Sunday, June 24, 2007
Acts 14
This morning we are in the 14th chapter of Acts. Let’s do a quick review, just to make sure we are all together and up to date. You will remember that while Paul and Barnabas and other leaders in the church of Antioch were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them." So, in obedience to the Lord, the leaders and the congregation at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas out to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.
Let’s trace their travels on the map. Here is Antioch, which is "Antioch of Syria." Their first stop was the island of Cyprus. While there, they preached in at least two cities – Salamis and Paphos. From there, they sailed up to the mainland, landing in the province of Pamphylia. There is no record that they preached at Perga, but something significant did happen there. You will also recall that John Mark was traveling with them, as their assistant. While they were at Perga, John Mark went back home. We are not told why.
From Perga, Paul and Barnabas traveled up to Antioch, which was in the province of Pisidia. We designate it "Antioch of Pisidia" to distinguish it from Antioch of Syria, the city from which they were sent. Last week we looked at the ministry in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas went first to the synagogue and there they preached the good news of Jesus. Much of Paul’s sermon is recorded for us. The most significant thing that happened in Antioch is captured in these words of Paul: "…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" (Acts 13:46). Paul then proceeded to quote from Isaiah 49, demonstrating that it was God’s plan that the gospel should be taken to the ends of the earth and not restricted to the Jews.
As will be the case again and again, while many believed, opposition arose quickly, chiefly from among the Jews who did not believe. The opposition was strong enough that they were able to "expel them out of their coasts [area]." But even though Paul and Barnabas were forced to leave, a great work had begun, as demonstrated by the closing words of chapter 13, "And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost" (13:52). You will notice in verse 51, that after they shook the dust off their feet, Paul and Barnabas headed for Iconium. This morning we want to look at the rest of this first missionary journey, beginning with their ministry at Iconium. (Find it on the map).
1. And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Iconium was about 90 miles from Antioch. When they arrived, as was their custom, they went to the synagogue. As Paul would say in Romans 1:16 (please say it with me), "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth – to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." The message they preached would have been very much like what they preached in Antioch. Perhaps that is why we have a rather detailed record of the message in Antioch; it was representative of what they preached in the synagogues. Here in Iconium the message was well received, with a "great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks" believing.
2. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
The usual pattern continued. Those Jews who refused to accept the truth that Paul proclaimed stirred up opposition against Paul and Barnabas. And they used a simple strategy – poison the minds of the Gentiles. This is what the Jews had done in Antioch.
3. Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Despite the opposition of the Jews, Paul and Barnabas stayed there in Iconium a long time, "speaking boldly in the Lord." The term "therefore" may seem to be misplaced. Why would they stay there and speak boldly in the Lord, as a result of the opposition? It is better to connect the "therefore" with verse 1. As a result of the great multitude who believed, "therefore" (in spite of the opposition) they remained there a long time and spoke boldly in the Lord. This reminds us of the apostles in Jerusalem. When they were beaten and told not to speak any more in the name of Jesus, they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And they continued to speak the word boldly. We find the same thing here.
We see here that the Lord "gave testimony to the word of his grace." The "word of his grace" simply speaks of the message which proclaimed the grace of God. The Lord confirmed that message by granting Paul and Barnabas the ability to do signs and wonders. This is what we have been finding throughout the book of Acts. These signs and wonders had a definite purpose; they gave testimony to the message of God’s grace.
4. But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5. And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, 6. They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
The opposition didn’t go away. We read that the city was divided. Part of them sided with the Jews, and part of them with the apostles. While there had been opposition from the start, now it has become much stronger. For some time, it was not strong enough to prevent Paul and Barnabas from preaching in the city, but now it’s different.
Notice that Barnabas is here called an apostle, and we find the same thing in verse 14. He obviously wasn’t one of the twelve, and he didn’t have the special calling of Paul, but he is called an apostle. Some would say that the term "apostle" came to be understood in a similar way as to our word "missionary." The word literally means "one sent out." It would be nice, if the Lord had given us more instruction at this point, but we can rest assured that He has given us all we need, even if we are left with questoins.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the city was divided. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34). Jesus was not speaking about a sword of domination, as if He would make converts by force. But, as the context demonstrates, He was speaking of division. Jesus and the gospel will always bring division. Sometimes we think politics can be divisive, but even politics is not as divisive as the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is because it deals with eternity, and no one can truly remain neutral to Jesus.
In this case, the opposition became so strong that they were ready to stone Paul and Barnabas. When they became aware of the plot, they fled to the next cities, Lystra and Derbe, which were in the province of Lycaonia.
7. And there they preached the gospel.
What a simple but powerful statement. That was what they were sent to do, and that is what they did. In the end, may it be said of us that we proclaimed the gospel. You will notice that there is no mention of a synagogue here in Lystra. Apparently there weren’t enough Jews in the city to warrant a synagogue. That does not conclusively prove that there was no synagogue, but it is hard to find any other reason for Paul not to have begun his ministry there, as he did in other cities.
8. And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: 9. The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10. Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
Luke emphasizes the man’s helpless condition through repetition – impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. How many ways can it be said? This reminds us of the crippled beggar encountered by Peter and John at the temple gate. The result was the same, as this man was healed. It is interesting that Paul perceived that this man had faith to be healed. Other healings are related in the New Testament with no mention of the person’s faith. In the case of the man who was let down through the roof before Jesus, the Master perceived the faith of the four men who brought him. His faith is demonstrated by the fact that when Paul told him to stand upright on his feet, he rose and did so.
This man "leaped and walked." More literally, "He leaped up and began to walk." The term "leaped" speaks of a point of action. He suddenly leaped to his feet. The word "walked" speaks of continuous action. He had never walked before, but now he began to walk and continued to do so. What a wonderful miracle the Lord had done through His servants.
11. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 13. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Don’t you know this reaction caught Paul and Barnabas by surprise. They had just escaped from Iconium before being stoned, but now the people in Lystra want to treat them like gods. We read that they called Barbabas Jupiter, and they called Paul Mercury. The King James uses the Latin replacement for the Greek forms, which are Zeus and Hermes. Hermes was the spokesman for the greater god Zeus. Perhaps they referred to Barnabas as Zeus because he was the older and more reserved. It was natural to associate Paul with Hermes, because he did most of the speaking. The belief that the gods sometimes assumed the shape of men and mingled among them was common among these people. In fact, there was a legend which said that Jupiter and Mercury (or Zeus and Hermes) once appeared to the people of Phrygia, not far away.
Notice that when they cried out, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men," they spoke in the speech of Lycaonia. These were the native people of the region and they continued to use their native tongue, though the Roman citizens of the city would have spoken in Latin or in Greek. The context seems to indicate that Paul and Barnabas did not understand what was happening right away. We see that in the next section.
14. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15. And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
When Paul and Barnabas heard of it, they tore their clothes and took immediate action. This is what they did, when they understood what was really happening. It took them a while because of the language barrier. But when they did understand, they tore their clothes as an expression of horror toward blasphemy. Mark 14:63-64, "Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64. Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." This was a spiritual crisis. Men were about to bow down to them. In their eyes, this was even more dangerous than the Jewish opposition that almost got them stoned. They could not let this happen. Notice the contrast between their action and that of Herod, who accepted the praise of the people who flattered him with the words, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man" (Acts 12:22). The Lord killed Herod for his action, but He was surely pleased with the extreme protest of Paul and Barnabas.
In a sense, Paul and Barnabas preached a brief sermon. Perahps they had to speak through translators. At any rate, they made it very clear that there is only one God, and He alone is worthy of worship. The subject of what they said was God Himself. After saying, "We also are men of like passions with you," they turned their attention totally to God. They emphasized that there was one God, that He is the living God and created everything, that He guides the course of history and controls the destiny of men. They concluded by focusing on God’s goodness and grace.
You will notice that this is very different from the sermon Paul preached in the synagogue of Antioch. Why? Because now he is speaking to pagan Gentiles. These are not Jews, nor even Gentiles who fear the Lord; they are pagans who know little or nothing about the living God. Instead of beginning with the fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures, He begins with the character of God Himself. It can be said that Paul always preached the same general message, but we must observe that he adapted his message to his audience. He didn’t always begin at the same place. Also, at this point he had one main purpose in mind, and that was to dissuade these people from offering sacrifices to him and Barnabas.
It wasn’t easy, but Paul and Barnabas were able to prevent them from offering sacrifices. Notice especially how zealous these two men were for the glory of God, the God who said, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Is. 42:8).
19. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
This is absolutely amazing. The people who were ready to worship Paul and Barnabas now turn on them and actually stone Paul. What made the difference? Certain Jews came from Antioch and Iconium came and stirred up the people. Lystra was about 18 miles south of Iconium, but it is 100 miles from Antioch. Some believe that these "certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium" were some kind of businessmen who just happened to be passing through Lystra, but I find that unlikely, in light of the fact that Luke doesn’t mention anything like that. It seems much more likely that these Jews were so hostile to Paul and his message that they traveled a great distance to oppose him.
We don’t know what they told these people, but it was highly effective. There is something to be said for the old phrase about crowds being fickle. Today they love you; tomorrow they hate you. Of course, this isn’t the first time we read of this. Remember how the crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. They spread their coats in the road and cut down branches and laid them before him. They rolled out the red carpet, as they said, "Hosanna to the son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest" (Matt. 21:9). But a few days later many of those same people were shouting, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" As it was with their Master, so with His servants.
What was a danger in Iconium became a reality in Lystra. The people actually stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. It appears that this was a mob action, with not even a pretense of giving Paul a fair trial. Surely Paul later refers to this very incident in II Cor 11:25, "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep…" While there are differences of opinions, it seems very likely that the churches in these cities were the very ones to whom Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians. Listen to Gal. 6:17, "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."
20. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Amazingly enough, Paul was not dead. We aren’t given any details at this point. Did God miraculously raise him up? It is very unusual for a man to get up from a stoning like this and walk away. The Lord had his hand on Paul, and no one could do anything to him without the Lord’s say-so. What is even more amazing is that Paul went back into the city. Why? Didn’t he fear for his life? He and Barnabas had fled from Iconium, but now Paul goes back into Lystra, before departing for Derbe. Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate the faithfulness of the Lord. Or maybe he wanted to speak with the new disciples one more time.
21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Of all the cities where Paul and Barnabas had preached on this particular missionary endeavor, this is the briefest account. Nevertheless, the few words recorded tell us of great resutls. Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel to that city. The King James then says that they "taught many." It is difficult to go back to 1611 and determine how the English word "taught" was used in that day, but the Greek term translated "taught" literally means "to make disciples." The related noun "disciple" is a form of this same word. So this doesn’t mean that they simply gave instruction, but that they successfully made disciples of Jesus in this city of Derbe.
After they had preached in Derbe, they then returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. These were the three cities in which they had most recently preached. Paul had been stoned in Lystra. The unbelieving Jews of Antioch and Iconium were so hostile to Paul and Barnabas that they traveled all the way to Lystra to stir up opposition against them. We don’t know what kind of shape Paul was in, as a result of the abuse he had taken not long before in Lystra. Surely the easiest thing would have been to beat a path back to Antioch of Syria, where their brothers and sisters would be waiting to welcome them. Instead, they headed in the opposite direction.
Take a look at the map for a moment. If they had headed straight to Antioch of Syria from Derbe, notice the city that lies about half way on that route. It is Tarsus, Paul’s home town. If they had gone to Tarsus, the miles traveled would have been less than half of the route they took, leading them eventually back to Perga and Attalia (trace the route). And then, once they arrived at Tarsus, it would have been a short sail to Antioch, as opposed to the much longer sea route from Attalia. So why were Paul and Barnabas determined to go back to these cities? Verses 22-23 give us the answer…
22. Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
They returned to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in order to confirm the souls of the disciples there. This word translated "confirm" is found only in the book of Acts (also in 15:32,41; 18:23), but its basic root word is used more widely. The meaning of the root (sthrizw) is "to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix." The word used here has a little prefix added, which makes the meaning stronger. It means "to strengthen more, to render more firm, to confirm." Paul and Barnabas considered this of vital importance. Remember that these new believers were in the midst of a very hostile environment. If the unbelieving Jews ranged far and wide to persecute Paul and Barnabas, don’t think they are going to go easy on these who remained among them. Remember also that these are new believers, having come to know the Lord only a few months before, at the very most.
As a part of strengthening them, Paul and Barnabas exhorted them to continue in the faith. We have encountered that term "exhort" a great deal in recent months. They came alongside them to encourage, to comfort, and to challenge them to continue in the faith. "The faith" here likely refers to those basic beliefs that make up way of the Lord Jesus. Perhaps the term is used in very much the same way as "the apostle’s doctrine" in Acts 2. They must not lose sight of the basic teachings Paul and Barnabas had shared with them.
Then they specifically pointed out one particular facet of the faith. And what would that be? It isn’t what we would expect. They told these new believers that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." "Tribulation" is the translation of that word which speaks of "squeezing." It is the word that was used of pressing the grapes. We don’t like to get squeezed, but this is the way of life that leads into the kingdom of God. They were not saying that enduring tribulation will earn us a place in heaven. Rather, they emphasized that the narrow way that leads to life is accompanied by tribulation.
And if we think it was only true for those early disciples, we are kidding ourselves. Over and over, particularly in the New Testament, we find this truth. Rom. 8:16-17, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." II Thes. 1:4, "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure." But praise God that our light affliction has great purpose, as we read in II Cor. 4:17-18, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
23. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
Let it be known that even in these new churches, which were probably rather small, Paul and Barnabas saw a need for some definite structure. So they appointed elders in these local assemblies. It seems quite clear, especially in light of the rest of Acts, that there were elders (plural) in each church. These men were not appointed to run the church, but to give direction primarily by feeding the flock (see Acts 20:28).
