Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch
(The capital of Syria, about 16 miles from the sea. Seleucia was its port.) certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon
(= heard.)
that was called Niger,
(= black.)
and Lucius
(= illumination.)
of Cyrene, and Manaen,
(= comforter.)
which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch,
(See Matt.14:1. Luke 3:19; 9:7.)
and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Me
(Cp. Rom 1:1. Gal.1:15.)
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."
(The Holy Spirit is going to talk, and you can be assured that though these men are from many different backgrounds, and even tongues, they will all understand the Holy Spirit crystal clear, just as all men of all tongues also understood what was said. It is the Holy Spirit of God that called these two witnesses, Saul [Paul] and Barnabas for the delivering of the Gospel. They were sent on a special mission, and you call this a "divine assignment".)
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
(Ordination to that destiny.)
13:4–14:28. The Ministry of Paul (With Others) to the Dispersion.
4-. Departure from Antioch.
-4-12. Cyprus.
13. Perga.
14-50. Antioch (Pisidia).
51,52 Iconium.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed unto Seleucia;
(See 11:19.)
and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Salamis,
(= salt. The first port they would reach, at east end of the island.)
they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
(Jews here, should read, "Israel". This "John" that was with them was John Mark.)
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos,
(= boiling, or hot. The capital and residence of the governor.)
they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet,
(Gr. pseudoprophętęs. Used 5 times by Yahshua.)
a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
(= son of savior [which savior!? the false one, i.e. Satan]. He was a Kenite of Judea.)
7 Which was with the deputy of the country,
(Gr. anthupatos. This is the Greek word for proconsul. Cyprus had been an imperial province, governed by a proprietor, but according to Strabo Augustus transferred it to the Senate, and the governor would be now a proconsul. The title "proconsul" has been found on a coin of Cyprus of A.D. 52, and a slab has been discovered at Soli in Cyprus, with the name Paulus proconsul. One of the proofs of Luke's accuracy.)
Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
(Elymas is traveling in prestige with the deputy of Cyprus in his company, and the deputy is under the control of his sorcery and false prophecy. When Sergius Paulus the leader had heard that Barnabas and Saul were near, he called for them to tell him of the Gospel of God. Remember though, that this false one Bar-jesus was traveling with Sergius Paulus, putting in false words. It just isn't going to work for him, for you can't serve both God and Satan at the same time.
Bar-jesus is serving Satan himself, and we are going to see how Paul is going to handle this situation. The acts of the Apostles are given to us so that we will understand what we are to do in the same situation. It shows us how to act today when we are sent forth, and someone like this Bar-jesus would come around and tell you that he is going to pray for your soul. The common reaction is to say, yes dear brother, pray for my soul. But is this of God?
When God sends one forth, the Holy Spirit will send them and tell them what to say. Let's see what the Holy Spirit has to say about this.)
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation)
(This is the same Bar-jesus of v.6. Elymas = the knowing one. Cp. Ulema, the corporation of Moslem who interpret the Koran. Arabic alim, wise. Does this remind you of the "wise" serpent in the garden!? Use discernment when it comes to names. Test the fruit.)
withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
(He objected to Paul and Barnabus coming there. Why?)
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,)
(= small, little. As a Roman citizen he would have a Roman name, as well as an Israelite one too. Also so called from this time, except when he refers to his conversion, 22:7,13; 26:14.)
filled with the Holy Spirit, set His eyes on him.
(= gazing intently, stared the man down. This was not Paul doing this which is inconsistent with weak sight. This was the Holy Spirit working through Paul. The Holy Spirit can be very stern.)
10 And said, "O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil,
(See Matt. 13:35; 23:15. John 8:44; 17:12. 1 John 3:10, an cp."sons of Belial", so frequently used in the O.T.)
thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
(Sweet and gentle right!? NO!!! This was a scathing message.)
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
(We have power over our enemies [i.e. the power of the Holy Spirit, not of our own]. Don't be afraid to use it when you need to. See Luke 10:19.)
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
(Boldness drew him to Yahaveh. Are you bold for Yahaveh?)
