Paul’s Pisidian Proclamation
Acts 13:14 – 13:41
Jeff Hughes – September 7, 2003
Calvary Chapel Aggieland
I. Introduction
a. The Apostle Paul made three missionary journeys recorded in scripture. We last looked at Paul and Barnabas on the island of Cyprus, and we followed them to the mainland, with John Mark splitting from them and returning to Jerusalem. The year was about 46 A.D., and as we have seen in previous weeks, the early church had begun to expand and grow.
b. We have been looking at Paul’s second missionary journey, and that is where we are today. After leaving Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas traveled over 180 miles of water to the city of Perga, in the Roman province of Pamphilia. The area north of Pamphilia was a region known as Galatia, and Paul and Barnabas ministered there for a time, and it is in this region that we pick up the story today. A few months after leaving, he would write a letter to the churches there, and we have that letter in our Bibles today, as the book of Galatians.
c. Now Paul is a servant who takes every opportunity to share the gospel when he gets the chance, and his time in Pisidian Antioch will not be an exception as we will see today.
d. But first, let’s pray and ask the Lord’s blessing on our study today.
II. PRAYER
III. Illustration
a. In his book Facing Loneliness, J. Oswald Sanders writes, “The round of pleasure or the amassing of wealth are but vain attempts to escape from the persistent ache...The millionaire is usually a lonely man and the comedian is often more unhappy than his audience.” Sanders goes on the emphasize that being successful often fails to produce satisfaction.
b. Then he refers to Henry Martyn, a distinguished scholar, as an example of what he is talking about. Martyn, a Cambridge University student, was honored at only 20 years of age for his achievements in mathematics. In fact, he was given the highest recognition possible in that field. And yet he felt an emptiness inside. He said that instead of finding fulfillment in his achievements, he had “only grasped a shadow.” He became interested in the writings about William Carey, the cobbler-turned evangelist doing missions work in India.
c. After evaluating his life’s goals, Martyn sailed to India as a missionary at the age of 24. When he arrived, he prayed, “Lord, let me burn out for You.” In the next 7 years, he translated the New Testament into three difficult Eastern languages. Henry Martyn then died at the age of 31. These notable achievements were certainly not passing “shadows.”
d. Jesus said everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
e. Henry Martyn was a man who received this blessing. Paul and Barnabas did too. Today we are going to look at the gospel – the good news about Jesus Christ as explained by the Apostle Paul one Sabbath day in Antioch.
f. This morning, we are going to look at Paul’s message to this synagogue in its entirety, and for the sake of time, we are not going to read all the way through the passage, but we are going to read the passages as we get to them.
g. Our study this morning comes from Acts, chapter 13, verses 14 through 40. We will look five points from our passage today – The invitation, the introduction, the Israelite nation, the intermediary, the Incarnate Deity, and last, the instruction.
h. There’s a place for you to take notes in your bulletin, and I would encourage you to do that, so that you can look back over the lesson later on, and do some personal study on the passage.
i. Let’s read starting in verse 14 as we look at the invitation.
IV. Study
a. Intro
b. The Invitation (Acts 13:14 - 15)
i. 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 to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."
ii. The city of Perga was a Greek city with a large temple to Artemis, along with a theater and a stadium. As we see here, we aren’t told if there was any missionary activity there. But, our small band of missionaries depart from there to Antioch.
iii. This is not to be confused with the Antioch that they left, which is in modern day Syria. As we have covered before, there were several citied called Antioch in the ancient world.
iv. This would have been a very dangerous journey. The road between Perga and Antioch was a hotbed for thieves and bandits in the ancient Roman Empire. We know this from several historical documents that made it until today.
v. Paul would later write in chapter 11, verse 26, when he was recounting all of the bad things that he had fallen into for the sake of the gospel, that he was in perils of robbers. This was likely one of those times, when he made this trip to Antioch.
vi. The main traffic road in Asia Minor connecting the Middle East with the rest of the Roman Empire ran through Pisidian Antioch, and by bringing the gospel here, the message would have a maximized effect. That is, people going to different places in the Empire would likely be there, and could spread the gospel with them as they went.
vii. Now, because Antioch was on a major roadway in the empire, there was a large population of Jews living there, large enough to have a synagogue.
viii. Paul, Barnabas, and whoever else was with them went to this synagogue on the Sabbath, which is Saturday for services. They did this because they knew that there would be an invitation to speak there, and they wanted to use this opportunity to spread the gospel.
ix. Now, from scripture, and from Jewish tradition we know that their service went something like this – They opened the service with prayer, then they had a reading from the law, the Torah. This is the first five books of the Bible. Next, they would have a reading from the prophets.
x. Then, if there was someone present who was competent to teach, then that person would stand and give a sermon from the material read that day.
