Acts 13
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God win the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse na man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of 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 appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13, ESV Bible)
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3, ESV Bible)
Sent Out by the Holy Spirit
It happened that the prophets and teachers in the community of disciples at Antioch were in a season of prayer and fasting to seek spiritual direction from the LORD. The Spirit of the LORD spoke through one of the prophets and said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." When the duration of the fast was complete, the prophets and teachers of Antioch laid hands on the two apostles, thereby ordaining them as "sent ones" from the Antioch congregation. Saul and Barnabas were already official sent ones of Yeshua in the formal sense. They had both seen the risen Master and received His commission. The assembly at Antioch added their own commissioning by laying hands on them and sending them out to carry on that mission and proclaim the message further abroad. The laying on of hands invested them with the authority to go out as representatives of the Antioch congregation. In that sense, Saul and Barnabas were "sent out by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:4).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Kifros
They brought along Barnabas' cousin, John Mark. The younger man had probably accompanied them back to Antioch on their return from Jerusalem in 44 CE. Sometime between 44 and 47 CE, they left Antioch by its seaport of Seleucia, sixteen miles down the Orontes River, where the Roman fleet was stationed. From Seleucia, they sailed some 150 miles to the nearby island of Cyprus, the homeland of Barnabas. They landed on the east coast of Cyprus at the ancient city of Salamis, a cosmopolitan, Greek-speaking city that had once been the capital. It had all the standard amenities: a gymnasium, an amphitheater, a theater, stadium, public bathhouses, and a temple of Zeus.
Saul and Barnabas disembarked and found their way into the Jewish quarter of the city. Barnabas knew the Jewish community of Cyprus well. The community at Salamis was large enough to boast several synagogues: "They began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews."
One might wonder why they did not, instead, choose the amphitheater or theater of Salamis to proclaim their message. Why present the gospel message only in the synagogues? Though both Saul and Barnabas understood the universal scope of the gospel, they never lost sight of the fact that it was a Jewish message that made little sense outside of the context of Judaism. A careful reading of Saul's journeys suggests that he primarily aimed for major cities in the Roman Empire, the capitals and Roman colonies in particular, where he could expect to find a Jewish community with God-fearing Gentiles in its orbit. He followed a policy of going "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). His few attempts to propagate the good news outside of the synagogue met with limited and frustrating results. Within the synagogue he always found Jews willing to hear his teaching and also God-fearing Gentiles. The God-fearers, who associated with the Jewish community, were already familiar with monotheism, the Scriptures of Israel, and Judaism in general.
Several years after this initial visit, Barnabas returned to Cyprus to continue the work that he and Saul had begun in the city of Salamis. A later tradition claims that he ultimately received martyrdom at the hands of the Jewish community in the city of Salamis.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. (Acts 13:6, ESV Bible)
The Proconsul’s Magician
How long did Saul and Barnabas teach in Salamis? It might have been a few weeks, or it might have been several months. Luke provides no indication. Eventually, the apostles left to travel to Paphos, the Roman capital of the island. Their journey took them overland to the southern coast of the island and along the coastal road to the capital. The I5-mile trip from one end of the island to the other would have taken them at least six days, staying at hostels and inns on the road. The apostles did not have time for teaching along the way if they wanted to arrive in Paphos before the Sabbath.
Paphos was the name of two port cities on the southwest coast of Cyprus. Old Paphos enjoyed fame for its cult of Aphrodite. Legend says she was born, rising out of the sea, at Paphos. The remains of her vast temple are still discernible. Rome built New Paphos a few miles further up the shore to serve as their administrative capital over Cyprus.
Luke passes silently over the work of Saul and Barnabas in the Jewish community of Paphos. Nevertheless, the reader can deduce that the apostles experienced success preaching and teaching in the local synagogues. Unless they had achieved some momentum and notoriety in that effort, they would not have come to the attention of the Roman proconsul. We may assume that the apostles spent several weeks, perhaps several months, teaching in Paphos.
