SCRIPTURE: ACTS 13
BARNABAS AND SAUL SENT OFF (vs. 1-3)
Among the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch were: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for work he had called them to do. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
ON CYPRUS (vs. 4-12)
Barnabas and Saul sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The pro-consul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. The Saul (also called Paul)( filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything r that is right@. You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.” (v. 10-11). Immediately mist and darkness came over him and he groped about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
IN PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (vs. 13-32)
From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and read to them the Law and the Prophets. The synagogue rulers sent words for them to speak message of encouragement to the people.
Paul stood up and began to preach:
“Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!. Then the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (v. 22) From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ (v. 25). Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Although they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the deadf, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers, he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm” “You are my Son; today I have become your Father” (v. 33) The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: “I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David (v. 34). So it is stated elsewhere: “You will not let your Holy One see decay: (v. 35). For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you”: “Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.” (v. 41).
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
On the next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were willed with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (v. 47)
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them for their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
THOUGHTS:
Paul’s message to the Jews in the synagogue in Antioch began with an emphasis on God’s covenant with Israel that they were God’s chosen people. He reminded them about the covenant Abraham, David and other familiar themes. However, he centered the sermon around Christ and emphasized the Resurrection. When you preach the gospel, be sure to focus on the forgiveness of sins, His resurrection and freedom from guilt through faith in Christ.
The Good News was to go first to the Jews because God planned that through the Jewish nation, all the world would come to know God. Unfortunately, many Jews did not recognize Jesus as Messiah. Instead of accepting the truth, the Jewish leaders stirred up opposition because of jealousy. They sent Paul and Barnabas out of town because they refused to listen to what they preached.
Often Jesus would shake the dust off their feet when leaving a Gentile town on the way back to their own land. This symbolized cleansing themselves from the contamination of those who did not worship God. Paul and Barnabas also did this to demonstrate that Jews who rejected the Good News were not truly part of Israel and were no better than pagans. Jesus had told his disciples to shake from their feet the dust of any town that would not accept or listen to them. That means the disciples were not to be blamed if the message was rejected as long as they had faithfully presented it. When we faithfully share the gospel, God does not hold us responsible for the other person’s decision.