xi. There was usually a synagogue “ruler” who oversaw the service as to the arrangements. But here, we see that in Antioch there were at least two rulers, and these men invited Paul to speak to the congregation.
xii. It is likely that they had some contact with Paul before the service, and they were at least open-minded enough to hear what Paul would have to say.
xiii. They invited Paul to speak, and he took them up on the offer. We see the beginning of his message in the next four verses.
c. The Introduction (Acts 13:16 – 13:19)
i. 16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. 18 Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. 19 And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.
ii. Paul stands up in the congregation there, as it was customary. Paul didn’t have handouts, or a projector to illustrate his points, so he uses hand gestures to capture the attention of his audience.
iii. This is Paul’s first recorded sermon. It is remarkably similar in its content to that message of Stephen we found back in Acts chapter 7, but it is more condensed here.
iv. Stephen made his defense in front of the Sanhedrin and Paul was there, listening, waiting to condemn him. But, after meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus, Stephen’s words must have haunted Paul for these fourteen long years. He had rejected the gospel at his first hearing.
v. But, what is encouraging here is that Isaiah chapter 55, verse 11 tells us that God’s Word doesn’t return void. Stephen stood teaching a bunch of men who would condemn him to death, and ignored his message, but it stuck with Paul all these years.
vi. Paul, no doubt would likewise never know the effect of this teaching today on some of those present in Pisidian Antioch, but the underlying principle was that God’s Word would do the work; Paul just had to be faithful to teach it. Whether he saw instant results or not, it didn’t matter.
vii. He begins by addressing the people gathered there. We know from his opening statement that there were both Jews and God-fearing gentiles there. God-fearers weren’t proselytes – Gentiles that had converted. They were people that had become interested in the teachings of the Jews, but hadn’t made that commitment yet.
viii. We run into people like this all the time, and I think we can learn a lesson here. People will come into the church because they want to hear more. Not because they came to get the hard sell, in fact, if you give them the hard sell routine, they will likely take off. But, we should be open to let anyone come and listen to God’s Word on their own terms, and let them decide for themselves, just like we see Paul doing here.
ix. But, Paul begins his message at the beginning of the nation of the Jews. He takes them back to Egypt. Now, Egypt brings up images of slavery, building pyramids and sphinxes under the cruelty of a king with a hardened heart.
x. Egypt is a picture of our lives before we come into a relationship with Jesus. Before we accept Jesus, we are in bondage. We are slaves to our own sin. We build monuments, too, but they come in the form of materialism – you know, cars, houses, boats. Or, they can come in the form of devastated relationships and hurt, maybe a divorce or adultery, or a life filled with drugs and alcohol. These are monuments to sin that I see in people’s lives everyday.
xi. But, God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, just like Jesus brings us out of our lives of sin. The Israelites didn’t immediately go to the place that God had for them though.
xii. They spent forty years wandering around in the desert. We can do the same thing. Ever know someone who is wandering in the desert? These are the people that try to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. They wind up crashing and burning, just like the Israelites did.
xiii. But, God is so good! He brings us out of that and into the Promised Land. Verse 17 tells us that God put up with their ways in the wilderness. It is a Hebrew idiom. An accurate translation would be that God bore them as a loving father cradles a baby. Which God did. He provided their every need once they left Egypt.
xiv. When they entered the land, God destroyed the nations that lived in the land to give the land to them God has an inheritance for us as well, and that is eternal life with Him.
xv. At this point though, Paul continues to recount the history of the nation of Israel, and in the next three verses, he covers some of Israel’s brightest moments, the kingdom.
d. The Israelite Nation (Acts 13:20 - 22)
i. 20 After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ’I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
ii. We see here right off that Paul tells us first about the time of the judges that ruled Israel when they had no king. This was the time of the judges in Israel, the period of time described in the Old Testament book of Judges.
iii. The Book of Judges describes a period of time in which the people did whatever they wanted, they turned away from God, and lived their lives, only to turn back to God when he raised up a judge or a deliver for them.
iv. These judges included Gideon, Samson, and others who rescued the nation and turned them back to God. This period of history culminated with the prophet Samuel, the last of the leaders that God raised up before the kings.
v. The people of Israel wanted a king though. They got one in Saul the son of Kish. He was a handsome man, he stood a foot taller than most of the people. He was someone you could look up to, literally.
vi. Saul started off on the right foot. He had his heart in the right place and was a humble man, but as we see his life progress, he tends to drift away from the Lord, culminating in him disobeying the Lord commands when fighting the Amelekites.
vii. Saul disobeyed God, and because of it, he was removed from the throne of Israel. We see Samuel confronting him in his sin in 1st Samuel, chapter 15, starting in verse 17 –
viii. 17 So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ’Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?" 20 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal." 22 So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."