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga
(= earthly.)
in Pamphylia:
(The capital of Pamphylia = of every tribe. A few miles up the Cestrus, which flows into the bay of Attalia. Now a ruin. John Mark's departure may have been due to some difference as to the change of plan, and the preceding from the lowlands of Pamphylia to the high ground of Antioch may have been on account of Paul's illness, to which he refers to in Ga.4:13.)
and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
(Mark and Barnabus split up. More coverage of the Word can be accomplished that way. See v.2.)
14-50. Antioch (Pisidia).
14,15. Synagogue. First Sabbath.
16-41. Paul. Address.
42,43. Effect.
44,45. Synagogue. Second Sabbath.
46,47. Paul and Barnabus. Appeal.
48-50. Effect.
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch
(The capital of Pisidia, and a Roman colony.)
in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day,
(See John 20:1. This was after Passover 46 or 47 A.D.)
and sat down.
(He [Paul] didn't take it over.)
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, "Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."
(So now in our time, when did man put his word first instead of God's?)
16-41. Paul. Address.
16-22. Israel's History. David raised up.
23. Promise fulfilled.
24,25. Repentance preached.
26-31. The Lord's Death and Resurrection.
32-37. Promise fulfilled.
38-41. Forgiveness proclaimed.
16 Then Paul stood up,
(From this time Paul takes precedence of Barnabas. There will be some real Bible teaching going on here. Compare Chapter 7 and Stephen speech there.)
and beckoning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and ye that fear God,
(Or revere, cp. v.26; 10:2,22,35. Luke 1:50; 12:5; 23:40. Rev.11:18; 14:7; 15:4; 19:5. Ps.61:5, &c.)
give audience.
(At this time, the message to Israel.)
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.
18 And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners
(Gr. tropophoreő, but many MSS. read trophophoreő, "bore them as a nurse". Cp. Deut.1:31. It is the change of the one letter in Greek.)
in the wilderness.
(Even though God provided for the, it most definitely was their manners that kept them out of the promise land. They refuse to believe that God could deliver from the hands of the seven nations that occupied the territory that God had promised Abraham. They believed in giants that were not there.)
19 And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan,
(Cp. Deut.7:1.)
He divided their land to them by lot.
20 And after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years,
(One was even a woman, Deborah [queen bee].)
until Samuel the prophet.
(I.e. the end of Samuel's ministry. See 3:24.)
21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,
(Saul-Paul here speaking was also a Benjamite. See Rom.11:1.)
by the space of forty years.
(God was not pleased when His people wanted a king to rule over them. God wanted Himself as the king over Israel, but the Israelites wanted a man in the flesh to rule over them, like their neighboring nations. Friend, no man in the flesh can be a perfect king, for there is imperfection in the flesh. However after this long line of kings that Paul is going to go into, there would be one King of kings and Lord of Lords. That King will be the Father through the Son, as it was in the beginning of Israel as a nation.)
22 And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave their testimony, and said,
(The quotation is from Ps. 89:20.)
'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will.'
(So you would know who the Messiah is. Planed prophecy.)
23 Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise
(See 2 Sam.7:12-16. Ps. 132:11.)
raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
(Cp. Rev.21:24.
Remember that Paul knew the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and was trained under the best instructor of that day, Gamaliel. As we read in Acts 5:34; it was Gamaliel, the doctor of the law, with his high reputation amongst all the people, that spoke out in the Sanhedrin, and caused Peter's release, which saved his live.
This sermon is a little different then Paul would usually do in the synagogue. What had to be added on to the Scriptures was what Jesus would say to him, "Paul why kick ye against the pricks." Meaning you are only being hard on yourself when you fight against me. The idea was that you take your shoes of your feet, and kick against a cactus plant, until your foot becomes a bloody mess.)
24 When John had first preached before His coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as John fulfilled his course,
(= was running his race. Cp. 20:24.)
he said, 'Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me, Whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.'
(This was prophetic.)
26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God,
(= ANYONE who loves God.)
to you is the word of this salvation sent.
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers,
(See Matt. 23.)
because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him.
(See Ps. 22.