At some point during that period of time, they must have encountered the false prophet and sorcerer Elymas Bar-Jesus (Son of Yeshua). Saul's reaction to him in the court of the proconsul indicates previous experience and familiarity. Elymas was not a proper name, but he used that name among Gentiles: "For so his name is translated." Scholars speculate over possible words and names that might enter Greek as Elymas, but none are certain. Elymas Bar-Jesus passed himself off as a prophet, but he was actually just a sorcerer. He enjoyed the prestige of serving as a spiritual consultant to the Roman proconsul over Cyprus, a man named Sergius Paulus.
In the ancient world, kings and potentates consulted court magicians, prophets, astrologers, diviners, and interpreters of omens and dreams. Pharaoh had his magicians; Nebuchadnezzar had his wise men, interpreters, and conjurers; and the kings of Israel had the prophets of God. The Roman emperors relied on priests from the Roman cult, Delphic oracles, Sibylline oracles, magicians, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, and all manner of omens. Emperor Tiberius kept a host of magicians on retainer. The Romans perceived Jews as possessors of an eastern, foreign mystique that seemed both exotic and ancient-similar to the way Westerners once perceived the Romani (Gypsies) in their midst. The wicked Elymas Bar-Jesus capitalized on that perception and employed the dark arts to win a place of favor at the side of the proconsul.
The proconsul must have had a curiosity about things Jewish, supernatural, and magical. Rumors about the message and work of Saul and Barnabas piqued those curiosities. He may have heard about how miracles seemed to follow the two Jews and how they proclaimed a message to all men-not just Jews. He summoned them to his residence and asked to hear their message.
Saul and Barnabas accepted the invitation to appear before the governor. They found their way to the palace and entered before the powerful Roman official. Bar-Jesus was also present. The proconsul encouraged the apostles to tell their story and deliver their message.
Saul and Barnabas could assume that the proconsul had a cursory familarity with Judaism, but they shuddered to imagine what kind of blasphemies and deceits Bar-Jesus had laced into that knowledge. They began to relate the message about Yeshua and the kingdom in broad, universal terms that might be comprehensible to a pagan. Since the governor seemed interested in signs, wonders, and miracles, they did not omit mentioning the astonishing miracles performed by Yeshua.
As they spoke, Bar-Jesus objected to their testimony and attempted to discredit their words. He had long ago rejected the authority of the Torah in favor of satanic, magical arts. He had no interest in a message that called on him to repent. Naturally, he resented Saul and Barnabas for edging in on his territory, and he feared losing his place of prestige and influence with the proconsul. The more interest the proconsul took in the apostles' claims, the more Bar-Jesus argued against those claims.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13:9-11, ESV Bible)
Sha’ul and Polos
Luke briefly interrupts his narrative to tell his readers that Saul was also known as "Paulus." This is the first time Luke calls him Paul. It seems as if mention of Sergius Paulus reminded Luke that he had not yet introduced Saul's Gentile name to the narrative. Henceforth, through the duration of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke refers to Saul as Paul. The shift from Saul to Paul does not imply that Saul became any less Jewish or Torah-observant; it only indicates that, like most other Jews in the Diaspora, he found it advantageous to use his Greek Diaspora name while among Greek-speaking Jews and Gentiles. In keeping with Luke's shift, The Sent Ones will henceforth refer to Saul of Tarsus as "Paul."
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
Confrontation in Paphos
Paul could suffer the sorcerer's heckling no longer. Filled with the prophetic Spirit of the LORD, he turned to Bar-Jesus and "fixed his gaze on him." The sages of Israel were renowned for the power of their withering glare. Paul declared, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness!" When engaged in a debate with His detractors, Yeshua used similar language (John 8:44-45).
Employing a patterned type of rhetorical question that appears commonly in Biblical Hebrew, Paul asked, "Will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?" In other words, he accused him of twisting the truth of the Scriptures in order to lead others away from God.
Under the prophetic inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul smote Bar-Jesus with a curse, pronouncing him temporarily blind to vividly illustrate the magician's spiritual blindness: "Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time."
At that moment, darkness closed in around the magician. In sudden panic, he groped around the room, pleading for someone to lead him out. Sergius Paulus nodded to his attendants, and they led the humiliated sorcerer away by the hand. After that, Saul and Barnabas had the proconsul's full and undistracted attention. Sergius Paulus had little recourse but to believe.