ix. But, God sought out a man after His own heart to put on the throne of Israel, a man by the name of David. David was the son of Jesse. He was anointed as a boy to be king over the land, and God was with him. He slew Goliath the giant by the power of God, and he assumed the throne of the kingdom of Israel by that same power.
x. The main difference between Saul and David was attitude. Both we anointed king over Israel. Both men were sinners, made big time mistakes. The difference was the heart.
xi. David was repentant and regretful of all the sin in his life. Saul just tended to blow it off. David didn’t play games with God like Saul did, and even though David had all these problems, he was still a man after God’s own heart.
xii. The kingdom of David was seen as the pinnacle of Jewish history at this point, so Paul skips the downward spiral starting at King Solomon, to the kingdom dividing, and eventually the nation being taken away in captivity.
xiii. Paul shifts his focus to let them know about the real pinnacle of Jewish history, but we will get to that in a minute. What can we learn from David and Saul?
xiv. All of us are sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The real question is, how do you deal with that sin? Are you repentant?
xv. It always amazes me when people keep walking into the same sin over and over again, even though they know it is wrong. Paul would ask the Romans – shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?
xvi. The answer is no, we shouldn’t. I call this cheap grace. People taking advantage of the mercy of God for their own sinful desires. The bible tells us to flee immorality. You see, King Saul’s sin was that he didn’t kill all of the Amalekites like God had told him to do. We have to kill the sin in our lives, or we are being disobedient to God.
xvii. A pilot was flying his small plane one day, when he heard a noise which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. Wondering what its sharp teeth were cutting through, he suddenly realized with horror that it might be an electric wire. Then he remembered that rodents can’t survive at high altitudes.
xviii. Immediately he began climbing until finally he had to put on his oxygen mask. Soon the gnawing sound ceased, and when he landed he found the rat -- dead. If we desire to destroy the power of sin in our lives, then we need to read the Bible regularly, meditate upon its truths, and actively do God’s will.
xix. The root problem for Saul, David, the nation of Israel was an old one. One that had existed from very early on. That problem was sin. In the next three verses, Paul begins to show them the solution for that problem.
e. The Intermediary (Acts 13:23 - 25)
i. 23 From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior--Jesus-- 24 after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ’Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’
ii. Jesus was a descendant to King David, just like God had promised. But, before His arrival on the scene, other promises that God had mad concerning Him had to be fulfilled. Some we fulfilled through a man named John the Baptist.
iii. What Paul is telling the audience here is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Those prophecies were verified by John the Baptist when he was doing his ministry, calling people repentance of their sins, and baptizing them in the Jordan River.
iv. At the end of John’s ministry though, he pointed the people to Jesus. You see, John had a pretty big following too. John had disciples. In fact some of John’s disciples left John when he was out in the wilderness and started following Jesus.
v. It would seem like John would be upset about that happening. I mean, here he was working hard for the Lord, hanging out in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey, and here comes this other guy who takes all the attention away. But that’s not his reaction at all.
vi. Let’s see John’s reaction in John chapter 3, starting at verse 30 - 22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" 27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ’I am not the Christ,’ but, ’I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
vii. John was a man who knew his place in ministry, and his place in history. He knew he wasn’t the man. He just pointed to him. Oswald Sanders once wrote that the most difficult instrument to play in the entire orchestra was second fiddle. John played it well.
viii. He was gracious about Jesus’ ministry taking off, because he knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior that the nation of Israel had been waiting for all these years.
ix. John goes on to tell his audience gathered there about how many of the people, and he was included in this party, just didn’t get it.
f. The Incarnate Deity (Acts 13:26 - 33)
i. 26 Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ’You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’.
ii. Paul continues his teaching by saying – “Hey, this is your salvation – Jesus Christ. The religious establishment in Jerusalem missed the boat.
iii. Some of them thought that Jesus was just some kook from Nazareth in Galilee. Still others, a small minority like Nicodemus recognized Him for who He was and worshipped Him. I think some of them really didn’t care though, and Jesus was a threat to their power. They didn’t care if He was the Messiah or not.
iv. If He was, it meant that they were out of business, and their way of life, the way they controlled the people, was over. The prophecies all pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. They read the scriptures in their synagogues every Sabbath.
v. The bottom line is, the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and they put Him to death. But, Jesus died a Roman death. He was crucified on a cross, like a common criminal.
vi. Others, like Stephen that they considered a false teacher, were stoned to death. Paul would be stoned in Acts chapter 14. But, they called on Pontius Pilate to kill Jesus. Why was that?
