Daily Thoughts from Acts: To the Jews First (Acts 13:13-43)

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 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. 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.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. 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. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 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. 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 a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’  Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 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.’

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 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. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 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. But God raised him from the dead, 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. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 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.’

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.’

Therefore he says also in another psalm,

   “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

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, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:

   “‘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.’”

 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.  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.  (Acts 13:13-43 ESV)

As devout Jews, Paul (who now seems to be the leader of the team) and Barnabas, minus John Mark (the writer of our Gospel of Mark) who has left the company, attend synagogue, where they are asked to speak as is the custom with guest rabbis.  Paul gives a brief history of Israel and her expectation of a Messiah king from David’s line and then claims that Jesus, the one the Jews of Jerusalem asked Pilate to crucify, is Israel’s Messiah as evidenced by fulfillment of prophecy and God’s raising him from the dead.

Amazingly, both ethnic Jews and converts to Judaism (God-fearers) among the congregation want to hear more and apparently decide that Paul and Barnabas are right in what they are teaching.  Paul and Barnabas urge them to continue in the grace of God, which suggests that there may be inducements in the days ahead to abandon this teaching and belief.  More than likely, Paul and Barnabas are expecting persecution.  But the stage is set for them on the next Sabbath to speak again in the synagogue in Perga in what is today Turkey.

Paul told the Corinthians that he didn’t try to use lofty speech or wisdom to persuade them to believe but simply spoke the truth and knew that if they believed it was because the Spirit of God was demonstrating His power in them (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).  This doesn’t mean there won’t be times when people ask for more evidence to believe and we are responsible for giving it to them (1 Peter 3:15).  But ultimately, conversion is a work of the Spirit in unbelieving hearts, hearts that would not normally consider the gospel a stumbling block or folly (1 Corinthians 1:23).