Introduction: This last section of Acts 13 is mostly the sermon preached by Paul at the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. Through his preaching, many people heard the Word of God and many believed the Gospel!
1 The arrival in Antioch and first part of Paul’s sermon
Text: Acts 13:13-25, KJV: 13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
Thoughts:
--Paphos was a city on the western side of Cyprus. Paul, Barnabas, and John (Mark) left there and sailed to Perga, a city on the southern shore of Asia Minor or modern day Turkey.
--John Mark left the others at Perga and returned to Jerusalem. Commentators have offered various opinions about why he left. Paul remembered and wanted nothing to do with John Mark at a later time (Acts 15:36-39) but later asked Timothy to bring Mark along with him to where Paul was (2 Timothy 4:11). Let’s pray that all misunderstandings might become mendings.
--Antioch of Pisidia was located in what looks to be a strange and not very pleasant place, after viewing some maps of Bible lands. The city did have a Jewish synagogue, meaning there were at least 10 practicing Jewish men in the city.
--Verse 15 introduces the message by Paul. The synagogue leader must have noticed Barnabas and Paul were new in town and then asked if they had a word of encouragement for the people.
--Paul stood up to bring the message. He uses the first part of his message as a brief review of Israel’s history from their days in Egypt to the ministry of John the Baptist. Compare this message with Steven’s address to the religious leaders in Acts 7. Paul, then known as Saul of Tarsus, may have heard this message himself at the time.
--“Chanaan” is Canaan, the land of promise. The Book of Joshua covers Israel’s journey into the land and how they received their inheritance.
--“Cis” is Kish, the father of Saul of Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:26), Israel’s first king.
--It’s not known if this is the complete message or an abbreviated “excerpt” of it. Paul then concludes this first part with a reference to John the Baptist (as mentioned before). Jews from this part of the world had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost (Acts 2). Even though Pisidia is not mentioned there, Phrygia and Pamphylia were, and these were the provinces closest to Pisidia. Perhaps some of these Jews had heard about John, and maybe Jesus, during their visits to Jerusalem for Passover and Pentecost.
2 The second part of Paul’s message
Text, Acts 13:26-41, KJV: 26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
--Paul had already seen Jews, and perhaps even “God-fearers” and proselytes, come to faith in Christ in Jerusalem (Acts 2-9). Now note how Paul frames the introduction of this second part of the message, not just to those who were related to Abraham by blood but also by faith.
--Paul mentions how the Jews and their rulers at Jerusalem fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death. Some of these prophecies would include Isaiah 53, Psalms 16 and 22, and more.
--Paul also mentioned Pilate’s name. Pisidia was in an entirely different region than Israel (Judea) but the Jews who had been to Jerusalem surely would have known about Pilate and some of his deeds, such as murdering a number of Galileans (Luke 13).
--Joseph of Arimathea asked for Christ’s human body, after He had dismissed His spirit (see Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42 for four complementary accounts of this story). Joseph, all four Gospel writers agree, took down the body of the Lord from the Cross but surely he must have had some help in doing this. Besides, Nicodemus (see John’s account) brought spices for the burial and may have helped Joseph in some way. The important thing is that there were several people willing to care and willing to take a risk in order to show a little respect for the Lord’s human body.
--Paul now adds some of the most exciting words in history in verse 30: “But God raised Him from the dead!” He adds in v. 31 that a number of people saw Jesus ALIVE after He was raised from the dead. Paul would expand this list in 1 Corinthians 15 when he wrote that years later.
--Note some of the scripture references Paul quotes here: Psalms 2 and 16, plus Habakkuk 1:5 (probably from the Greek version of the OT).
--Whether this is the complete message, or simply excerpts, Paul proves from various Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus is LORD and that salvation is only possible through Him. He even shows how nobody could be justified by the law of Moses—and this was before he had even gone to Galatia or faced Judaizers (Acts 15).
--As is true of all services, this one eventually closed and the people left the synagogue. But the light of the Gospel was only now beginning to shine!
3 The results, or what happened after the message
Text. Acts 13:42-52, KJV: 42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Thoughts:
A The good things
--The connection between the Jews leaving the synagogue and the Gentiles wanting to hear the Word preached to them on the next Sabbath is not easy to find. Paul did mention the ones “who feared God” which may indicate these were “’God-fearing’ Gentiles”; as I understand it, these were folks who followed the Jewish faith but had not been circumcised (corrections welcomed).
--The “Gentiles” mentioned also seem to be different than the “religious proselytes” mentioned in verse 43. Again, as I understand it, a proselyte was a Gentile who had been circumcised and was treated as a natural-born Jew (corrections are of course welcomed).
--Note how Pail and Barnabas encouraged the new believers to “continue in the grace of God (verse 43)”. Barnabas had been sent to Antioch previously to observe, and observe he did, but also encouraged the new believers to “cleave (remain true) to the Lord (Acts 11:23, KJV)” He and Paul are doing the same thing here. We should be doing this too in our day.
B The bad things
--Luke records nearly the whole city came together to hear the Word of God (and wouldn’t it be wonderful if this happened today, too!)
--The bad things began with the (unbelieving) Jews who contradicted and blasphemed (spoke evil of) Paul and Barnabas’ message—which is really God’s message to them and to us.
--Soon Paul and Barnabas had had enough. They told the Jews, “You had the privilege of hearing the Word of God first, but since you don’t want to hear it, we’ll tell the good news to those who do want to hear it—the Gentiles!” Paul may have thought of this in Romans 1:16.
--Luke summarizes the final moments of the time Paul and Barnabas spent in Pisidian Antioch by saying many believed the gospel, but the Jews raised up hatred and persecution against Paul and Barnabas, forcing them to leave. They did leave and went to another city.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