vii. It was a fulfillment of prophecy. They had no idea, but they were all part of God’s plan to crucify Jesus instead of stoning him. We see them through Old Testament scripture, starting with the serpent on the pole in Numbers chapter 21. Then we see Deuteronomy chapter 21 that tells us that every one who hangs on a tree shall be cursed. The 22nd Psalm points to a death by crucifixion.
viii. The Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus’ crucifixion. Sin was their disease, sin was the curse that was leading them to eternal separation from God, and without Jesus, we are in the same spot today.
ix. But, as Paul would later write to the church that would form out of these people listening today, in Galatians chapter 3, verse 13 - 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")
x. The synagogue rulers probably weren’t too happy with what was being said at this point. I would imagine them saying something like this – “Okay, who let this Paul guy in? We enjoyed the history lesson, but your conclusions are all wrong, man!” I am impressed that they let Paul finish though.
xi. He continues, by recounting the resurrection. Jesus was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb. Game Over, as far as the Jewish religious leaders were concerned. They were worried that someone would snatch the body though, and they had guards placed at the tomb.
xii. But, God raised Jesus from the dead. This would have been unbelievable to these folks. So, Paul then backs up his story with eyewitness accounts. He tells them of the 500 or so people who saw Jesus after His death.
xiii. All of the people of the day that tried to discount the resurrection said it was faked, that it was mass hypnosis, or an illusion. But not one of them tried to say that there were no eyewitnesses. That many eyewitnesses could not be mistaken though. These people were now scattered, witnessing to others about the work of God, just like Paul was doing here.
xiv. In verse 32, Paul tells them that now, in light of all this, Jesus being hung on the cross, and being raised from the dead, that he was bringing them glad tidings. The word there in the original language is the Greek word euangelizo. It means good messenger – someone who brought good news. We get our word evangelism from that today.
xv. That is what Paul was doing here. He was saying – Hey guys! Good news! Jesus had risen from the dead, and now, all of our sins can be forgiven!
xvi. That brings to the end of verse 33. Many cults, like the Mormons and the JW’s use this verse found in Psalm 2 as a proof that Jesus was a created being. What they overlook is that in this context, which was clarified by Paul, right here, is that this verse wasn’t talking about Jesus’ Incarnation, it is talking about the Resurrection. Jesus is unique among men because he was raised from the dead.
xvii. So, what do we do with all this good information, Paul? He tells them. We will finish up there today.
g. The Instruction (Acts 13:34 - 41)
i. 34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ’I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ 35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ’You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ 36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: 41 "Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you.’ ".
ii. Paul continues to prove the deity of Jesus with prophecy. Jesus laid in the tomb, but His body did not see decay or corruption. King David died, and his body decayed just like everyone else’s.
iii. But here again, since Jesus was raised from the dead, His body saw no corruption. The promise was given to David, but it wasn’t for David, it was for a man that would be of his family line – Jesus.
iv. In verse 38, Paul gives the invitation. Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God, the savior. Now, because of that, we can be free from the curse, the disease that has plagued man for all time – sin.
v. We are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the crux of Paul’s message. He would repeat this message throughout the Roman Empire, and would remind the Ephesian church of.
vi. We are not however justified by keeping the Law of Moses as best we can. That flew in the face of current Jewish doctrine, and still holds true today. No one can keep the whole law.
vii. Scripture tells us that if we are guilty of breaking one command, we are guilty of the whole law. The guys in charge were pretty upset by this point, they didn’t believe him. Paul brings his message to a dramatic conclusion.
viii. He quotes Habakkuk chapter 1, verse 5. Habakkuk was talking about the Chaldeans seizing the kingdom of Israel. Paul is talking about the kingdom of God being snatched away from the Jews and given to the gentiles, because of their unbelief.
ix. The gospel seems too good to be true. All the riches of God available to us for our commitment to Him. Someone once said that the promises of God aren’t too good to be true, they are so good that they have to be true.
x. Maybe you’re sitting here this morning and you haven’t made your mind up on the issue. In a few minutes, we are going to pray, and I am going to give you the chance to take God up on those promises in your own life.
xi. Point Summary - There is one thing that I want us to take away from this message. One thing that I want us to think about this week, and try to apply to our lives. That one thing is forgiveness.
xii. As the song goes, what the world needs now is love. Not true. What the world needs now. What a teenager struggling with drugs, what a middle aged couple struggling with divorce, what an older bitter person, what YOU need now is forgiveness.
xiii. Forgiveness is something that can change attitudes; it can change minds, and change hearts. The world is hurting around us, and what it needs is forgiveness, forgiveness from us, and forgiveness from their savior – Jesus Christ.
xiv. I‘d like to close with a short story.
h. Conclusion
i. There’s a story of a father and son from Spain who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.”
ii. As the day approached, the father began to hope. The fateful day came, and the father went down to the newspaper office. That Saturday, 800 men named Paco showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
i. Let’s Pray.