You may ask, "What about a pastor? Didn’t they appoint a pastor?" There are three terms that are used for those who gave spiritual leadership in the New Testament church – pastor, elder, bishop (or "overseer"). It seems quite clear that all three terms refer to the same person. The one used the least is "pastor," while "elder" is the most common term. As I understand the scriptures, we are still handicapped to the degree that we consider a church as having one pastor. While in theory Norman and I are pastor/elders in this congregation, there are still too many who consider myself to be "the pastor." It is unfortunate that we have inherited a system which is so deeply ingrained in us, but praise God that He is able to renew our minds through His Word.
Accompanying the appointing of these elders was a time of prayer and fasting. We are not specifically told who prayed and fasted. Certainly it was Paul and Barnabas, but surely it included the people of the particular local church as well. Before they departed, Paul and Barnabas, "commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." That word translated "commend" literally means "to put beside, to put on deposit." We would likely say "entrust." Paul and Barnabas entrusted them to the Lord. Isn’t that beautiful! They knew they couldn’t be with them, but it was okay. They entrusted them to much better hands, to the Lord Himself. After all, it was upon the Lord they had believed. Surely is able to keep that which is entrusted unto Him!
24. And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25. And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:
Upon leaving Antioch, they passed through more of the province of Pisidia and then entered into the province of Pamphylia. You will recall that on their way to Antioch the first time, they passed through Perga. However, the only thing we know about their stop the first time was that John Mark left them at that point. But this time, they preached the word in Perga. Again, no details are given. After preaching in Perga, they traveled down to the port city of Attalia. From there, they sailed to Antioch. Let’s read it…
26. And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. 27. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28. And there they abode long time with the disciples.
It is about 300 miles from Attalia back to Antioch of Syria, as the crow flies. No doubt, the sailing route was much longer, as they would have stayed close to land. What a joy it must have been to arrive back at their home base. Notice first of all that they had fulfilled the work. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean that they preached the gospel in every city of Pisidia or Pamphylia. In all, it is recorded that they preached in two cities on the island of Cyprus and another five on the mainland (Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Perga).
Nevertheless, they fulfilled the work. Simply put, they had done what God sent them to do. As they listened to the Spirit, they preached the good news where the Lord wanted it preached at that time.
By the way, do you see that clause "from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God"? That word translated "recommended" is the same word that we found in verse 23, where it was translated "commended." As the believers at Antioch had sent them out, entrusting them to the grace of God, so they had then entrusted the new believers in the young congregations to the keeping of the Lord.
They gathered the church of Antioch together. Notice that the "church" is not a meeting place, but rather the people who were a part of the body of Christ. And when they were assembled, they reported all the things that God had done with them. Specifically, they related how the Lord had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles. As large numbers of Gentiles had responded to the gospel here in Antioch of Syria, so did they in these other cities. We see that more and more the focus is shifting to the ministry to Gentiles.
The chapter concludes by telling us that Paul and Barnabas stayed there in Antioch with there brothers and sisters for a long time. No doubt, they were in need of some rest and encouragement. After what they had faced in places like Lystra, what a blessing to be welcomed home by those who sent them out. At the same time, I can’t see Paul sitting around in a place like Antioch, where over a half million people waited for the good news of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
So in chapters 13 and 14 of Acts we have the record of Paul’s first missionary journey. That would only be the beginning. But what is so important about this? Why do we take time to study this? Why were Paul and Barnabas, along with the church at Antioch, so devoted to this kind of mission enterprise? The answer is simple, and we must never forget it.
There was a time when Paul, Barnabas, and every other believer in Antioch were dead. That’s right. The problem was not that they were immoral, unkind, unlearned, or spiritually sick; they were dead. "And ye hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Paul wrote those words to the Ephesians (2:1), but they are true of every believer in this world. There was a time when we were spiritually dead.
Paul did not entertain any hope that a dead man could somehow make himself alive. That will never happen. Only God can bring a dead person to life. But praise God that He can. Paul and Barnabas were living testimonies to that truth. They ranged far and wide and preached the gospel, because that good news is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. It is the Word of God that awakens those who sleep the sleep of spiritual death, and that is the Word they proclaimed.
Things haven’t changed a bit. We are surrounded by people who are dead, just as we were. Right here this morning, there is a significant number who are dead. And unless you are awakened through the power of the gospel, you will remain dead and will finally face an eternity in hell.
Praise God that He made a way for you. The holy and perfect God created you and gave you a perfect law to obey, but you have broken His law and rebelled against Him. You have spit in the face of your Creator. But God sent His own Son into this world. To do what? To die on the cross. There on that cross, He endured the wrath of a holy God who hates sin, for there it pleased God the Father to bruise, to crush, His Son. Is it not time for you to fall on your knees and cry out, "O God, let me see Jesus. Open my eyes to who He is and what He has done."
The window of opportunity for raising the dead is very brief. Our life is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (Jms. 4:14). Unless the Lord brings life to you, you will finally cry out: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved" (Jer. 8:20). May we, like the church at Antioch, zealously take the gospel to men and women who are dead in their trespasses and sins.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
"Questions, Questions!" I Kings 13 -- 6/17/07 P.M.
Sunday Evening, June 17, 2006
THE MAN OF GOD AND THE OLD PROPHET
I Kings 13
I have some exciting news for you tonight. Sometimes you wonder what the specific will of God is for you. Well, for the next five days, the Lord has revealed His specific will. For the next five days, I want you to take a break from reading the scriptures and I want you to read a book that is powerful. You’ve never heard of this book, but I assure you that the Lord will use it in your life. It is only 100 pages, so all you have to do is read 20 pages a day.
Someone: "You are telling us not to read the Word of God for the next five days?"
"That’s right."
Someone again: "But God tells us that the blessing of God is upon the one who delights in the law of the Lord and makes it his meditation day and night."
"I understand that. In general, that is certainly the will of God. But an angel appeared to me that said that this is what we are to do for the next five days. After that, we will go back to reading and meditating on the Word."
What do you think? I hope that I wasn’t very convincing. I trust that you wouldn’t expect me to seriously ask you to do that. However, what if I pressed my argument that an angel spoke to me? How can you resist such a claim?
Now let’s read again that fascinating story from I Kings 13. Read I Kings 13:1-6…
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. 3. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. 4. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
Notice in verse 1 that this is a man of God who came by the word of the Lord. The reality of that statement is borne out by what we read in verses 2-6. The Lord gave this man a very specific prophecy to deliver before the altar at Bethel.
Now let’s pause for just a moment to make sure we understand the situation that is taking place. This man of God was "out of Judah." Bethel was a city in the northern kingdom of Israel, but it was only a mile or two from the northern border of Judah. So it really wasn’t a long trip for this man to make. But when we look at the spiritual distance, as opposed to the geographical distance, it was much farther.