Luke tells us, "Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord." The conversion of a Roman proconsul impressed Luke enough to record the story, but he does not tell us what happened next. Did Saul and Barnabas connect him with local teachers who could teach him the Torah and the was of the LORD?
Did Sergius Paulus remain in the faith, like the seed planted in good soil, or was he like the seed snatched by birds, choked by weeds, or scorched by the sun? One wonders because if Sergius remained faithful in Messiah, his convictions must have cost him his career and prestige. He could no longer have fulfilled his cultic obligations to the Roman gods or Caesars.
The wealthy family of Sergius Paulus owned property in Galatia at Pisidian Antioch. Perhaps Sergius Paulus asked the apostles to travel to that city and present their message in the synagogues there. He may have been able to provide them with letters of recommendation to the community, and he may have provided them with money for travel expenses.
The book of Acts offers no alternate explanation for the strange choice of their next destination.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, (Acts 13:13, ESV Bible)
The Desertion of Yochanan
The apostles left the island of Cyprus. They set sail from Paphos and made for the mainland. Their ship entered the mouth of the Cestrus River, a generous and navigable river that flowed out of the Taurus Mountains. They sailed seven miles upstream to the river-harbor city of Perga. Perga sat atop a small flat hill, nestled in a lush and well-watered valley in the territory of Pamphylia. The archaeology of Roman-era Perga reveals a beautiful Greek city with all the necessary amenities: multiple bathhouses, a theater, a stadium, double colonnaded streets, an agora, an acropolis, and a temple to Artemis.
In Perga, John Mark announced his decision to leave the mission and return to Jerusalem. Had the rigors of the journey proved too difficult for him? They had not, as yet, faced any great rigors. More likely, he had some personal conflict with Paul. Paul's epistles give the impression of a man who might have been difficult to live with at times. The subject of John Mark's desertion in Perga arises again in Acts 15:36-39 when Paul refuses to take him along on another journey: "Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work" (Acts 15:38). The dispute over John Mark led to such sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that they parted ways.
John Mark disappears from the Acts of the Apostles but not from the greater apostolic story. He accompanied Barnabas to Cyprus and later reconciled with Paul. While Paul was a prisoner in Rome, John Mark served him and traveled through Asia Minor on his behalf. When Simon Peter came to Rome, John Mark served him as an interpreter and translator. While in Rome, he wrote the first narrative gospel, the Gospel of Mark, and later applied himself to furthering the work of the kingdom in Alexandria, Egypt.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. (Acts 13:14, ESV Bible)
Journey to Anteyochya
Paul and Barnabas set out from Perga to begin the long climb to the Galatian city of Antioch. Thanks to the Seleucid dynasty, more than fifteen cities in the Roman world bore the name Antioch. Paul and Barnabas originally set out from Antioch on the Orontes (Syrian Antioch), the largest of the Antiochs. Now they made for the Roman Colony of Pisidian Antioch, past the Taurus Mountains at the center of the province of Galatia. The journey from Perga to Pisidian Antioch climbed the Via Sebaste, a paved Roman road that ascended into the mountains. Paul and Barnabas traversed more than 125 miles of hills and mountains to reach their destination. Luke passes over the details of the journey in silence. Paul's own recollections of the trip suggest a long and arduous trek. Since ancient times, bandits and marauding tribes harassed travelers on the routes through the Taurus Mountains. By the days of the apostles, Roman Peace (Pax Romana) had subdued the openly lawless tribes, but robbers and bandits still haunted the hills and mountain passes. Paul reminisced, "I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers... through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure" (2 Corinthians II:26-27).
Illness further hampered his journey through the mountains. When they arrived in the territory of Galatia, Paul was sick and in need of convalescence. In his epistle to the disciples in Galatia, he reminisced, "You know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as the Messiah Yeshua Himself" (Galatians 4:13-14).
