THE EXPANSION OF THE WORD IN CYPRUS AND ASIA MINOR, WITH SATAN'S COUNTERATTACK BEING DEFEATED AT AN ASSEMBLY IN JERUSALEM, WHICH IS THEN FOLLOWED BY FURTHER MINISTRY (13:1-18:22). Jerusalem having forfeited its Messiah and its right to evangelise the world, the torch now passes to Antioch. For in hi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.' We know already that prophets had come from Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 11:27). Whether th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND BARNABAS RESULTS IN THE COUNTER-ATTACK OF SATAN AND THE GATHERING AT JERUSALEM (13:1-15:35). Leaving Antioch under the direct commissioning of the Holy Spirit, in a parallel commissioning to that of Jesus to His Apostles in Acts 1:8, Paul and Barnabas go first to Cyprus and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ' To ‘minister to the Lord' would involve both worship, prophesying and teaching the gathered people. Their fasting, something rarely mentioned in the New... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (literally ‘released them').' The laying on of hands confirms that it was well known what that work was to be, for after further fasting and praying the church identified themselves with them by the laying on o... [ Continue Reading ]
BARNABAS AND SAUL SAIL FOR CYPRUS AND MINISTER THERE (13:4-12). ‘So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.' What was most important was that it was essentially the Holy Spirit Who was sending them forth. He had set them apart and now... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had also John as their attendant'. Arriving at Salamis, on the east coast, which was the island's most important city (although Paphos was the capital), they went to the synagogues and proclaimed... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they had gone through the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer (magos), a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding.' They travelled from town to town throughout Cyprus, proclaiming the Good News, un... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The same called to him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.' The pro-consul called for Barnabas and Saul to declare to him the word of God. It may have been because he was a seeker of truth, or it may have been in order to learn what they were teaching because of reports of troub... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.' However, Bar-jesus, or Elymas as he could be called, withstood them and sought to bring up opposition against what they were saying. he wanted to convince Paulus that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, and said, “O full of all guile and all villainy, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” ' Saul, who was already permanently filled with... [ Continue Reading ]
“And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.” And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.' ‘The hand of the Lord is on you.' This is a typical Old Testament phrase (comp... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.' Amazed at what he saw the Lord could do, as he might well have been, the pro-consul believed. In lieu of Luke's usual usage this must signify that Luke sees him as becoming a Christian. He would... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia, and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.' As explained above, once they had crossed the sea and arrived at Pamphylia, John Mark left the party at Perga (of Pamphylia) and returned to Jerusalem. In some ways... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL AND HIS COMPANY PREACH IN PISIDIAN ANTIOCH. (13:13-52). Paul ‘and his company' (thus there were at least one or two others besides Mark) left Paphos and sailed across to Perga in Pamphylia. It will be noted that an interesting change has taken place. Paul is now depicted as being in overall cha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia, and they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.' So the party, minus Mark, did not remain in Perga but moved on the hundred miles to Pisidian Antioch. Pisidian Antioch was actually in Phrygia, but was generally kn... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” ' Paul may well have dressed in order to reveal that he was a Pharisee, but whatever way it was, as distinguished visitors they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.” ' Often the address would be given seated, especially if it was an exposition of the passage read. But Paul's rising would not be seen as unusual, and regularly occurred elsewhere. It would be an in... [ Continue Reading ]
“The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm he led them forth out of it. And for about the time of forty years he suffered their manners (or ‘bore them as a nursing-father') in the wilderness. And when he had... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL'S MESSAGE (13:17-41). Paul's message divides into three parts. · In the first he declares the goodness and faithfulness of the One God, Who over long centuries, commencing with Abraham (‘chose our fathers'), has acted on behalf of His chosen people, making them great in the land of Egypt, and... [ Continue Reading ]
“And after these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom also he bore w... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL'S MESSAGE - PART 2. THROUGH A SERIES OF RULERS GOD HAS RAISED UP GREAT DAVID'S GREATER SON WHO DIED AND WAS RAISED AGAIN (13:20-37). In this section of his speech the emphasis is on God' provision of deliverers, leading up eventually to his ideal king, who is the pattern of the One Who has now... [ Continue Reading ]
“Of this man's seed has God according to promise brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, there co... [ Continue Reading ]
“Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth.” Having reached the heart of his message in the proclamation of the Saviour Jesus, Who is the final result of God's promises to Abraham, he now points out that this message... [ Continue Reading ]
“For they who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet they asked of Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled... [ Continue Reading ]
“But God raised him from the dead, and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.” But that was not the end, for God raised Him (egeiren) from the dead, just as he had ‘raised up David' (egeiren - Acts 13:22), so that H... [ Continue Reading ]
“And we bring you good tidings of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled the same to our children, in that he raised up Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son, this day have I begotten you.' ” So, he now tells them, he and his companions have come to them... [ Continue Reading ]
“And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy blessings (ta hosia) of David, the sure ones.' ” A further Scripture that evidences the rising again from the dead of the coming greater David is Isaiah 5... [ Continue Reading ]
“Because he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not give Your Holy One (ton hosion) to see corruption.' For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up saw no corruption.” And a third... [ Continue Reading ]
“Be it known to you therefore, men, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, and by him every one who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” ‘Be it known to you therefore.' As a result of what he has declared... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL'S MESSAGE - PART 3. HE CALLS FOR A GENUINE RESPONSE TO GOD'S OFFER OF MERCY (13:38-41).... [ Continue Reading ]
“Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets, ‘Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, if one declare it to you.' ” But what of those who did not respond. Let them beware, says Paul. Let th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath.' Paul's words met with a partially receptive response. Those present wanted to hear more. As they departed they begged him, Would he not then come and speak to them again on the following sabbath? But s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.' But aside from those who put off their response were many Jews and God-fearers (‘devout proselytes' here almost certainly r... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONSEQUENCES OF PAUL'S SPEECH (13:43-52). The principle behind the words of Habakkuk were remarkably ‘fulfilled'. Many of the Jews who were there that day could not face up to the work in their day that they saw. It was beyond their belief that multitudes of Gentiles unconnected with the synago... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.' And these believers not only ‘continued' in the grace of God, they went everywhere telling everyone about it, so that the whole city knew of these men and what they had to say. How else could the whole city... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.' And the result of the ‘jealousy' of the Jews was that, instead of again hearing Paul (Acts 13:42) they stood up and contradicted all he said, and ‘blaspheme... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” ' And so Paul and Barnabas boldly declared their position. They had co... [ Continue Reading ]
“For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.' And they were comforted by this one fact. That this was what the Lord had commanded them in the Scriptures. For He had declared to His Servan... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.' The great crowds of Gentiles who had gathered and would be wondering what decision was going to be made, and whether they were going to be allowed a part in this n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region.' With such an amazing response and such a God the result was a foregone conclusion. The word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region. Like wildfire the word spread from town to town, from village to village and t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the Jews urged on the devout women of honourable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.' If only he could have cut off the story with Acts 13:49. But Luke could not, for he was declaring the truth. And t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.' But this did not put Paul and Barnabas out. They shook the dust off their feet, both revealing that their task was done in that region and they were moving on, and as a testimony against those who had turned them away. T... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.' By ‘the disciples' here we are no doubt intended to see all the believers who have been involved. Both those whom they had left in Pisidian Antioch, and they themselves also, were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. While they were sad t... [ Continue Reading ]