Let’s go back to the division of the kingdom. There were only three kings of the united kingdom – Saul, David, and Solomon. At the beginning of the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes united under Jeroboam and pulled away from Rehoboam. From that point on, there were two kingdoms – Judah in the south and Israel in the north. Immediately Jeroboam could see a problem developing. The temple was in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom. The law declared that God’s people must go three times a year to the temple, the place where the Lord had placed His name. If His subjects faithfully made this trip to Jerusalem three times a year, Jeroboam felt certain that they would eventually defect to the house of David and to King Rehoboam. So what could he do about it? He set up two altars and with golden calves, one at Dan (in the far north) and one at Bethel (on the southern border). Then he said to the people, "These are your gods, which brought you out of the land of Egypt" (I Kings 12:26-29).
The man of God from Judah was sent to the altar at Bethel. And the Lord had given him a very specific prophecy against that altar. Listen to it again from verse 2, "O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee." Notice that he names a future king of Judah by name. We know, of course, that Josiah would indeed become king of Judah and this prophecy would be fulfilled. Not only did the man of God faithfully deliver the prophecy, but he also gave a miraculous sign, which was a pledge that it would actually happen. "This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken;
Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out."
It was at this point that Jeroboam stepped in. This was serious business. I don’t know whether the man of God expected Jeroboam to be present. Whether expected or not, Jeroboam was there and he heard this strange prophecy from this man’s lips. You can understand why Jeroboam was upset. So he reached out his hand and said, "Lay hold on him." Grab him. Arrest him. After all, Jeroboam was the king of the nation. Surely no one could oppose him. No one could treat his altar like that. The king reached out his hand, but he couldn’t pull it back to himself. It dried up. At the same time, the altar suddenly split and the ashes were poured out on the ground. King Jeroboam must have realized that he was confronting a power that he knew little about. He said to the man of God, "Pray to God for me, so that the use of my hand will be restored." The man of God prayed, and the king’s hand was restored to what it had been before.
Can there be any question that this man did indeed come to Bethel by the word of the Lord? God not only gave him a message to deliver, but He also gave him a sign to confirm it. And when this man prayed to the Lord, the Lord heard immediately and healed this wicked king. You might ask, "How did the Lord speak to the man of God?" We don’t know. What we do know is that God truly spoke to him. Of that, there can be absolutely no question. That is the thing we want to hang on to at this point. This man heard from the Lord.
Now let’s read verses 7-10…
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 8. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 9. For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
From this part of the story, we learn that the Lord had said something else to the man of God. Verse 9, "For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that you came." So do you think the Lord actually gave the man of God these instructions? Why do you think so? If this man heard the Lord with respect to the prophecy against the altar, even accurately revealing Josiah’s name, then surely he heard the Lord concerning this thing, which apparently was spoken by the Lord at the same time. He was so certain of the Lord’s instruction that he would not allow King Jeroboam to do anything for him. Even if Jeroboam were to offer him half of all he had, that would make no difference. Why not? Because the Lord had spoken to him and he must obey the Lord. Once the man of God had told the king what the Lord had said, he turned and left. The man of God said no to the king and walked out of his presence. That is how resolute he was about obeying the word of the Lord.
What a testimony! It would be wonderful, if we could close the story right there. But not really, for all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. Praise God that He gives us the rest of the story, though it is sad and even tragic. It must be told. So let’s read I Kings 13:11-14…
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. 12. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, 14. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
Now we are introduced to the old prophet, who lived in Bethel. Wouldn’t you like to know something about the old prophet? But we are told nothing, other than the fact that he had sons. We are not told why he wanted to find the man of God, but he seemed very intent about it. So now the old prophet meets the man of God. Let’s continue in 13:15-17…
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
The old prophet offers the man of God common courtesy by inviting him home to eat bread. When he heard the invitation, the man of God immediately responded by telling the old prophet what God had told him. At this point, we might ask, "Did the man of God know this man was a prophet?" We are not told. There is no record that the old prophet identified himself as such, but we just don’t know.
Now verses 18-19…He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
At this point, the questions begin to flood our minds. Why did the old prophet do this? He wasn’t just being hospitable after all. But why would he say that an angel spoke to him, when an angel didn’t speak to him? We are told clearly that the old prophet lied to the man of God. So we begin to wonder if this man was a prophet at all. Was he? Why would he say that an angel spoke to him by the Word of the Lord?
But verse 19 brings questions about the man of God. Why did he go back to this man’s house and eat with him, when he knew the Lord had told him not to do so? How could he stand against a powerful king and then wilt in the presence of this lying old prophet? Why didn’t he take time to think about what he was doing?
We’ll let those questions rumble around in our minds, while we read the rest of the story. 13:20-22…
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, 22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
I don’t think I like this old prophet, or whatever you want to call him. The nerve of him to rebuke the man of God. Who does he think he is? But we are told that "the word of the Lord came unto the prophet," that he was speaking to the man of God what God told him to relay. But if the man of God was disobedient, what can we say about the old prophet. He is a conniving, scheming… No, I don’t like this man one bit. Why should the man of God have to die for his act of disobedience, when this lying deceiver is allowed to live?
Let’s read the rest of the story. Read 13:23-32…
And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 25. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him. 27. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. 28. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. 29. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. 30. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! 31. And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: 32. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
Can you believe it? The old prophet mourned for the man of God. Isn’t that like murdering a man and then grieving over the loss? He not only mourned for the man of God, but he buried him in his own tomb. When he leads the mourners in saying, "Alas, my brother," it is almost more than we can bear. The only redeeming feature in the actions of this man is found in verse 32, "For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass."
What are we to do with the story of the man of God and the old prophet? We could ask more questions and proceed in a number of different directions, but I suggest that we focus on the man of God and why he disobeyed the Word of the Lord. Let me remind us that he had heard the Word of the Lord clearly, so clearly that he called Josiah by name and was willing to prophesy the destruction of the altar in the presence of the King of Israel. Nevertheless, in the presence of the old prophet, he disobeyed what the Lord had clearly said. He had quoted the clear instructions of the Lord to both Jeroboam and the old prophet, but then he proceeded to do otherwise. Why?
I can’t begin to answer all the questions we have already raised. What we must focus on is the fact that the man who resisted the king wasn’t able to stand against the old prophet. This deceiver effectively persuaded the man of God to go directly against the Word of the Lord.
So what about the old prophet? Was he really a prophet of the Lord? We might say, "No, for surely a prophet of the Lord would not lie, and this man lied. Surely a prophet of the Lord wouldn’t try to trip up a man who was seeking to do the will of the Lord." On the other hand, after the man of God disobeyed, we are told that the Word of the Lord came to the old prophet (vs. 20).
What about his claim that an angel spoke to him and said, "Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water?" We know the answer to that question, because the scripture tells us in no uncertain terms, "He lied to him" (vs. 18). Again, how could a prophet of the Lord make up such a story as this?
We could go on and on, but let’s come to a conclusion. I am going to share with you the conclusion to which I have come. I don’t demand that you agree with me, but I would ask you to consider it carefully. Concerning the old prophet, who he was and what his motives were make absolutely no difference. Was he truly a prophet? It doesn’t matter. Was he deliberately trying to cause the man of God to stumble? It doesn’t matter. Or was God using him to test the man of God. It makes no difference.
