Acts 13
McGeeCHAPTERS 13 AND 14THEME: First missionary journey of PaulWe come now to the final major division of the Book of Acts. It is the Lord Jesus Christ at work by the Holy Spirit through the apostles to the uttermost part of the earth. This section includes chapters 13-28. You will remember that the key to the book is the fact that Jesus said, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Act_1:8). This was not a command to the church as a corporate body but to you and me individually. This witness was to go out to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, and then to the uttermost part of the earth. During the Jerusalem period we saw that the gospel went to the Jews, and the church was 100 percent Jewishno Gentiles. During the next period we saw the gospel go to the Samaritans and we saw the conversion of some Gentiles. Now the gospel moves out officially on its way to the ends of the earth. On its way to the ends of the earth the gospel came to my ancestors and to your ancestors. Today you and I are the beneficiaries of the fact that someone went down the road of this world to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. You and I ought to be in the business of taking the gospel down beyond where we are to some who have not heard. In this surge of the gospel beyond the boundaries of Simon Peter we find that Paul becomes the dominant leader and Peter disappears from the scene. God had used him mightily. Now Paul is the dominant one whom God will use. As you will see by the map (p. 158), Paul begins his journey with Barnabas. The first stop is the island of Cyprus, the home of Barnabas. They cross the island, then set sail from Paphos to go over to Perga in Pamphylia. Then they enter the interior of Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, and go into the Galatian country. They visit Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe; then they return through Attalia, and then sail back to Antioch.
Acts 13:1
BARNABAS AND PAUL SENT OUT FROM ANTIOCHYou will notice as they begin their ministry it is “Barnabas and Saul.” They will not be very far into the first missionary journey until Saul’s name is changed to Paul. It is soon evident that Paul becomes the leader and the chief spokesman; then this team is called “Paul and Barnabas.”
Acts 13:3
These men are now set aside as missionaries. Did you notice the church that sent them forth into the world? It was not the church in Jerusalem. I say to you very candidly, the church in Jerusalem was not a missionary church. The church in Antioch had the missionary vision. They fasted and prayed because of their earnestness and their desire for the will of God. They laid their hands on these two missionaries they were sending out. We still do that today to our missionaries. Why? Is it that we are imparting something to them? I’m afraid all that we can impart to someone by laying our hands on them is whatever disease germ we have on our hands. The laying on of hands is a means of identifying, of declaring that we are partners with that one. So the Christians in Antioch are indicating by placing their hands on them that they are in a partnership with Paul and Barnabas in the enterprise of getting out the Word of God. They are sending these men out as their representatives. They will minister at home while Paul and Barnabas go to the regions beyond.
Acts 13:4
The important thing is that they are sent forth by the Holy Spirit. They will led by the Holy Spirit of God. They went down to the seacoast town of Seleucia and sailed from there.
Acts 13:5
Notice that they had John Mark along with them. From the very beginning Paul adopts a method which he followed through his entire ministry. He always used the Jewish synagogue as the springboard from which he preached the gospel. A friend of mine was criticized for going to speak in a synagogue. This man preached the gospel, I can assure you. I reminded his critic that Paul always went first to the synagogue to preach. If he was going to find fault with my friend, he would also have to find fault with the method of the apostle Paul.
Acts 13:6
OPPOSITION AT PAPHOSIt would appear that their ministry didn’t have much success at Salamis. At least no record is given of any fruit from their ministry. They cross over the Isle of Cyprus to the other side of the island. In Paphos they encounter this opposition, which is actually satanic, through a sorcerer who had a tremendous influence on the Roman deputy, the governor of that island, Sergius Paulus.
Acts 13:7
This is satanic opposition. This man had the governor under his influence. Unfortunately there are a great many rulers today who are under the influence of all kinds of cultism which is in opposition to the Word of God and in opposition to the gospel.
Acts 13:9
Here his name is changed. Why was he called Paul? The name Paul means “small or little.” Some think that he took that name as an act of humility, that he no longer wanted to bear the proud name of Saul. It is possible he took the name of the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was his first convert.
Acts 13:10
Paul may have been a mild man in some ways, but I tell you, when he encountered this kind of opposition, he denounced it with all his being. He recognized it as satanic and he denounced it. I think we ought to do the same today.
Acts 13:11
He was already in spiritual darkness. Now he is put into physical darkness as well.