Sick and tired, the two apostles finally arrived in remote Pisidian Antioch, a Roman colony and the civil and military center of the province of Galatia. It sat high in the Turkish Lakes Region, perched 3,600 feet above sea level on the central plateau of Asia Minor. The city was bounded by scenic mountains and by the deep ravine of the Anthius River. As a Roman colony, the city included monumental Roman-style architecture, triumphal arches and gates, an acropolis and sanctuary to Augustus, the regular stadium, theater, baths, nymphaeum, and so forth. Paul and Barnabas also found a large, well-established, and prosperous Jewish community.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” (Acts 13:15, ESV Bible)
Synagogue Services
Not long after their arrival, the two worn travelers found their way to the synagogue, where they joined the congregation for the Sabbath morning service. Synagogues served as places of public prayer and the public reading of Scripture for the Jewish community. The liturgical prayer services reflected the prayers offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. Prayers in a Diaspora synagogue may have alternated between Hebrew and Greek, the cantor being responsible for the Hebrew portions. The congregation primarily needed to be concerned only with saying "amen" at the appropriate moments.
Synagogues conducted prayer services on a daily basis at the times of prayer. On the Sabbath, however, they augmented the service with a public reading of Scripture. The Sabbath service included three elements:
A reading from the Torah (פָּרָשָׁה, parashah);
A complementary reading from the Prophets (הַפְטָרָה, haftarah);
A teaching (דְּרָשָׁה, derashah) that expounded upon the two readings
Paul's visit to the Galatian synagogue of Pisidian Antioch demonstrates the same three-part order of service: "I] After the reading of the Torah and [2] the Prophets [3] the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, 'Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it" (Acts 13:15). The literature of the rabbis contains numerous examples of such words of exhortation. The teaching ordinarily began with a verse from that day's Scripture reading, but it might also begin with a halachic question that opens into a discussion of the day's texts. Skilled preachers discoursed on seemingly unrelated texts and topics and then tied the whole discussion together at the end of the homily by producing a citation from the daily reading that solved the questions and problems raised by the discourse. That method of delivery held the listeners in suspense as they awaited the punch line that drew the message together.
The leaders of the synagogue did not do all the teaching. They primarily facilitated the services. Itinerant sages and scholars were given the privilege of teaching. The Talmud preserves an order of preference for choosing a speaker:
If there is an elder present, he addresses them. If not, a disciple of the sages addresses them. If there is no disciple of the sages present, then a man of distinction addresses them. (b. Ta'anit 16a)
Why did the leaders of the synagogue invite Paul to speak? If Paul and Barnabas carried a letter of introduction from Sergius Paulus, the weight of the nobleman's name may have helped garner the privilege. In addition, the synagogue officials must have been impressed by Paul's credentials. As a disciple of Rabban Gamliel, Paul possessed the prestige of being a disciple of one of the greatest Torah sages of the generation. If he were to exercise the reputation, rabbinic etiquette required people to rise in his presence and to give him special consideration.
Paul graciously accepted the invitation to speak.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. (Acts 13:16, ESV Bible)
Polos at the Bimah
Like most Diaspora synagogues, the congregation at Antioch consisted of both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. Paul addressed the assembly as "Men of Israel and you who fear God." The term "Men of Israel" refers to Jews and proselytes. "You who fear God refers to the God-fearing Gentiles present that day.
In Acts 13:16-41, Luke provides a summary/sample of Paul's presentation of the good news of Messiah.
Paul's discourse has similarities to the sermon of Peter (Acts 2) and the defense of Stephen (Acts 8). Like Stephen, Paul began with a historical review. Beginning in the Torah, he traced the covenant promise and election from the patriarchs through the generation in Egypt, through the wilderness with Moses, into the land of Israel, through the judges and prophets, and to the house of David. From the house of David he introduced the Messiah. The historical review established the unbroken continuity between Torah and Messiah. Paul may have used the historical review as a way of connecting his message with that particular Shabbat's Scripture readings.
After the historical review, Paul briefly told the story of the Master, His introduction through John the Immerser, and His death and resurrection. Then he began an argument for Yeshua based upon the promises of the Davidic covenant. He quoted the passage from Psalm 2 in which the LORD says to the Davidic Messiah, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you."
By linking together two passages regarding God's covenant promises to David (Psalm 16:10 and Isaiah 55:3), Paul found evidence that the Messiah should be raised immortal from the dead. His interpretation developed a theme Simon Peter presented in Acts 2:25-36: God made promises of immortality to David, yet David died; by His resurrection from the dead, Yeshua demonstrated He is the legitimate heir to the promises.