Why do I say that none of these things matter? Let me answer by bringing this story up to date. Suppose your pastor suggested to you that you should cease reading the Word of God for a time. But why would he do that? Can such a pastor be called a man of God? Is the Lord using him to test us? How can such a man claim to be a shepherd of God’s flock? It doesn’t matter. What matters is what the Lord says and that you obey what the Lord says. The motive of those who would lead you astray makes no difference.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that God does not speak directly to people about specific things. He certainly does. I am not saying that we should disregard the person who says, "God told me," or "An angel told me." I am saying this: "If what someone tells you contradicts the Word of God, don’t listen." If the man of God had turned and walked away from the old prophet as quickly as he did from Jeroboam, he could have lived considerably longer on this earth. But when he lingered and considered the words that clearly contradicted what the Lord had told him, he got in trouble.
We don’t have to know the motives of other people. We don’t have to condemn other people. But we can’t go along with what they say, when it clearly contradicts the Word of God. Suppose you have sons who hear a message something like this. "Yes, the Bible says that a man should not lust after a woman, but we have to consider the day in which we live. Because of the world around us, that is impossible. A young man must simply be wise. If he slips up and finds himself lusting, he should certainly turn away from that. But on the other hand, he doesn’t have to feel like he has sinned, because it is inevitable." What should you tell your son? Take him to the Word of God. Lust is sin. Flee youthful lusts. If you do lust, claim the promise immediately: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
Remember that we live in day of great deception. Our adversary, the devil, will stoop to any deceitful trick in order to devour us (I Pet. 5:8). Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15). Gal 1:8-9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
Conclusion
Now let’s read the last two verses of I Kings 13 (33-34)…
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 34. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
We read that and are tempted to say, "And after all that, the ministry of the man of God meant nothing. Even though he faithfully proclaimed God’s Word to Jeroboam, it didn’t change him in the least." True, Jeroboam didn’t change, but that does not mean that the ministry of the man of God was wasted. Make no mistake, for the Word of the Lord will not return to Him void (Is. 55:11). The word spoken by the man of God accomplished that for which God sent it forth. In the first place, it justified God’s judgment against Jeroboam. Jeroboam will never be able to say throughout all eternity, "But God, you didn’t warn me."
But that isn’t the end of the story. Let’s read II Kings 23:15-18…
Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. 16. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 17. Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. 18. And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.
The Word of the Lord is tried (Ps. 18:30). The Word of the Lord is right (Ps. 33:4). The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Prov. 12:6). Let’s read again Ps. 19:7-11…
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
God’s Word will never fail. Neither Jeroboam nor the old prophet could keep the Lord’s Word from being carried out. Praise God for His faithfulness. May we be faithful to Him and to His Word!
THE MAN OF GOD AND THE OLD PROPHET
I Kings 13
I have some exciting news for you tonight. Sometimes you wonder what the specific will of God is for you. Well, for the next five days, the Lord has revealed His specific will. For the next five days, I want you to take a break from reading the scriptures and I want you to read a book that is powerful. You’ve never heard of this book, but I assure you that the Lord will use it in your life. It is only 100 pages, so all you have to do is read 20 pages a day.
Someone: "You are telling us not to read the Word of God for the next five days?"
"That’s right."
Someone again: "But God tells us that the blessing of God is upon the one who delights in the law of the Lord and makes it his meditation day and night."
"I understand that. In general, that is certainly the will of God. But an angel appeared to me that said that this is what we are to do for the next five days. After that, we will go back to reading and meditating on the Word."
What do you think? I hope that I wasn’t very convincing. I trust that you wouldn’t expect me to seriously ask you to do that. However, what if I pressed my argument that an angel spoke to me? How can you resist such a claim?
Now let’s read again that fascinating story from I Kings 13. Read I Kings 13:1-6…
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. 3. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. 4. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
Notice in verse 1 that this is a man of God who came by the word of the Lord. The reality of that statement is borne out by what we read in verses 2-6. The Lord gave this man a very specific prophecy to deliver before the altar at Bethel.
Now let’s pause for just a moment to make sure we understand the situation that is taking place. This man of God was "out of Judah." Bethel was a city in the northern kingdom of Israel, but it was only a mile or two from the northern border of Judah. So it really wasn’t a long trip for this man to make. But when we look at the spiritual distance, as opposed to the geographical distance, it was much farther.
Let’s go back to the division of the kingdom. There were only three kings of the united kingdom – Saul, David, and Solomon. At the beginning of the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the ten northern tribes united under Jeroboam and pulled away from Rehoboam. From that point on, there were two kingdoms – Judah in the south and Israel in the north. Immediately Jeroboam could see a problem developing. The temple was in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom. The law declared that God’s people must go three times a year to the temple, the place where the Lord had placed His name. If His subjects faithfully made this trip to Jerusalem three times a year, Jeroboam felt certain that they would eventually defect to the house of David and to King Rehoboam. So what could he do about it? He set up two altars and with golden calves, one at Dan (in the far north) and one at Bethel (on the southern border). Then he said to the people, "These are your gods, which brought you out of the land of Egypt" (I Kings 12:26-29).
The man of God from Judah was sent to the altar at Bethel. And the Lord had given him a very specific prophecy against that altar. Listen to it again from verse 2, "O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee." Notice that he names a future king of Judah by name. We know, of course, that Josiah would indeed become king of Judah and this prophecy would be fulfilled. Not only did the man of God faithfully deliver the prophecy, but he also gave a miraculous sign, which was a pledge that it would actually happen. "This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken;
Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out."
It was at this point that Jeroboam stepped in. This was serious business. I don’t know whether the man of God expected Jeroboam to be present. Whether expected or not, Jeroboam was there and he heard this strange prophecy from this man’s lips. You can understand why Jeroboam was upset. So he reached out his hand and said, "Lay hold on him." Grab him. Arrest him. After all, Jeroboam was the king of the nation. Surely no one could oppose him. No one could treat his altar like that. The king reached out his hand, but he couldn’t pull it back to himself. It dried up. At the same time, the altar suddenly split and the ashes were poured out on the ground. King Jeroboam must have realized that he was confronting a power that he knew little about. He said to the man of God, "Pray to God for me, so that the use of my hand will be restored." The man of God prayed, and the king’s hand was restored to what it had been before.
Can there be any question that this man did indeed come to Bethel by the word of the Lord? God not only gave him a message to deliver, but He also gave him a sign to confirm it. And when this man prayed to the Lord, the Lord heard immediately and healed this wicked king. You might ask, "How did the Lord speak to the man of God?" We don’t know. What we do know is that God truly spoke to him. Of that, there can be absolutely no question. That is the thing we want to hang on to at this point. This man heard from the Lord.
Now let’s read verses 7-10…
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 8. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 9. For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
From this part of the story, we learn that the Lord had said something else to the man of God. Verse 9, "For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that you came." So do you think the Lord actually gave the man of God these instructions? Why do you think so? If this man heard the Lord with respect to the prophecy against the altar, even accurately revealing Josiah’s name, then surely he heard the Lord concerning this thing, which apparently was spoken by the Lord at the same time. He was so certain of the Lord’s instruction that he would not allow King Jeroboam to do anything for him. Even if Jeroboam were to offer him half of all he had, that would make no difference. Why not? Because the Lord had spoken to him and he must obey the Lord. Once the man of God had told the king what the Lord had said, he turned and left. The man of God said no to the king and walked out of his presence. That is how resolute he was about obeying the word of the Lord.
