Acts 13

Acts 13:1

13:1 A church had been formed in Antioch, as we learned in chapter 11. Instead of having one man designated as the minister or pastor, this assembly had a plurality of gifts. Specifically, there were at least five prophets and teachers. As mentioned previously, a prophet was a man specially gifted by the Holy Spirit to receive revelations directly from God and to preach them to others. In a real sense, the prophets were mouthpieces for the Lord, and could often foretell coming events. Teachers were men to whom the Holy Spirit had given the ability to expound or explain the Word of God to others in a simple and understandable manner. The names of the prophets and teachers are given as follows:

1. Barnabas. We have already been introduced to this splendid servant of Christ and Paul’s faithful co-worker. Here he is mentioned first, perhaps because he was the oldest in the faith, or in service for Christ.
2. Simeon who was called Niger (nye-jer). We judge from his name that he was a Jew by birth, perhaps from an African Jewish community. Or perhaps he adopted the name Niger (black or swarthy) for convenience in working with Gentiles. Of course, he may have been black, as the name would suggest. Nothing else is known of him.
3. Lucius of Cyrene. He was probably one of the men of Cyrene who came to Antioch first, preaching the Lord Jesus (Act_11:20).
4. Manaen (same as the OT name Menahem). He is listed as one brought up with Herod the tetrarch. It is interesting to think of one who had lived in such close relationship with the wicked Herod Antipas being one of the earliest converts to the Christian faith. The title, tetrarch, indicates that Herod ruled over a fourth part of his father’s kingdom.
5. Saul. Although mentioned last in this list, Saul was to become a living embodiment of the truth, The last shall be first.These five men illustrate that the early church was integrated and color-blind as far as man’s skin is concerned. A new measuring stick has been brought into being: it is not who you are but whose.13:2 These prophets and teachers had gathered together for a time of prayer and fasting, probably with the entire church. From the context, it appears clear that the expression, they ministered to the Lord, means they spent time in prayer and intercession. By fasting, they denied the legitimate claims of the body so as to give themselves more undistractedly to spiritual exercises. Why had they come together to pray? Is it unreasonable to believe that they convened this meeting because of a deep burden for the evangelization of the world? The record does not indicate that it was an all-night prayer meeting, but the implication certainly is that it was of more serious and prolonged nature than the usual prayer meeting of today. As they prayed, the Holy Spirit definitely instructed them to separate … Barnabas and Saul for the specific work which He had in mind. This, incidentally, is a very definite proof of the personality of the Holy Spirit. If He were nothing but an influence, it would be inconceivable that such language as this could be used. How did the Holy Spirit convey this message to the prophets and teachers? Although no definite answer is given, it is likely that He spoke through one of these men who were prophets either Simeon, Lucius, or Manaen. Barnabas is mentioned first here, then Saul. But when they returned to Antioch, the order was reversed. This verse is of tremendous practical importance in emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit in the guidance of the early church, and the sensitivity of the disciples to His leading. 13:3 After the Holy Spirit had thus revealed His will, the men continued to fast and pray. Then the three (Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen) laid hands on Barnabas and Saul. This was not an official act of ordination such as is practiced in Christendom today where a church official confers ecclesiastical status on a subordinate. It was simply an expression of their fellowship with these two men in the work to which the Holy Spirit had called them. The idea of ordination as a rite which confers exclusive authority to administer the sacraments and perform other ecclesiastical duties is unknown in the NT. Barnhouse comments: A great error in our modern way of doing things is to expect one man to possess all the necessary gifts for leadership. Thus, a church may have several hundred members but only one pastor. He is supposed to be able to preach, comfort and so on. In fact, of the eight gifts mentioned in our text (Rom_12:6-8) seven are usually considered to be the functions of the ordained minister, while the eighth is the function of the congregation. And what one gift is left to the congregation? It is that of paying the bills. Something is out of order here. Someone may ask if I am suggesting that laymen should preach. Without question, when a layman has a grasp of the Scriptures he should exercise his gift and preach at every opportunity. The growth of laymen’s movements is significant and is a step in the right directionback to the New Testament way of doing things. It should be remembered that Barnabas and Saul had already been in the work of the Lord for about eight years before this time. They were not novices in the service of Christ. They had already experienced the ordination of the Pierced Hands. Now their fellow-servants at Antioch were simply expressing their identification with them in this special commission to take the gospel to the Gentiles. The words, they sent them away, are more literally, they let them go or set them free for the work. 13:4 With this verse begins what has commonly been known as Paul’s First Missionary Journey. The record of this journey extends to Act_14:26. It was concerned chiefly with evangelizing Asia Minor. The Second Missionary Journey carried the gospel to Greece. The