"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10)
Paul explicitly references this verse in Acts 13:35-37, explaining that David died and was buried, but Yeshua did not undergo decay because He was resurrected. God's covenant with David includes a promise that his seed (descendant) will establish an eternal kingdom:
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son... And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
Paul and Peter interpret this as a prophecy about the Messiah, who would not be subject to death like David but would rule eternally.
"I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to My servant David: ‘I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne for all generations.’" (Psalm 89:3-4)
”Once I have sworn by My holiness— I will not lie to David— his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; it shall be established forever like the moon, even as the faithful witness in the sky." (Psalm 89:35-37)
This promise only finds fulfillment in the resurrection and eternal reign of the Messiah.
Therefore, Yeshua is the agent of the redemption. Forgiveness and atonement can be attained through Him, but those who refuse Him will perish.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. (Acts 13:26, ESV Bible)
Jews, Proselytes, and God-Fearers
Paul finished his historical review with the prophecies of John the Immerser. Before going on to present the story of Yeshua, His suffering, and resurrection, he stopped to appeal directly to the people present in the synagogue. He declared, "To us the message of this salvation has been sent."
Paul's first person, plural pronoun "us" included all three types of people he addressed that day in the synagogue: "Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God" (Acts 13:26). "Brethren" referred to his fellow Jews. "Sons of Abraham" referred to proselytes. (Proselytes take the patronymic "son of Abraham" at the time of their conversion.) "You who fear God" referred to the God-fearing Gentiles present that day in the synagogue. The God-fearing Gentiles were not accustomed to being acknowledged in such addresses, and they had never before been included in the promises of Messianic redemption or covenant privilege.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. (Acts 13:31, ESV Bible)
Resurrection and Eternal Life
Paul's word of exhortation to the congregation at Pisidian Antioch briefly recapped the story of Yeshua. Paul explained that the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem failed to recognize the promised Messiah. Although Yeshua of Nazareth committed no wrong, the religious authorities misjudged Him and turned Him over to the Roman governor for execution. Nevertheless, all this happened to fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah's sufferings-prophecies contained in the haftarah portions that are read in the synagogues every Sabbath.
Paul narrated the story of the Master's interment and resurrection. He told about how the risen Yeshua appeared to His disciples and commissioned them as His witnesses and apostles: "He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people" (Acts 13:31). He included himself and Barnabas in the number of the apostles commissioned to witness for Yeshua. He explained to the people that they had come to Antioch to proclaim this good news about the Messiah.
Paul summarized the gospel message as "the good news of the promise made to the fathers," that is, the promise of the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven as found in the Torah and the Prophets. Paul said, "God has fulfilled this promise to [us, their] children in that He raised up Yeshua" (Acts I3:33). The Jewish people are the legitimate heirs of those Messianic promises.
He turned their attention to the prophecy in Psalm 2 that says, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (Psalm 2:7). The sages considered Psalm 2 as a prophecy about King Messiah and the final redemption. The apostolic community interpreted the psalm in light of Yeshua and used it as a proof text to establish the Messiah's position as the Son of God. Paul correlated the declaration, "You are my Son," in reference to the Master's resurrection.
He raised up Yeshua, as it is also written in the second Psalm, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you." (Acts 13:33)
He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Yeshua the Messiah our Lord. (Romans 1:2-4, emphasis mine)
He went on to employ an argument for the resurrection of the Messiah borrowed from a teaching originally introduced by Simon Peter (Acts 2). Paul's version of the argument brings in a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah together with a text from a Davidic psalm. The prophecy from Isaiah 55 offers to extend the "everlasting covenant" and "faithful mercies shown to David" to anyone who will listen and draw near. To demonstrate that the covenant promises made to David included resurrection from the dead, Paul quoted Psalm 16:10. Paul linked the two passages on the basis of a common word, just as if he had been offering midrashic exegesis from the Hebrew:
Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies (chesed) shown to David. (Isaiah 55:3)
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One (chasid) to undergo decay. (Psalm 16:10)
Although God had promised David that he would not undergo decay, David "fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay" (Acts 13:36). Since David did die and see decay, the promise expressed in Psalm 16:10 must be assigned to David's descendant the Messiah.