What a testimony! It would be wonderful, if we could close the story right there. But not really, for all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. Praise God that He gives us the rest of the story, though it is sad and even tragic. It must be told. So let’s read I Kings 13:11-14…
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. 12. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, 14. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
Now we are introduced to the old prophet, who lived in Bethel. Wouldn’t you like to know something about the old prophet? But we are told nothing, other than the fact that he had sons. We are not told why he wanted to find the man of God, but he seemed very intent about it. So now the old prophet meets the man of God. Let’s continue in 13:15-17…
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
The old prophet offers the man of God common courtesy by inviting him home to eat bread. When he heard the invitation, the man of God immediately responded by telling the old prophet what God had told him. At this point, we might ask, "Did the man of God know this man was a prophet?" We are not told. There is no record that the old prophet identified himself as such, but we just don’t know.
Now verses 18-19…He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
At this point, the questions begin to flood our minds. Why did the old prophet do this? He wasn’t just being hospitable after all. But why would he say that an angel spoke to him, when an angel didn’t speak to him? We are told clearly that the old prophet lied to the man of God. So we begin to wonder if this man was a prophet at all. Was he? Why would he say that an angel spoke to him by the Word of the Lord?
But verse 19 brings questions about the man of God. Why did he go back to this man’s house and eat with him, when he knew the Lord had told him not to do so? How could he stand against a powerful king and then wilt in the presence of this lying old prophet? Why didn’t he take time to think about what he was doing?
We’ll let those questions rumble around in our minds, while we read the rest of the story. 13:20-22…
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, 22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
I don’t think I like this old prophet, or whatever you want to call him. The nerve of him to rebuke the man of God. Who does he think he is? But we are told that "the word of the Lord came unto the prophet," that he was speaking to the man of God what God told him to relay. But if the man of God was disobedient, what can we say about the old prophet. He is a conniving, scheming… No, I don’t like this man one bit. Why should the man of God have to die for his act of disobedience, when this lying deceiver is allowed to live?
Let’s read the rest of the story. Read 13:23-32…
And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 25. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him. 27. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. 28. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. 29. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. 30. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! 31. And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: 32. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
Can you believe it? The old prophet mourned for the man of God. Isn’t that like murdering a man and then grieving over the loss? He not only mourned for the man of God, but he buried him in his own tomb. When he leads the mourners in saying, "Alas, my brother," it is almost more than we can bear. The only redeeming feature in the actions of this man is found in verse 32, "For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass."
What are we to do with the story of the man of God and the old prophet? We could ask more questions and proceed in a number of different directions, but I suggest that we focus on the man of God and why he disobeyed the Word of the Lord. Let me remind us that he had heard the Word of the Lord clearly, so clearly that he called Josiah by name and was willing to prophesy the destruction of the altar in the presence of the King of Israel. Nevertheless, in the presence of the old prophet, he disobeyed what the Lord had clearly said. He had quoted the clear instructions of the Lord to both Jeroboam and the old prophet, but then he proceeded to do otherwise. Why?
I can’t begin to answer all the questions we have already raised. What we must focus on is the fact that the man who resisted the king wasn’t able to stand against the old prophet. This deceiver effectively persuaded the man of God to go directly against the Word of the Lord.
So what about the old prophet? Was he really a prophet of the Lord? We might say, "No, for surely a prophet of the Lord would not lie, and this man lied. Surely a prophet of the Lord wouldn’t try to trip up a man who was seeking to do the will of the Lord." On the other hand, after the man of God disobeyed, we are told that the Word of the Lord came to the old prophet (vs. 20).
What about his claim that an angel spoke to him and said, "Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water?" We know the answer to that question, because the scripture tells us in no uncertain terms, "He lied to him" (vs. 18). Again, how could a prophet of the Lord make up such a story as this?
We could go on and on, but let’s come to a conclusion. I am going to share with you the conclusion to which I have come. I don’t demand that you agree with me, but I would ask you to consider it carefully. Concerning the old prophet, who he was and what his motives were make absolutely no difference. Was he truly a prophet? It doesn’t matter. Was he deliberately trying to cause the man of God to stumble? It doesn’t matter. Or was God using him to test the man of God. It makes no difference.
Why do I say that none of these things matter? Let me answer by bringing this story up to date. Suppose your pastor suggested to you that you should cease reading the Word of God for a time. But why would he do that? Can such a pastor be called a man of God? Is the Lord using him to test us? How can such a man claim to be a shepherd of God’s flock? It doesn’t matter. What matters is what the Lord says and that you obey what the Lord says. The motive of those who would lead you astray makes no difference.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that God does not speak directly to people about specific things. He certainly does. I am not saying that we should disregard the person who says, "God told me," or "An angel told me." I am saying this: "If what someone tells you contradicts the Word of God, don’t listen." If the man of God had turned and walked away from the old prophet as quickly as he did from Jeroboam, he could have lived considerably longer on this earth. But when he lingered and considered the words that clearly contradicted what the Lord had told him, he got in trouble.
We don’t have to know the motives of other people. We don’t have to condemn other people. But we can’t go along with what they say, when it clearly contradicts the Word of God. Suppose you have sons who hear a message something like this. "Yes, the Bible says that a man should not lust after a woman, but we have to consider the day in which we live. Because of the world around us, that is impossible. A young man must simply be wise. If he slips up and finds himself lusting, he should certainly turn away from that. But on the other hand, he doesn’t have to feel like he has sinned, because it is inevitable." What should you tell your son? Take him to the Word of God. Lust is sin. Flee youthful lusts. If you do lust, claim the promise immediately: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
Remember that we live in day of great deception. Our adversary, the devil, will stoop to any deceitful trick in order to devour us (I Pet. 5:8). Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15). Gal 1:8-9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
Conclusion
Now let’s read the last two verses of I Kings 13 (33-34)…
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 34. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
We read that and are tempted to say, "And after all that, the ministry of the man of God meant nothing. Even though he faithfully proclaimed God’s Word to Jeroboam, it didn’t change him in the least." True, Jeroboam didn’t change, but that does not mean that the ministry of the man of God was wasted. Make no mistake, for the Word of the Lord will not return to Him void (Is. 55:11). The word spoken by the man of God accomplished that for which God sent it forth. In the first place, it justified God’s judgment against Jeroboam. Jeroboam will never be able to say throughout all eternity, "But God, you didn’t warn me."
But that isn’t the end of the story. Let’s read II Kings 23:15-18…
Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. 16. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 17. Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. 18. And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.
The Word of the Lord is tried (Ps. 18:30). The Word of the Lord is right (Ps. 33:4). The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Prov. 12:6). Let’s read again Ps. 19:7-11…
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
God’s Word will never fail. Neither Jeroboam nor the old prophet could keep the Lord’s Word from being carried out. Praise God for His faithfulness. May we be faithful to Him and to His Word!
