Acts 13

We begin now the story of the missionary work of Saul of Tarsus, who was also called Paul. Though we have heard of this Saul before, everything prior to this point has been something of a preparation for what is about to take place. It is in this chapter that Paul, and his companion Barnabas, are sent out. They are sent out by the leaders of the church in Antioch, where they were serving with a number of men who were prophets and teachers, but it was the Spirit of God Himself who made His will known on this matter when the men were worshipping God and fasting. It was the Holy Spirit who gave His own command, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” God was the One who called them to this missionary enterprise, they were to be set apart for God, and the work was His work that He had spoken of years before in Damascus, when He had said about Paul to Ananias, “He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

They went to the island of Cyprus, and taught in the synagogues there, and they eventually faced opposition from a Jewish false prophet. Paul spoke against this man to his face, and even indicated that this deceiver would be made blind by the hand of the Lord. This happened just as Paul had said, and it had a profound impact on the proconsul who had earlier expressed interest in the faith. We are told that when this miracle of judgment took place, the proconsul believed. It appears that the missionary team set sail very soon after this remarkable event, so this was simply the first taste of challenge and victory that Paul and His companions faced, in what would be a long story of suffering for the Name of Christ.

After this Paul and his companions came to a different Antioch in a region called Pisidia (not in Syria), and they again went to a synagogue on the Sabbath and were invited to address the gathering. Paul did so, briefly surveying the story of Israel from the Exodus, through the wilderness years, and into the conquest, the period of the Judges, and all the way to the early monarchy. The purpose of this brief history was to get to the figure of King David, since the Lord had said that in David, He had found a man after His own heart who would do all the Lord’s will. It was from this man’s offspring that God had brought to Israel the promised Savior.

The coming of a Messianic descendant of David after so many centuries might seem absurdly abrupt and impossible to believe. But the Lord had prepared the way for the Son of David through the ministry of John the Baptizer. John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance, and had identified the imminent arrival of the promised One, the Man of worthiness. Then when that Messiah came and did what only He could do, He sent forth His apostles with the message of salvation. That was why Paul and the others were in the synagogue that day.

The story of Christ proclaimed to them included that fact that this Jesus was rejected by the leaders of the Jews, handed over to Roman authorities, put to death through crucifixion, and buried in a tomb. These facts would seem to be the end of the story for new hearers, were it not for two salient points. First, these things were accomplished in fulfillment of the Scriptures, and second, Jesus rose from the dead. It is this second point that might seem to be the most difficult to believe, yet this was from reliable witnesses who had been with Him, and was also a fulfillment of Psalm 2 and Psalm 16. This anointed Son of God would not see corruption, and could not possibly be King David, but must be the promised Son of David, the One through whom the forgiveness of sins was being proclaimed before them that day. Paul ended with a warning that they be careful not to fulfill the Scriptures yet again by being those scoffers who would reject a true message of Messiah, even when someone brought it directly to their ears.

The reaction to this proclamation was astounding, both immediately and then especially on the next Sabbath. We are told that one week later “almost the whole city gathered to hear the Word of the Lord.” Once again, there would be controversy, as jealousy filled the hearts of some who began to contradict the apostolic message, and reviled Paul as the chief messenger. Paul then announced that they would bring the message to the Gentiles in accord with Isaiah 49:6, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Christ, through His church, was bringing His salvation beyond the Jewish world to the Gentiles.

This last news caused the Gentiles to celebrate, and we are told that “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” The message started to spread throughout the whole region, but the Jews who rejected the Word stirred up much trouble for messengers, and they were driven out from that place. Paul and the others performed that sign of judgment against the city that Christ had commanded in the gospels, shaking the dust from their feet, but the new disciples who remained behind in that place had heard what they needed to hear about a salvation that had come to them from the gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, and they were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.