Third Missionary Journey included return visits to the churches of Asia Minor and Greece, but it was chiefly concerned with the Province of Asia and the city of Ephesus. Paul’s missionary labors covered a period of about fifteen years. (In tracing Paul’s journeys, we shall indicate the places visited by printing the entire name in capital letters the first time it is mentioned on any particular journey.) From Antioch in Syria the two intrepid servants of Christ first went down to SELEUCIA (pronounced sel-you’-shi-a), a seaport about sixteen miles from Antioch. From there they sailed to the island of CYPRUS.13:5 After landing at SALAMIS (sal’-a-mis), on the east coast of Cyprus, they visited various synagogues and preached the word there. It was a custom in the synagogues for any Jewish man to be given the opportunity to read or expound the Scriptures. John Mark, at this time, was serving as their assistant (not minister, as in the KJV). In going to the synagogue first, Barnabas and Saul were fulfilling the divine injunction that the gospel should go to the Jew first, then to the Gentiles. 13:6 From Salamis they worked their way across the entire length of the island to PAPHOS on the west coast. Salamis was the chief commercial city of the island. Paphos was the capital. 13:7, 8 There they met a Jewish false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (meaning Son of Jesus or of Joshua). Somehow this sorcerer had become closely associated with Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul or administrative officer of the island. The latter is described as an intelligent man. When this man … called for Barnabas and Saul to come to him so he could be instructed in the word of God, the sorcerer tried to interfere; he was probably satanically inspired to hinder the gospel. In verse 8 his name is given as Elymas, meaning wise man. It was, of course, a dreadful misnomer. 13:9, 10 Realizing that Sergius Paulus was an earnest seeker after truth, and that the sorcerer was an enemy of the truth, Saul openly rebuked him in unsparing terms. Lest anyone might suspect that Saul was speaking in the energy of the flesh, it is explicitly stated that he was filled with the Holy Spirit at the time. Fixing his eyes intently on the sorcerer, Saul accused him of being full of all guile and all fraud. Nor was Saul deceived by the name Bar-Jesus; he tore away that mask and labeled Elymas as a son of the devil. The magician was an enemy of all righteousness, working ceaselessly to distort the truth of God. 13:11 Then, speaking with the special disciplinary authority vested in him as an apostle, Saul announced that Elymas would be stricken with blindness for a time. Because he had tried to keep others, such as the proconsul, in spiritual darkness, he himself would be punished with physical blindness. Immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he groped his way around, trying to find someone willing to lead him by the hand. Elymas might be taken as a picture of the nation of Israel, not only unwilling to accept the Lord Jesus, but seeking to prevent others from doing so as well. As a result, Israel has been judicially blinded by God, but only for a time. Eventually a repentant remnant of the nation will turn to Jesus as Messiah and be converted. 13:12 The proconsul was obviously impressed by the miraculous stroke from God, but he was even more impressed by the teaching which had been given to him by Barnabas and Saul. He became a true believer in the Lord Jesus, the first trophy of grace on the first missionary journey. Note that in this narrative (v. 9) Luke begins using Saul’s Gentile name, Paul, rather than his Jewish name, Saul. The use of the name, Paul, signals the increasing outflow of the gospel to the Gentiles. 13:13 The fact that Paul has now taken the place of prominence is indicated by the words, Paul and his party. From Paphos they sailed northwest to PERGA in PAMPHYLIA (pam-fil’-i-a). Pamphylia was a Roman province on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Perga was its capital, and was located seven miles inland on the River Cestrus (Kestros). It was when they reached Perga that John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Maybe he didn’t relish the thought of taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul considered his withdrawal such a defect in service that he refused to allow Mark to accompany him on the second journey. This caused a sharp cleavage between Paul and Barnabas, resulting in their taking separate paths as far as future Christian service was concerned (cf. 15:36-39). Eventually, Mark regained the confidence of the Apostle Paul (2Ti_4:11). No further details are given as to the visit to Perga.13:14, 15 The next stop was ANTIOCH in PISIDIA (pi-sid’-i-a). This was approximately one hundred miles north of Perga. Once again the two heralds of the cross made their way to the synagogue on the Sabbath. After the Scriptures had been read, the rulers of the synagogue recognized these visitors as Jewish and invited them to speak, if they had any word of exhortation for the people. This liberty of proclaiming the truth of the gospel in synagogues was not to continue long. 13:16 Never being one to miss an opportunity to preach the gospel, Paul stood up and addressed the synagogue. His general plan of attack was to lay a foundation of Jewish history, then to bring his hearers up to the events connected with the life and ministry of Christ, then to proclaim the resurrection of Christ with considerable emphasis, announce remission of sins through the Savior, and warn of the peril of rejecting Him. 13:17 The message begins with God’s choice of the nation of Israel as His earthly people. It moves quickly on to the time when they were strangers in the land of Egypt, and magnifies His grace in delivering them from the oppression of Pharaoh with His uplifted arm.13:18 Forty years God put up with the ways of the people of Israel in the wilderness. The verb translated put up with, while it means just that by usage, is derived from a word that may suggest a more positive note, namely, taking care of somebody’s needs. This the Lord certainly did for Israel in spite of all their complaining. 