Acts 13:14-52 -- 6/17/07 (The Lord's Church)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
ACTS 13:14-52
** Someone goes to the front, after scripture reading and says, "Does anyone have any exhortation for us today? Would anyone like to come and speak to us, offering encouragement, comfort, challenge, or rebuke? If so, come ahead." At that point, I will go up and preach the sermon which Paul preached in the synagogue of Antioch.
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You men of Israel, and all of you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me this morning. The God of this people Israel chose our forefathers to be His own people. But why did God choose our forefathers? Why did He choose them, rather than others? We find the answer in the scriptures. Let’s read it from Dt. 7:6-7…
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.
The Lord chose our fathers to be holy, set apart unto Him.
God not only chose them, but He also lifted them up. You remember that they found themselves down in Egypt, where they were slaves. When they first went to Egypt, they were not slaves. You remember that through His servant Joseph, the Lord brought His people to Egypt that He might feed them and preserve their lives. But after some time, there arose a new ruler who had no regard for Joseph, and he put them in bondage. Even from their, the Lord heard their cry and by His mighty hand led His people out of Egypt. We read from Dt. 7:6-7; now let’s read the very next verse. Dt. 7:8, "But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
The Lord brought our forefathers out of Egypt for a purpose. He brought them out of Egypt that He might bring them into the Promised Land, as we read in Dt. 6:23, "And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers." But when He was ready to take them into the land, they refused to go. As a result, the Lord put up with them in the wilderness for 40 years, while that generation died off because of their stubborn refusal to obey His command.
But God wasn’t through with His people. He raised up another generation, and when they crossed over into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, He destroyed seven strong nations before them. And then He divided the land among the twelve tribes of Israel.
Once they were in the land, the Lord provided judges for them for about 450 years. These judges were what we might call "deliverers." When the people would forsake the Lord and go after other gods, He would allow their enemies to conquer them, but when the people would cry out to Him, then He would raise up a judge, a deliverer, who would lead the people to throw off their enemies. This happened again and again.
Then there arose a prophet named Samuel. We might consider him to be the last of the judges. It was during the ministry of Samuel that the people of God desired a king. Through Samuel, God told them they didn’t need a king, for He, the Lord Himself, was their king. Nevertheless, they insisted on having a king, like the other nations around them. So the Lord allowed them to have what they wanted, and He gave them Saul to be their king. Saul reigned 40 years in Israel, but the Lord removed him because he did not obey Him.
In place of Saul, the Lord raised up David to be their king. What wonderful things we could say about David, but nothing could be so powerful as what Samuel told Saul, "But now thy kingdom shall not continue; the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that with the Lord commanded" (I Sam. 13:14). In spite of his faults and failures, David was indeed a man after God’s own heart, who would fulfill all His will.
You know well that the Lord our God promised David that He would raise up to him a seed, whose kingdom would be established forever. According to that promise, God has indeed raised up for Israel a Savior, whose name is "Jesus." But before this Jesus was revealed to Israel, John came and preached the baptism of repentance. He called upon the people to bring forth fruit as evidence of true repentance. As John was completing his ministry, he continued to say: "Who do you think I am? I am not He, the promised Messiah. Know this -- there is one coming after me, and I am not worthy to loosen His sandals."
Now listen to me, all of you – both those of you who are the descendants of Abraham, and you who are Gentiles but fear the Lord. This message of salvation is sent to you. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t recognize the truth of the prophets, whose words they hear read every sabbath day. They refused the message of the prophets and proceeded to condemn Jesus. They were not able to demonstrate that He was worthy of death, but they insisted that Pilate, the Roman governor, have Him killed.
Yes, they killed Jesus, finally convincing Pilate to hang Him on a cross. But in so doing, they were only fulfilling what had already been written about Him. The prophets had long before declared that His death. After they crucified Him, they buried Him. BUT GOD raised Him from the dead. That’s right, God raised Jesus from the grave. His own apostles, who had come with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem saw Him after He was risen over a period of many days. They are His witnesses. They can testify that He rose from the grave and lives.
This is good news! God made great promises to our forefathers, and now God has fulfilled those promises by raising up Jesus from the dead. Consider the second Psalm, where it is written: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Ps. 2:7). Don’t misunderstand. Our God is not saying that He literally gave birth to a son. He was saying that He would raise His Messiah from the grave, which He did when He raised up this Jesus. Hundreds of years later, God said to His people through the prophet Isaiah, "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David" (Is. 55:3). Though David had long since died, the Lord promised to give us the holy things promised to David, and that included the promised seed, whose kingdom would be established forever. And again in the 16th Psalm, David himself said, "You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption" (Ps. 16:10). David couldn’t have been speaking of himself, for after he had served the people of his own generation, he died and his body was indeed subject to corruption, but that was not true of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. Yes, David spoke of this Jesus.
Let me make it absolutely clear to you. Through this man Jesus, I proclaim to you the forgiveness of sins. By this same Jesus all that believe are declared to be right with God. Through Him, they are delivered from everything that has separated them from God. All your lives you had the law of Moses, but by that law you could not be made right with God. You have tried to keep the law, but you can’t. But now through Jesus, a person can truly be justified, declared righteous in the sight of God.
Now that you know this truth, watch out that you don’t ignore it. To whom much is given, much is required. Be careful that these words of the prophet are not true in you, for Habakkuk said, "Look, you scoffers, and marvel and perish; for I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you" (NASV, 13:41). As you know, the work Habakkuk spoke of was God bringing the Babylonians down to take His people captive. But I am speaking about a wonder far greater. And if you will not listen to this good news and refuse this Jesus, your destruction will be far greater than what happened to your forefathers at the hands of the Babylonians.
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** Sit down and give time for these words to sink in. After a while, step back up to the mic.
This is the message which Paul delivered to the people gathered in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia. And this is the message I deliver to you this morning. Obviously, you are not Jews. You are not the physical descendants of Abraham. Nevertheless, this message was addressed directly to us because we are a part of the God-fearers who were allowed to come into the synagogue.
Paul reminded them of the words of the Old Testament prophets. They are glorious words, prophesying even of the resurrection of Jesus, who would live hundreds of years later. But Paul also reminded his hearers that those in Jerusalem, especially the Jewish leaders, had refused the words of the prophets and had crucified the very Messiah of whom the prophets spoke. He urges his hearers not to be guilty of the same thing.
In verse 32, it is literally, "And we ourselves are bringing to you good news." Hear the good news this morning. After Paul gave strong scriptural support that the Messiah would be raised from the dead, He then declared that through the risen Jesus there is forgiveness of sins. The Jewish people were looking for their Messiah. They were eager for Him to come and set them free, free from Roman domination and political corruption and everything else that was a burden to them. But now comes a promise far greater than all of those put together. In Jesus, there is forgiveness of sins. There is no burden that crushes us like the burden of sin. Through Jesus, that crushing burden of sin can’t be sent away, as far as the east is from the west.
