Paul’s message the events in Galatian cities (Acts 13:13-52)
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel
music
Scriptures
reading Acts 13:13-52
13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sail to Perga in Pamphylia, where
John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to
Pisidian Antioch .On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.15
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word
to them, saying, “ Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the
people, please speak.”
16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said:
“ Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!17
The God of 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,18
he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, 19 he
overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their
inheritance.20 All this took about 450 years. “After this, God gave
them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people
asked for a king, and he gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,
who ruled forty years.
22 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.”
23 From this man’s descendants
God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24
Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the
people of Israel. 25 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.”
26 “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing
Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.27 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. 28 Though they found no proper ground for
a death sentence, they asked Pilated to have him executed. 29 When they
had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree
and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead, 31
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.
32 We tell you the good news What God
promised our fathers 33 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.”
34 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.”
35 So it is staed elsewhere:
“ You will not let your Holy One see
decay.”
36 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. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
38 Therefore, my brothers, I want
you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39
Through him everyone who believers is justified from everything you could not be
justified from by the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets
have said does not happen to you: 41 “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.”
42 As Paul and
Barnabas were having the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about
these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed,
many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who
talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 On
the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively
against what Paul was saying..
46 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 of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
47 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.”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they
were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal
life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.50
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 from their region. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet in
protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled
with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 13 Based
on 15:38 the reason for John’s departing must have been negative and hence a discouragement
to Paul and his companions. However, he was recovered to Paul in Paul’s later ministry
(Col.4:10-11;2Tim4:11).
Verse 14 Pisidian
Antioch. Actually, it was in Phrygia, but near the border of Pisidia. This Antioch
was so called to distinguish it from the larger Antioch in Syria. The purpose of
the apostles going to the synagogue on the Sabbath day was not to keep the Sabbath
but to grasp the opportunity for preaching the gospel.
Verse 20 The
450 years extend from the patriarchs to the judges. The 450 years extends from the
people’s exodus from Egypt (v.17) to the time of Samuel the prophet (v.20), when
David reigned completely, ruling over the whole nation of Israel (2 Sam.5:3-5; judg.11:26;
1 Kings 6:1).
Verse 22 David
was a man according to God’s heart, that is, according to God’s heart’s desire,
not only according to God’s words. Such a man will do all God’s will.
Verse 33 Resurrection
was a birth to the man Jesus. He was begotten by God in His resurrection to be the
firstborn Son of God among many brothers (Rom.8:29). He was the only begotten Son
of God from eternity (John 1:18; 3:16). After incarnation, through resurrection He
was begotten by God in His humanity to be God’s firstborn Son.
Verse 34 The
Greek word for the holy things here is in the plural. The same Greek word is used
for Holy One in the next verse, but in the singular. However, it is not the regular
word for holy, it is a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word chesed, which is translated
mercies in Isa.55:3, and also in 2 Chrom.6:42 and Psalm 89:1 in both the Septuagint
and the KJV. In Psalm 89, the word mercies in plural in v.1 is the same word as
the Holy One in singular in v.19. This Holy One is Christ, the Son of David, in
whom God’s mercies are centered and conveyed. Hence, the holy things of David, the
faithful things refer to the resurrected Christ. This is fully proved by the context,
especially by Your Holy One in the next verse and by the verse following Isa.55:3.
Verse 36 This
indicates that David’s reigning as king was a service rendered to his generation
by the counsel of God.
Verse 39 to be forgiven of sins is on the negative side
(v.38) and is for our release from condemnation. To be justified is on the positive
side and is for our reconciliation to God and our being accepted by Him.
Verse 46 One’s
thrusting away the word of God is proof that he, by his own judgment, is unworthy
of eternal life.
Verse 47 This
word is a quotation from Isa.49:6 which refers to Christ as God’s Servant, whom
God made a light to the Gentiles that His salvation might reach to the end of the
earth. Because he was one with Christ in carrying out God’s salvation in Christ,
the apostle Paul applied this prophetic word to himself in his ministry of gospel
preaching for the turning of the gospel from the Jews, because of their rejection,
to the Gentiles. In His ministry on earth the Lord expressed the same thing to the
stubborn Jews in Luke 4:24-27.
Verse 48 Or,
ordained. One’s rejecting the gospel is evidence that he is unworthy of eternal
life (v.40); one’s believing it is proof that he was appointed or ordained by God
to eternal life. God’s ordination, or predestination, for man’s salvation is sovereignly
of Himself. However, He still leaves man to his own free will. Whether man would
believe or reject His salvation is up to man’s own decision. They were glad. The
Gentiles’ reception and the Jews’ rejection of the gospel is, from here on, a recurring
theme in Acts.
Verse 51 They
shook the dust from their feet. A good Jew took pains not to carry back into Palestine
and dust from non-Jewish countries. to shake off the dust was a vivid gesture of
complete break of fellowship and renunciation of responsibility for the person or
community gestured at. See Christ’s command at Luke 9:5, 10:11 and Mark 6:11.
Verse 52 Gk. Pleroo, filled inwardly. this infilling
by the Holy Spirit is essential, being for life not for power. Joy, being a matter
of life, not of power, proves this.
Bibliography,
King James, The
Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company
Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim,
CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).
Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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