Chronological Bible Study – Nov 21
What I Noticed Today (Acts 13-14)
Acts 13
In verses 1-3, in the church in Antioch, there were many prophets and teachers,, including Barnabas and Saul. As they were fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul. After they had fasted, they laid hands on Barnabas and Saul, prayed, and sent them on their journey.
Note: The church in Jerusalem was the home of the Jewish Christian church, while Antioch had become the head of the missionary church committed to reaching the Gentiles.
Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4-14:28)
In verses 2-12, Barnabas and Paul left Antioch and went to Seleucia, a seaport. They sailed to Cyprus, arriving in the city of Salamis (eastern edge of the island). They proclaimed the Gospel in the Jewish synagogues. John Mark was there as their assistant.
Note: Apparently, the Jewish population in Salamis was fairly large because there were multiple synagogues.
They worked their way across the island to the town of Pathos, where they met a false prophet, a sorcerer by the name of Bar-Jesus and the proconsul, Sergio Paulus.
Note: A proconsul was a governor appointed by the Roman Senate.
The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Paul to hear God’s message, but Bar-Jesus attempted to stop him and turn the proconsul away from the faith.
Note: Bar-Jesus is identified in verse 8 as Elymas, the sorcerer. The identity of the man by either name is unknown. In Aramaic, Bar-Jesus means son of Jesus, but Paul referred to him as the son of the Devil.
Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, rebuked Elymas, calling him a son of the Devil, a fraud, and an enemy of righteousness. He said the Lord’s hand is against you, and you will be blind for a time. Immediately he was blind. The proconsul was amazed and believed Paul’s teaching about the Lord.
Note: From here on, Saul is referred to as Paul except when his testimonies referred to his former life. Also, Paul’s name is listed before others, indicating he has taken the leadership role.
In verses 13-41, Luke records the ministry of Paul at Pisidian Antioch.
Paul and his companions left Pathos and set sail for Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem. The rest continued on to Antioch in Pisidia.
Note: We do not know why John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Whatever the reason, Paul considered it to be a defection from the ministry.
They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and were invited to speak after the reading of the Law and the Prophets. This is the first of Paul’s sermons recorded by Luke. It can be divided into three sections:
- The Old Testament prediction of the coming of the Messiah (vv. 16-25).
- The rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus (vv. 26-37).
- The appeal to believe in Jesus as the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, which could not be obtained through the Law of Moses (vv. 38-41).
In verses 42-52, as they were leaving, many people asked for them to return the following Sabbath. Many proselytes and Jews followed them, speaking with them, urging them to continue in the grace of God.
On the next Sabbath, almost the whole town turned out to hear Paul, but when the Jews saw the crowd, they were filled with jealousy and began to insult Paul.
Paul and Barnabas said it was necessary to preach to them (the Jews) first. Still, since they rejected the message from God and considered themselves unworthy of eternal life, Paul and Barnabas will now preach to the Gentiles.
Note: As Paul traveled on his missionary journey, he would often make a point of preaching to the Jews first, and when they rejected him, he would take the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and believed in the Lord. The Gospel spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited prominent men and women who worshiped God against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from the region.
Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet and journeyed on to Iconium. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and joy.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- Barnabas had to vouch for Paul so that he would be accepted. Soon Paul became the leader of the disciples taking the Gospel to the Gentiles, and Barnabas became the follower. It does not matter whether you are a leader or a follower as long as you are doing the work God has called you to do.
- Paul and Barnabas were faithful to preach the Gospel. When they were rejected by one group, they moved on to another. They took joy in the success God brought rather than dwelling on those who rejected God.
Acts 14
In verses 1-7, Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue in Iconium and began to preach the Gospel. A great number of Jews and Greeks (probably proselyte Jews) believed. But there were Jews who rejected the message and stirred up trouble trying to turn the Gentiles against the apostles. Regardless, they stayed there some time performing signs and wonders. The city, though, was divided between those who supported the Jews and those who supported the apostles. Eventually, the rulers planned to stone Paul and Barnabas, but they escaped and went to Lystra and Derbe and kept evangelizing.
In verses 8-20, in Lystra, a man lame from birth was listening to Paul, and Paul saw he had the faith to be healed, so he commanded the man to get up and walk, and he did.
Note: This is the third healing of a lame or paralyzed man recorded in Acts (3:1-10, and 9:33-35).
Note: Lystra was a Roman colony but apparently did not have a synagogue. Otherwise, Paul would have likely preached there first.
The people’s response to the healing of the man was to worship Paul and Barnabas, thinking they were the Greek gods; Zeus and Hermes. The priest of the temple of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to the city to make sacrifices. Paul and Barnabas objected, saying they were ordinary men bringing a message of Good News from the God who made heaven and earth.
Then some Jews came from Iconium and Antioch, won over the crowds, and stoned Paul. Assuming he was dead, they took him out of the city. The disciples surrounded Paul; he got up and went back into town. The next morning Paul left with Barnabas for Derbe.
In verses 21-28, after evangelizing in Derbe and winning many converts, Paul and Barnabas began the journey home by revisiting the cities of Lystra and Iconium. They encouraged the believers to remain strong in the faith and appointed elders in every church, prayed and fasted, and committed them to the work of the Lord.
Note: The first formal establishment of leadership in the Christian church was Paul’s appointment of elders.
Paul and Barnabas continued on preaching in Pisidia, Pamphylia, and Perga, and finally, arriving back in Pisidian Antioch. They reported to the church there everything God had done and how He had opened the doors to the Gentiles to receive the Good News.
Note: This brings to a close Paul’s first missionary journey, which lasted about two years from the spring of A.D. 47 to the fall of A.D. 48 (some scholars believe an earlier dating of A.D. 44 – 46). It encompassed some 1,200 miles (700 miles on land and 500 by sea).
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.