word) a strong witness to the fact that Jesus Christ provided forgiveness of sins. Paul was a role model for what the local churches should be doing today. The mandate for a person to receive forgiveness from Christ and enter into a new relationship was not just for Paul himself, but for all those around him. The same mandate applies to the Church today and all believers. They are now witnesses for Christ to those in the local neighborhoods and businesses.

The apostle Peter was a witness for Christ as well. After Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, Peter had an occasion at the day of Pentecost (50 days after the Passover) to witness about Christ in the presence of many Jews who had gathered for the occasion (Acts 2). The disciples (Galileans) who were with Paul were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. The Jews who assembled from other regions for Pentecost then heard the disciples speaking in their languages:

Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome . . . Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:7-11)

During this discourse, Peter laid claim to the fact that King David prophesied the resurrection of the Messiah and that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that prophesy – even the Messiah Himself. Peter indicated that he was a witness to Christ’s death on the cross for our sins and the subsequent resurrection to conquer death. All the Jews who gathered asked what they should do. Peter replied, “Repent [of your sins] and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). We too, should heed the testimony of Peter and recognize Christ’s forgiveness for our sins and proclaim the same to others!

As Peter spent time with some of the Jews at Cornelius’s house in Caesarea, he proclaimed not only about Christ’s forgiveness of sins, but also that “all the prophets testify about him [Christ] that everyone who believes in him received forgiveness of sin through his name” (Acts 10:43). These prophets, who predated Peter, were written about in numerous Old Testament books. One example is in the book of Isaiah. In chapter 53, Isaiah prophesied that Christ “was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed . . . he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:5, 12). This prophecy emphasized these underlying themes in the Old Testament: (1) the preservation of the nation of Israel with respect to God, and (2) the foreshadow of the coming of Jesus Christ, Who would provide forgiveness of sin for all who would come to Him. Peter not only proclaimed Christ in the first century A.D., but he pointed back to the Old Testament prophets who foretold about Christ many centuries before Christ’s birth. Finally, Jesus indicated that preaching forgiveness of sins will be done everywhere. As two disciples were walking to Emmaus, the post-resurrected Jesus appeared to them. He indicated that all things prophesied about Himself must be fulfilled. He then told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). The phrase, “beginning at Jerusalem” refers to local preaching. That is, preaching will be done first locally in Jerusalem and then spread to the rest of the world. There is a concept in local churches today that preaching Christ’s message must be done in other countries, rather than in the local community. I have observed that local churches are reluctant to tell others in the local community for two reasons: either (1) they are fearful of how others might respond when they share the message, or (2) local church leadership is lacking in this area. Clearly, in obedience to Luke 24:46-47 listed above, we are to share Christ’s message of forgiveness of sins with those that live and work in our local community before we share it with the other parts of the world.