Those leaders that were in Jerusalem didn't recognize Jesus Christ when he was amongst them, nor did they understand the words of the Prophet that they had read in the temple and the sabbath day. Weak after week they read of those prophecies how they would crucify Jesus, and as the events took place they could not understand how they were actually fulfilling the actual prophecies that they were reading. Even as they read Psalm 22, where it gave such details to the very word that the wicked high priest would say, as he stood before Jesus dying on the cross.)
28 And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain.
(Fulfilling Gospel.)
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and laid Him in a sepulchre.
(Even this was prophecy, that Jesus would be buried in a rich man's tomb. Isaiah 53:9; "And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth." That tomb would be that of his own uncle, Joseph of Aremathaea, His kinsman redeemer.)
30 But God raised Him from the dead:
31 And He was seen many days
(= 40 days.)
of them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem,
(All the Apostles, except Judas, were Galileans. Cp.1:11; 2:7. Luke 23:49,55.)
who are His witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you glad tidings,
(= Gospel, The Good News.)
how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm,
(See Ps. 2:7.)
'Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.'
(= brought You to the Birth, i.e. in resurrection. Gospel covers second witness.)
34 And as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption,
(Gr. diaphthora. See 2:27. Here corruption means the place of corruption, i.e. the grave, for He did not see corruption and therefore could not return to it, quoted from Isa.55:3.)
He said on this wise, 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.
(See 2:27. Same as "holy" in v.35. The sure mercies are the promises faithfully kept by the Almighty.)
35 Wherefore He saith also in another psalm,
(The reference is to Ps. 16:10. Cp. 2:27.)
'Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.'
(The old becomes part of the new.)
36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
(His flesh body went back to dirt.)
37 But He, Whom God raised again,
(He was transfigured.)
saw no corruption.
(He crushed it.)
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
(This took away all the blood ordinances because He fulfilled them.)
39 And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
(See 3:22. Nothing wrong with the Law. It is us that is the problem. When you play you pay. The Law is your set of records to keep you out of trouble.)
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
(I.e. of Babylon in the end times.)
'41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish:
(I.e. erased from the book of life. But even to this day you have free will. It's your choice whether you want to be in the book of life or not.)
for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.' "
(The quotation is from Hab.1:5. Babylonian captivity of end time. They did not believe in Jesus Christ.)
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
(They want to hear more.)
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews
(= of the tribe of Judah.)
and religious proselytes
(See Matt. 23:4.)
followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God.
(This is what is supposed to be taught in the house of God. NOT man's word!)
45 But when the Jews
(These are the Kenites [= sons of Cain], i.e. those who claim to be of our brother Judah but are not.)
saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
(These Scripture lawyers made fun of Paul's teaching, and blasphemed the Holy Spirit of God.)
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
(= nations, Gr. ethnos, where we get our word "ethnic" from. This was Paul's mission.)
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
(Quoted from Isa. 49:6. Read Isa.49:5-8. This commission to the Lord's Servant is cited as their Authority for turning to the Gentile.)
'I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.' "
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained
(= appointed. Destiny involved here.)
to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews
(= Kenites, here.)
stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
(These ladies were on the march, for they now have a cause. Get rid of the men who are upsetting our traditions. It is real easy to stir up the so-called honorable women, when all they have to do is to look for trouble, and when it isn't there, they will create their own. These ladies went to their husbands; the mayor, the deputy, the businessmen and so-on, to get them to get Paul and Barnabas out of their coasts.)
13:51,52. Iconium. Preaching.
51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them,
(the sign language let the town know that the prophet did not think that town to be worthy.)
and came unto Iconium.
(= little image. Now Konieh, the present [1915] terminus of the Bagdad railway. About 300 miles from Smyrna.)
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.
(Even when they were kicked out of this city, and told to leave by these women, they were happy about it. Why? Because they had the opportunity of preaching and teaching to the people, and some were saved, and even Gentiles. Paul knew that his duty was to preach, and the Holy Spirit was the one that would convict of sin. The saving was not Paul's job, the teaching and preaching of the Gospel was his duty. If someone wants to refuse the salvation of God, and the blessings that come with it, that is not your business as the teacher.)