13:19-22 The four hundred and fifty years that Paul mentions is probably meant to go back to the time of the patriarchs and so would be inclusive of that period up to the judges. Following their entrance into Canaan, God gave the people judges … until the time of Samuel the prophet. When they asked for a king like the other nations, God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin; he ruled over them for forty years. Because of his disobedience, Saul was removed from the throne, and David was raised up to replace him. God paid high tribute to David as a man after His own heart, who would do all His will. Verse 22 combines quotations from Psa_89:20 and 1Sa_13:14. 13:23 From the subject of David, Paul made an easy and swift transition to Jesus, David’s seed. As someone has well said, All roads in Paul’s preaching led to Christ. It is perhaps difficult for us to appreciate the courage involved in announcing to the people of Israel that Jesus was a Savior whom God according to promise had brought to them. This was not exactly the light in which they had been accustomed to view Jesus! 13:24 After this brief introduction, Paul went back to the ministry of John the Baptist. Prior to Christ’s coming (that is His public ministry), John had preached … the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. This means he had announced the coming of the Messiah, and told the people to repent in preparation for that coming. They were to signify their repentance by being baptized in the Jordan River. 13:25 Not for one minute did John permit the suggestion that he might be the promised Messiah. Up to the time when he was finishing his ministry, he kept insisting he was not the One of whom the prophets had spoken. In fact, he was not worthy to loose the sandals of the One whose coming he announced. 13:26 Addressing his audience as brethren and sons of the family of Abraham, Paul reminded them that the word of this salvation was sent first to the nation of Israel. It was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that Jesus came. It was to them that the disciples were instructed to first preach the message. 13:27, 28 But the people in Jerusalem, and their rulers did not recognize Jesus as the long-sought Messiah. They did not realize He was the One of whom the Prophets had written. When they heard predictions concerning the Messiah from the Scriptures each Sabbath, they did not link them with Jesus of Nazareth. Instead, they themselves were the means of fulfilling those very Scriptures by condemning Him. And though they found no cause of death in Him, they turned Him over to Pilate to be put to death. 13:29 In the first part of the verse, they refers to the Jewish people who fulfilled the Scriptures by rejecting the Messiah. In the latter part of the verse, they refers to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who lovingly buried the body of the Lord Jesus. 13:30, 31 The fact that Jesus rose from the dead was well attested. Those who came up with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem were still alive, and their witness could not be denied. 13:32-33 The apostle next announced that the promise of the Messiah which was made to the fathers in the OT had been fulfilled in Jesus. It was fulfilled first in His birth in Bethlehem. Paul saw the birth of Christ as a fulfillment of Psa_2:7, where God says, You are My Son, today I have begotten You. This verse does not mean that Christ began to be the Son of God when He was born in Bethlehem. He was God’s Son from all eternity, but He was manifested to the world as the Son of God through His Incarnation. Psa_2:7 should not be used to deny the eternal Sonship of Christ. 13:34 The resurrection of the Lord Jesus comes into view in verse 34. God raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption. Paul then quoted Isa_55:3 : I will give you the sure mercies of David. This quotation presents a difficulty to the average reader. What connection can there possibly be between this verse in Isaiah and the resurrection of Christ? How is the resurrection of the Savior linked with God’s covenant with David? God promised David an everlasting throne and kingdom, and a seed to sit upon that throne forever. In the meantime David had died, and his body had returned to dust. The kingdom had continued for some years after David, but then for over four hundred years Israel had been without a king. The line of David continued down through the years to Jesus of Nazareth. He inherited legal right to the throne of David through Joseph. Joseph was His legal father, though not His real father. The Lord Jesus was a lineal descendant of David through Mary. Paul is emphasizing that the sure blessings promised to David find their fulfillment in Christ. He is the seed of David who will yet sit on the throne of David. Since He has risen from the dead, and lives in the power of an endless life, the eternal aspects of God’s covenant with David are made certain in Christ. 13:35 This is further emphasized in verse 35, where the apostle quotes Psa_16:10, You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption. In other words, since the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead, death has no more power over Him. He will never die again, nor will His body ever see corruption.13:36, 37 Although David uttered the words of Psa_16:10, he could not have been speaking about himself. After he had served his own generation by the will of God, he died, was buried, and his body returned to dust. But the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead the third day, before his body could experience corruption. 