Acts Acts 13:13-25 History 101 A s I was preparing this section, not surprisingly the focus is on Paul s sermon. But there are a couple of points that are background and underlie Paul s emotional framework. Consequently, I ll quote Boice to summarize these two events before moving on to the section proper. there is the matter of John Mark s desertion. Mark had not been called by the Holy Spirit or commissioned by the church as the others had been. Mark was related to Barnabas, and Barnabas probably just said, Let s take him along with us, which is what they did. Mark was with them on Cyprus. But when they arrived in Pamphylia, for some reason Mark left the others to return to Jerusalem. We do not know why he left, though there has been a great deal of speculation about it. What we do know is that Paul did not like it. He regarded it as a desertion. 1 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing. Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches (Acts 15:36-41). There is also a[nother] problem. It is not mentioned here, except that Luke may be alluding to it in saying that although the missionaries went to Pamphylia and might have been expected to carry on a ministry thee, they actually left the coast and passed inland to Antioch in Pisida (not Antioch of Syria, from which they started out). Pisidian Antioch was in the mountains at an altitude of about 3,600 feet. Since Paul mentions in the letter to the Galatians that he had a bodily affliction at this time, some scholars have supposed that Paul caught a disease, perhaps malaria, while living in Pamphylia s lower coastal plains and that he and his party pressed on into the healthier mountain climate because of it. 2 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you (Galatians 4:13). I do not know if this was the case, but the idea was worked out at some length by the British scholar William Ramsay. In the last century Ramsay did extensive travels in these areas and wrote a book about his findings called St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen. He did much to show the historical accuracy of Luke s account of Paul s travels. 1 Boice, James Montgomery, Acts an Expositional Commentary, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1997, p. 235-236. 2 Ibid.
Regardless of the specifics of these events, clearly even these extraordinary apostles had disagreements. They were in the middle of a monumental missionary journey, led by the Holy Spirit, on the verge of what turned out to be a time of great blessing not only in Antioch but in the churches of Galatia as well. They still had problems. 3 So we too won t always see eye-to-eye. But the bottom line is even if we struggle as long as we all depend on the Holy Spirit and keep our eyes on the goal, to make disciples, these struggles will not become destructive. And even after these struggles, we find the Holy Spirit leading the men into a situation where they are blessed with the opportunity to present God s truth in the synagogue. And to the Uttermost Parts of the Earth IV Paul and the Gospel to the Gentiles 12:25-28:31 A. Paul s Missionary Journeys 12:25-21:16 1. First Missionary Journey: To Cyprus and Asia Minor 12:25-14:28 c. Another Introduction Verses 13-16a d. A Lesson on Death Verses 16b-43 i. A Short Overview of History Verses 16b-25 ii. Christ, God s Provision Verses 26-37 iii. An Invitation Verses 38-41 c. Another Introduction: Since we are following the Paul s first missionary journey, it is probably appropriate to take the time for a short geographical/history lesson and the areas in which he was traveling. In this case it was Perga in Pamphylia. Now as to PAMPHYLIA (Pa m phˆïl ˆï aå) One of the provinces of Asia Minor. Located in what is now southern Turkey, Pamphylia was a small district on the coast. It measured about 80 miles long and 20 miles wide. One of the chief cities was Perga, where John Mark left Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). Other important cities were the ports of Side and Attalia. The NT records no other significant events for the early church in Pamphylia, perhaps because of the concentration of non-hellenized people in the region. This would make the spread of the gospel slower and harder to achieve. 4 PERGA (Peñr gaå) Ancient city in the province of Pamphylia, about eight miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Settlement at Perga dates to prehistory. Alexander the Great passed through the town during his campaigns and used guides from there. A temple to Artemis was one of the prominent buildings. Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark came to Perga from Paphos (Acts 13:13). There young John left the team to return home. 5 It was here that John Mark left Paul and Barnabas. After he left, Paul and Barnabas continued on to Antioch in Pisidia. PISIDIA (Pˆï sˆïd ˆï aå) Small area in the province of Galatia in southern Asia Minor bounded by Pamphylia, Phrygia, and Lyconia. The territory lay within the Taurus Mountain range and therefore resisted invasion by ancient peoples. Only in 25 B.C. did the Romans gain control over the region through economic diplomacy. Antioch was made the capital, although some historians contend that the city was not actually in Pis- 3 Ibid 4 Brand, Chad, gen. ed., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2003. 5 Ibid. ) 220 (
idia. Paul and Barnabas came through Antioch (Acts 13:14) after John Mark left them in Perga (v. 13). The NT does not record any missionary activity in Pisidia itself, probably because there were few Jews there with whom to start a congregation. 6 As we saw last time Paul and Barnabas stopped first at the local Synagogue. As was tradition, a passage from the Pentateuch and the Prophets was read. Then as guests Paul and Barnabas were asked by the ruling Elder to share with those present. Okay, this was the normal pattern, but Paul and Barnabas? if we are going to make any assumptions, it would be that the leadership of the synagogue didn t really know who these men were. Also note that a change has occurred here. When the Barnabas and Paul are asked to share a word of encouragement, Paul has become the spokesman for the two. Paul was more than happy to take advantage of the offer. His message can be broken into three parts: i. A Short Overview of History; ii. Christ, God s Provision; iii. An Invitation. 