Acts 13:12
I call your attention to the fact that Paul had the sign gifts of an apostle. When he went over there to Paphos, he couldn’t ask them to turn to the New Testament. There was no New Testament for him to preach from or for them to turn to. He couldn’t preach from the Epistle to the Romans because he hadn’t written it yet. They couldn’t turn to the Gospel of John because John hadn’t written it yet. So how will they recognize his authority? It is by the sign gifts. Today, the New Testament is written. We are now given a different way to recognize authority. “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed” (2Jn_1:10). This doctrine is in the Word of God, in the New Testament. Probably the sorcerer had been doing some fancy tricks by the power of Satan. In that day a false prophet could probably heal and perform other miracles by the power of Satan. Paul has his authority from the Lord Jesus Christ. He absolutely dominates the sorcerer by his message of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sergius Paulus comes to the light. He has been in spiritual darkness but now believes and is astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Acts 13:13
That is all Dr. Luke says; he mildly records the fact of John Mark’s departure. He doesn’t issue a tirade against him. We will learn later that John Mark actually deserted. He showed a yellow streak and ran home to mommy. Remember that his mother was a prominent member of the church in Jerusalem and that her home was the place of meeting for the church there. When he reached Perga and got a look into the interior of Asia Minorthe paganism and the physical dangers and hardships that were therehe decided that he hadn’t been called as a missionary. He heads in another direction, and that direction is home. Later on we find that Paul refuses to take John Mark on another missionary journey. In fact, Paul and Barnabas finally separated. Paul went one way and Barnabas went another way. Paul was wrong about John Mark. God didn’t throw him overboard because of his failure. Thank God, He doesn’t throw us overboard because of our failure either. He gave John Mark another chance. Later on Paul was big enough to admit he had been wrong, and when he was close to his death, he actually asked for John Mark to come to him. “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2Ti_4:11). This is the John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark. He made good. Thank God. He gives us a second chance! However here at the beginning John Mark is a failure. He left them and returned to Jerusalem. Meanwhile Paul and Barnabas go into the interior of Asia Minor.
Acts 13:14
PAUL’S SERMON AT ANTIOCHPaul follows his method of going first to the synagogue. Jews were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, and they established synagogues in the cities in which they had settled. When visitors would come from Jerusalem, since they would want word from the religious center, they would invite the visitor to say something. This always afforded a marvelous opportunity for the apostle Paul. He certainly took advantage of it here. This sermon which Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia is one of the great sermons, in my opinion; yet it is generally passed by today. It is the first recorded sermon of Paul, preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. When they asked Paul whether he would like to say something, you can be sure that he wanted to say something. That was his whole reason for being there.
Acts 13:16
One would conclude from this introduction that there were some visitors thereprobably Gentile proselytes.
Acts 13:17
Notice that Paul is doing the same thing that Stephen did before the Sanhedrin. He recounts Israel’s history as a nation.
Acts 13:21
After recounting their history, he will present to them the person of the Savior.
Acts 13:24
These people apparently had heard of John the Baptist. Now Paul will get down to the nitty-gritty.
Acts 13:27
As Paul is reviewing their history, he is pointing out that all this was done as a fulfillment of prophecy. They were fulfilling the prophets at the very same time they were reading them! They read without understanding what they were reading.
Acts 13:29
You will notice that the core, the heart of every sermon preached in the New Testament, is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the message. Simon Peter preached it; now Paul the apostle preaches it. There is not the slightest disagreement in the message of these two men. Don’t tell me these two men disagreed. They did not!
Acts 13:32
This Old Testament reference, Psa_2:7, does not refer to the birth of Christ; it refers to the resurrection of Christ. “This day have I begotten thee"not begotten in the virgin birth but actually in the resurrection from the dead.
Acts 13:34
Paul enlarges upon the Resurrection. He is citing the same that Simon Peter did on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts 13:36
Now he is pinning this thing down. He is explaining the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is actually asking them for a decision to believe on the Lord Jesus.
Acts 13:40
Here is his appeal to them. He urges them not to reject the message.
Acts 13:42
There were Gentiles there who said, “We would like to hear this same message.”
Acts 13:43
There must have been much discussion of Paul’s message. The next Sabbath Day almost the entire city was there to hear Paul preach.
Acts 13:45
This time there was a big commotion because the leading religious rulers of the synagogue opposed Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 13:46
Here is the recurring pattern. The gospel is preached to the Jews first; they reject it; so they turn to the Gentiles with the good news.
Acts 13:50
They were run out of town; they actually were forced to leave the town.
Acts 13:51
Notice the condition of those who were converted. They were filled with joy, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.