The promises offered to David are also promised to anyone who will "listen, that you may live [forever]." In the beckoning language of Isaiah 55, Paul appealed to the Galatians, encouraging them to accept the invitation, receive the forgiveness of sins, and attain the resurrection. He explained that "everyone who believes" in the Messiah will receive the forgiveness of sins and acquire justification by means of the Messiah's atonement (Acts 13:39). He did not exclude the God-fearing Gentiles from the offer.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39, ESV Bible)
Theology of Justification
Having established Yeshua as the risen Messiah, Paul stated that "through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed" and that "everyone who believes" in Him receives justification in matters where the Torah could not justify them. The word justification refers to a "righteous" verdict for eternal life in the final judgment. In Jewish eschatology, to be "justified" means to be written in the book of life (the book of the righteous) by the heavenly court for a share in the resurrection and the World to Come. For sinners, that requires acquittal.
This is the only place in Acts of the Apostles where Paul's important theology of justification in Messiah explicitly appears, and it does not appear in all manuscripts. Unfortunately, a theological bias muddles the New American Standard translation of Acts 13:39 by translating the Greek word for justification (δικαιόω, dikaioō) as "freed."
Through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)
The translation makes it sound as if Paul announced that faith in Yeshua sets people free from regulations imposed by the Torah. The New International Version (ordinarily not acclaimed for its precision) follows the Greek more literally: "Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." In other words, the Messianic faith is able to offer forgiveness and absolution for intentional sins-the type of sins for which the Torah offers no legal solution.
Paul concluded his presentation with a call to action. He warned the people not to ignore his message or regard his message cynically. If they did, they might find themselves surprised and amazed by the coming apocalyptic day of judgment. He quoted the Septuagint version of Habakkuk 1:5 to illustrate the danger: "Behold, you scoffers, gaze well, marvel and wonder, and then vanish! For I am doing a deed in your days, which you will not believe even if someone tells you."
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. (Acts 13:42, ESV Bible)
Reactions to the Message
The synagogue of Pisidian Antioch received Paul's message enthusiastically. The synagogue leaders asked Paul and Barnabas to return the following Sabbath and present more teaching about the man from Nazareth, His messianic claims, His resurrection from the dead, and the evidence from the prophets. After the Sabbath services concluded, an excited group of Galatian Jews and proselytes gathered around Paul and Barnabas. They followed the apostles back to where they were staying and asked for more teaching and stories about the Master. The apostles spent the remainder of the Sabbath instructing them further in the message of the gospel and the teaching of Yeshua. They "were urging them to continue the grace of God."
Throughout the following week, Paul and Barnabas had several opportunities to interact with the Jewish community and God-fearing Gentiles. Perhaps they visited the estates of Sergius Paulus and acquainted themselves with his relations. On Sabbath morning, they returned to the synagogue in which Paul had spoken the previous Sabbath. They were surprised to find the building already crowded. As the morning services commenced, more and more people arrived. By the time Paul was ready to speak, "the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord."
Luke can be excused for a small exaggeration. Perhaps the "whole city" had not assembled, but it seemed like it. The synagogue was packed out with Gentiles. They were not proselytes or converts; they were real Gentiles. For the most part, they were God-fearers, but the God-fearers may have invited members of their pagan families and friends to come hear the apostles as well. Everyone wanted to hear the story about the Jew who had come back from the dead.
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. (Acts 13:45, ESV Bible)
The Jealousy
Evangelical Christians wish that their congregations could become crowded venues filled with people eager to hear the gospel. Jews do not. Luke says that when the Jewish people of the synagogue saw the large crowds of Gentiles flooding in to hear Paul speak, "they were filled with jealousy." Why were they jealous?
They were not "jealous" because they had never been able to raise such large crowds. The synagogues were not about the business of trying to bring in big numbers. They were not "evangelical," as we would understand the term. Judaism did not engage in aggressive proselytism.