7 And so the members of the synagogue were about to hear a message on death, that is on the death of death. This group was made up of Jews and godly men that is Gentiles who had been proselytized into Judaism. d. A Lesson on Death: i. A Short Overview of History: Keep in mind the Holy Spirit was active in all that follows, not just in Paul s words, but also in the hearts of his listeners. One more point, remember this synagogue is quite a ways from Jerusalem, up in Antioch in Pisidia. So Paul reminds his audience that he knows they are Israelites and believing Gentiles. Based on their response to his initial message, it seems they were open to the Spirit. But this reminder is intended to draw the men in to what Paul was going to teach. It was God who brought us into being as a people. He made us great, in numbers, in Egypt and when we were He freed us. Then He moved us through the wilderness into Canaan giving us the Land. (Which by the way is still theirs. It was to remain Israel s inheritance in perpetuity, though not the occupancy thereof.) in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place (Deuteronomy 1:31). And over all, continues Paul, the process took about four hundred and fifty years. He is giving a sense of history and his audiences link to that history. He is also creating a sense of continuity, that is their place in what God did in the past and was doing in the present. He did this by tying directly to the Jewish confessional. Longnecker states it this way: Highlighted in this résumé is a four-point confessional summary that for Jews epitomized the essence of their faith: (1) God is the God of the people of Israel; (2) he chose the patriarchs for himself; (3) he redeemed his people from Egypt, leading them through the wilderness; and (4) he gave them the land of Palestine as an inheritance (cf. G.E. Wright, God Who Acts [London: SCM, 1952], p. 76). 8 6 Ibid. 7 Dennis, Lane T. and Wayne Grudem, eds., English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible, Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL, 2008, (adapted). 8 Longnecker, Richard N., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Acts, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990. ) 221 (
It is this same concept we need to understand as we study Acts, that it is our tie to the past and that there is continuity between that past and what God is doing through us now. This isn t just the Reader s Digest version of history. It is more like an Amazon summary. Because with Paul s next statement he s moved all the way up to Saul being anointed by Samuel and becoming King. But Saul was a failure and God took the kingdom from him. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king (1 Samuel 15:23). Immediately Paul jumps to David and points out David s unique relationship to God. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD S command. (1 Samuel 13:14). As God said to Saul, regarding David. Anyway, having established David as godly, Paul immediately goes to David s godly descendent, Jesus. What Paul has done is a tight concise way tied his audience to their History, to God s presence and active care for them, and ties it to Jesus. In one sentence Paul states that Jesus was sent by God. He was sent as savior. He will call out to me, You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior (Psalm 89:26). And, Jesus was sent as had been prophesied. What I find interesting here is that Paul, in this section actually gives a bit more attention to John the Baptizer as the herald of Jesus, than he did to Jesus. But this is an expansion on the statement that Jesus coming was prophesied. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way a voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:2-8). While it is not state, it may also be that, because John had been held in such high esteem by many, Paul was making sure that it was clear that John was only functioning as a herald rather than the one heralded. ) 222 (
[John] was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 1:8, 3:28). Conclusion: There are two important points which can be seen even in this earlier part of Paul s message. The first is that evangelism should start at where people are, not where we are. Here he draws in his audience by starting with their own, and in this case, his history. Later, on Mars Hill, we ll seem him preaching to Greeks starting with their unknown god as a basis for exploring God s truth. This should serve as an illustration for our own approach to witnessing. The second point here is one of warning. Throughout history as God moves He displaces those who reject Him with those who are His own. The Canaanites were replaced by the Israelites. Saul was replaced by David and finally Christ has come as fulfillment of all God s promises. Those who reject Him will be displaced by those who accept Him. Fernando summarizes this approach by stating: The themes of the displacement of people and God s choice are keys to Paul s sermon. He speaks of the displacement of the nations and the choice of Israel (v. 19); the displacement of Saul and the choice of David (v. 22); the fact that all the people of Israel had to go through the sign of conversion to Judaism, baptism, if they were to avoid displacement (v. 24); the displacement of John by Jesus (v. 25); and the displacement of the Jews and the choice of Jesus (vv. 40 41; cf. vv. 46 48). Paul expresses God s plan of salvation for the world through the progress of history. Beginning with his salvation at the Exodus, he shows how God systematically kept unfolding his purposes until it reached its climax in the Christ event. 9 This is a warning to all people everywhere. If they do not follow Christ, they will find themselves on the outside, displaced from any hope of eternity in God s presence. Sincerity doesn t save. Living a good life doesn t save. Following the Law doesn t save. Obeying the Qur an doesn t save. Only grace saves! God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8). Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. 9 Fernando, Ajith, NIV Application Commentary, The, Acts, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998. ) 223 (
Refrain Grace, grace, God s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Refrain Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can avail to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today. Refrain Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive? Refrain 10 10 Johnston, Julia H., The Celebration Hymnal, Grace Greater than Our Sin, Word/Integrity, USA, 1997, #344. ) 224 (
Acts Acts 13:13-25 History 101 And to the Uttermost Parts of the Earth IV Paul and the Gospel to the Gentiles 12:25-28:31 A. Paul s Missionary Journeys 12:25-21:16 1. First Missionary Journey: To Cyprus and Asia Minor 12:25-14:28 c. Another Introduction Verses 13-16a d. A Lesson on Death Verses 16b-43 i. A Short Overview of History Verses 16b-25 ii. Christ, God s Provision Verses 26-37 iii. An Invitation Verses 38-41 c. Another Introduction: (Acts 15:36-41; Galatians 4:13) PAMPHYLIA PERGA PISIDIA
d. A Lesson on Death: i. A Short Overview of History: (Deuteronomy 1:31; 1 Samuel 15:23, 13:14; Psalm 89:26; Mark 1:2-8; John 1:8, 3:28; Ephesians 2:4-5, 8) Conclusion: Personal Application: As we saw this morning we have much to be grateful for, our salvation and being chosen by God. Over the next few weeks, leading up to Thanksgiving, consider all you have to be thankful for. Oh, and by the way, next week, I ll ask you to share. Prayer for the Week: Father, I can never praise You adequately for all Your blessings. May Your Spirit help me to focus on all those blessings, counting them, listing them, and praising Your for them. In Christ s name, amen.