13:38 On the basis of the work of Christ, of which His resurrection was the divine seal of approval, Paul was now able to announce remission of sins as a present reality. Notice his words: Through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.13:39 But there was more to it than that. Paul could also now announce full and free justification from all things. This was something the law of Moses could never offer. Justification is the act of God by which He reckons or declares to be righteous those ungodly sinners who receive His Son as Lord and Savior. It is a legal act which takes place in the mind of God, and by which the sinner is cleared of every charge against him. God can righteously acquit the guilty sinner, because the penalty for his sins has been fully met by the substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. On first reading, it might appear that the law of Moses could justify from some things, but through Christ a person can receive justification from many other things. But that is not the teaching at all. The law could never justify anyone; it could only condemn. What Paul is saying here is that through faith in Christ a man can be justified from every charge of guilt that might be brought against hima clearance that could never be obtained under the law of Moses.13:40, 41 The apostle then closes his message with a solemn warning to those who might be tempted to refuse God’s great offer of present salvation. He quotes from Hab_1:5 (and perhaps segments of Isa_29:14 and Pro_1:24-31), where God warned those despisers of His word that He would bring wrath upon them of such magnitude that they wouldn’t even believe it if He told them in advance. In Paul’s day this might have applied to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, but it would also include God’s eternal judgment of those who reject His Son. 13:42, 43 When the service in the synagogue was over, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas with deepest interest. These two servants of the Lord gave them a hearty word of encouragement to continue in the grace of God. 13:44 One week later Paul and Barnabas returned to the synagogue to continue where they had left off. Almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of God. The ministry of these two devoted preachers had made a deep impression on many of the people. 13:45 However, the popularity of this alien message filled the Jews with envy and rage. They openly contradicted Paul’s message and used strong, intemperate language against him. 13:46, 47 Paul and Barnabas were not easily intimidated. They explained that they were under obligation to declare the message first of all to the Jewish people. However, since they had rejected the message, and had thus condemned themselves as unworthy of everlasting life, the preachers announced they were turning to the Gentiles with the gospel. If any authorization were needed for such a break with Jewish tradition, then the words of Isa_49:6 would do. Actually, in this verse God is speaking to the Messiah when He says, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. But the Spirit of God permits the servants of the Messiah to apply these words to themselves, since they were His instruments in bringing light and salvation to the Gentile nations. 13:48 If this announcement of salvation for the Gentiles infuriated the Jews, it caused great rejoicing among the Gentiles who were present. They glorified the word of the Lord which they had heard. All who were appointed to eternal life believed. This verse is a simple statement of the sovereign election of God. It should be taken at its face value and believed. The Bible teaches definitely that God chose some before the foundation of the world to be in Christ.

It teaches with equal emphasis that man is a free moral agent and that if he will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he will be saved. Divine election and human responsibility are both scriptural truths, and neither should be emphasized at the expense of the other. While there seems to be a conflict between the two, this conflict exists only in the human mind, and not in the mind of God. Men are damned by their own choice and not by any act of God. If all mankind received what is its just due, then all would be lost. But God in grace stoops down and saves some. Does He have a right to do this? Of course He does. The doctrine of the sovereign election of God is a teaching that gives God His proper place as the Ruler of the universe who can do as He chooses and who will never choose to do anything unrighteous or unkind. Many of our difficulties with this subject would be solved if we would remember the words of Erdman: The sovereignty of God is absolute; yet it is never exercised in condemning men who ought to be saved, but rather has resulted in the salvation of men who deserved to be lost. 13:49, 50 In spite of the opposition of the Jews, the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the surrounding region. This further aroused the opposition party to hinder and obstruct. The Jews stirred up some devout … women who had become converts to Judaism and were prominent in the community to agitate against the missionaries. Also they used the chief men of the city to further their wicked purposes. Such a storm of persecution was stirred up that Paul and Barnabas were forcibly evicted from the area. 13:51, 52 In accordance with the instructions of the Lord (Luk_9:5; Luk_10:11), they shook off the dust from their feet and moved on to ICONIUM. However, the incident was not interpreted by the Christians as a defeat or a retreat, for we read that they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Iconium, located east and south of Antioch in Asia Minor, today is called Konya.