In addition to general anti-Gentile prejudices and assumptions, Jews had good reasons for wanting to keep the Gentile attendance to a minimum. A Gentile majority in the synagogue would have posed a serious threat to the integrity of the community's identity. Jewish identity was precarious enough in the face of Hellenist society. The mainstream culture always chipped away at the particulars of Jewish monotheism and Torah observance. A Gentile presence in the synagogue accelerated the tendency toward assimilation.
The Jews of Antioch were not jealous that Paul and Barnabas had such appeal or that their message was so popular. They were jealous that the message of the apostles compromised the exclusivity of theological ethno-centrism. The message of the apostles seemed to throw the doors of Judaism wide open to the Gentile world. In addition, the whole idea of welcoming the Gentiles was annoying. God chose the Jewish people. The synagogue was a Jewish synagogue. Crowding practically every Gentile in the city into the synagogue created both a practical nuisance ("Hey, that guy's sitting in my seat!") and a theological conundrum (*If everyone is God's chosen people, then being chosen loses its significance!"). This is the "jealousy" to which Paul referred in his epistle to the Romans:
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! ... Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:11-15)
Notice that the gospel of Yeshua generated no objections from the Jewish community. On the contrary, the Jews of Antioch listened eagerly and wanted to hear more. The message of Messiah's death, burial, resurrection and the message of justification and salvation available through Him sounded reasonable and plausible to the Jewish community. Christian polemics had not yet galvanized Jewish rejection of Yeshua of Nazareth. There was nothing "un-Jewish" or objectionable about the message.
When they saw the Gentiles crowding into the synagogue, however, they began to raise objections. When they realized Paul's gospel invited non-Jews, "they began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming." To the Galatian Jewish community of Pisidian Antioch, the offense of the cross was the inclusion of the Gentiles.
Paul shrugged off the hecklers and continued to teach. He and Barnabas explained that they felt obligated to bring the message to Israel first since the Jewish people are the heirs of the covenant promises, but if the Jewish people in Pisidian Antioch were not interested, the Gentiles would be glad to receive eternal life. Paul cited Isaiah 49:6 as evidence that Messiah was sent not just to redeem Israel but also to provide enlightenment for the nations:
[HAShem says to the Messiah,] "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. (Acts 13:48-49, ESV Bible)
Work Among the God-Fearers
When the God-fearing Gentiles heard Paul's explanation of Isaiah 49:6, they rejoiced. Many became believers that day. Their faith in Yeshua proved contagious, and "the word of the LORD was being spread through the whole region." Paul and Barnabas found themselves busy teaching and raising disciples from among the God-fearers in the various synagogues of Antioch.
Luke says, "As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). Luke's statement makes it sound as if the Gentiles who believed had been predestined to become believers and had no choice in the matter. The Jewish view is that God foreknows the choices that people will make, but the choices are real: "Everything is foreseen, but free will is given, and the world is judged by grace. Everyone is judged according to the propensity of his deeds" (m.Pirkei Avot 3:18).
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:50-52, ESV Bible)
Driven From Anteyocha
Paul and Barnabas continued to work among the God-fearing Gentiles of Antioch until pressure from the Jewish community forced them out of town. The opposition enlisted the help of a few prominent, God-fearing, Gentile women who were friendly to the Jewish community. The men convinced these women that Paul and Barnabas spread dangerous teachings, and they prevailed upon the women to help. The women were married to important city officials. They influenced their husbands to force the apostles to leave the territory.
As Paul and Barnabas left the region of Antioch, they shook the dust from their feet as the Master had taught His disciples to do.
Paul lived to see that pattern repeated in many cities. Wherever he went, his presentation of the gospel at the local synagogue appealed to the God-fearing Gentiles. The enthusiasm of the God-fearing Gentiles generated a hostile reaction from the Jewish community. Paul found God-fearers eager to hear the message of the gospel and Jews eager to be rid of that same message, not because of theological objections about the content but because they objected to the inclusion of Gentiles in the practice of Judaism. They did not object to the gospel as much as they objected to "Paul's gospel" with its emphasis on salvation for all nations.
Paul and Barnabas left behind them a large school of disciples in Antioch, predominantly God-fearing Gentiles, and "the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."
References
This lesson is adapted from Daniel Lancaster's teachings in The Sent Ones, as presented by First Fruits of Zion for the Torah Club.