But don’t be deceived. Go back to verses 16 and 17. "…Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel…" Who is this God of whom Paul speaks? Paul doesn’t deal with that question, because those people already knew. They were well aware that He is the Holy One of Israel, the one Israel recognized as set apart. The scripture says, "There is none holy as the Lord" (I Sam. 2:2). He isn’t like us. "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high?" (Ps. 113:4). This God is righteous and perfect. We read in the New Testament that without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). This is the God of whom Paul speaks.
So what is sin? Sin isn’t just doing something wrong. It isn’t just an act of immorality. Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is missing the mark that God Himself has established. Sin is a personal attack upon God Himself. That is why after committing adultery and murder, David could say, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight" (Ps. 51:4). Though David had wronged Bathsheba and Uriah greatly, that was nothing in comparison to his rebellion against the God who made him. God created us; God owns us; God has every right to expect perfect obedience from us. We owe everything to Him. Sin has no meaning, unless we see it in light of who God is.
But Paul is proclaiming forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead. How can a God so holy and righteous and perfect forgive sins? How God hates sin. Try to put yourself in His place, though we can never truly do that. You raise a child, doing all in your power to give that child what is best. You make great sacrifices on his behalf. You would lay down your life for him. But as he grows older, he goes his own way. It seems he has no recollection of what you have done for him. He does the very things you hate. And yes, he knows it hurts you, but he refuses to turn from his wicked ways. He has done every filthy thing imaginable, but now he wants to come back home and live with you. He wants to pretend that everything is okay. No, he hasn’t changed at all. But he wants you to forgive him and take him in. What will you do? Some of you will say, "Yes, I would take him in, because he is my son. My love is unconditional."
I want you to know that our God is not like that. "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way" (Is. 53:6). We have been rebels against a holy God. Will God simply tell us it’s okay and take us in? No, never. To say so is to prove that we have no understanding of a holy God.
Won’t you notice in verses 38 and 39 that immediately after mentioning forgiveness of sins, Paul speaks of justification. Don’t let that word scare you. You can’t be serious about God’s Word and avoid the term justification. God will never forgive anyone until that person has been justified! Mark it down. God doesn’t forgive anyone because he asks to be forgiven. He must be justified. That is, he must be rightly declared righteous in the sight of God. God will not have anything to do with sin. The sinner must be made right.
Let that sink in. Millions upon millions of people will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness," because they have swallowed a perverted view of the love of God. Will God lay down a strict and holy standard of righteousness and in the end say it is okay if the standard is not met. NO. That’s the world’s Santa Claus; that is not our holy and righteous God. If God did that, He would cease to be God. He would be no different than the parent who warns his child not to do it, but then overlooks it, when the child defies him.
Remember that it is after emphasizing the resurrection of Jesus that Paul says there is forgiveness through Him. Why did God raise Jesus from the dead? Because Jesus hung there on the cross and was able to say, "It is finished. I have paid the debt completely. Sin has been paid for." Every sin ever committed against a holy God was paid for by the sinless Jesus, who had no sin of His own. He went to the cross as our substitute. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:5-6).
A man is justified only through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. A man is made right with God only when he realizes that there is nothing he can do for himself, for by the works of the law shall no man be justified. A man is justified only when he realizes the depth of his sin against a holy God. We can say that we want to follow Jesus; we can say that we accept Jesus into our heart; we can say that we want to be saved; we can be baptized… we can do all those things, but until we confess that there is no goodness in us, that we have never done a good deed and that we never will, we cannot be made right with God. Essentially, that is repentance, a giving up on self and admitting that we are corrupt to the core, a willingness to cease from trusting self.
The other side of that coin is belief, faith in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, trusting in Jesus and Him cruficied. Why trust Jesus? Because He is the spotless Son of God and He did the only thing that can ever make us pure and clean. But even then, we don’t trust Him just so we can be forgiven and cleansed. We trust Him because He is worthy of our trust, because the Holy and Almighty God deserves our very lives. If you and I profess Christ, but we have to conclude that we came to Christ simply for our own benefit, there is every reason to question whether we have ever been justified before God. Why do I say that? Because the very core of sin is selfishness. If we profess Christ just so we can be forgiven and miss hell, how does that differ from selfishness? I am not saying that the thought of reward plays no part, for it certainly does. We must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). However, that is only a beginning and is the smaller part of our motivation. Far more important is the glory of God. As Creator and Redeemer, He deserves all that we can give Him; He deserves us!
Now let come straight to the point. There are many who seem to think what I have just shared is not good news. I am saying exactly what Paul said, except I am giving more explanation. Paul didn’t have to give so much explanation because his hearers had a more biblical background than most of us and because he didn’t live in a pseudo-religious society which has made God in its own image. We do. The vast majority of the people in our society cannot understand the good news until we have our view of God, man, and sin corrected. The gospel we preach must be much broader than saying that God loves us, we have sinned, and Jesus died for us. It must begin with the holiness of God, proceed through the absolute corruption of man, run to the cross of Jesus, and glory in His resurrection.
I plead with you to examine yourself and ask God if that is the gospel you have believed. Don’t miss the fact that Paul closed his message with a solemn warning. Through the prophet Habukkuk, when the Lord spoke of doing a work that His hearers would not believe, He went on to describe that work. He said that the Babylonians (Chaldeans) would march through the land of Judah and take possession of it. Indeed, that must have seemed unbelievable to the people of Judah. Of course, we know that it happened. But now Paul is speaking of an even greater work, but it is a work that the Almighty had already done through His Son Jesus. His hearers didn’t have to look into the future and wonder; they could simply look at the account of Jesus of Nazareth and behold how He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. Now if the hearers of Habbakuk refused to believe and perished, how much moreso for those who refused to believe Jesus, whom the Father had set before them as their Messiah? There is no remedy for the one who refuses this Jesus.
As we see in verses 42 and 43, Paul’s preaching had some very positive results. Your translations will vary a great deal in verse 42, because there is a difference in the Greek texts behind the English translation. While the KJV (NKJV similar) reads, "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath," your other translations will read something like this: "And as Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath" (NASV) The question regards whether this was a Gentile request, or whether it came from all the people in the synagogue. If you would like to discuss this question, I would be happy to talk with you about it. For our purposes right now, let’s just say that there was a great interest in hearing more from Paul and Barnabas on the next sabbath.
Verse 43 reveals that many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas. Notice that it wasn’t just a few, but many. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit was speaking through Paul and many of these people understood what he was saying. They had never heard anything like this, but they were eager to hear more.
There is some question about these devout ("religious" in KJV) proselytes. Were these the God-fearers, Gentiles who were allowed into the synagogue? That seems likely when we read 13:16 and see that Paul was addressing two groups of people – the Jews and the Gentiles who feared God. On the other hand, if "devout proselytes" here refers to Gentile God-fearers, it would be the only time in the New Testament that the term "proselytes" is used in this way. Normally, it referred to those who were not born Jews but who converted to Judaism, submitting to circumcision and taking the obligation to obey the Jewish laws. Whether or not this term referred to Gentile God-fearers, we will soon see that the Gentiles will play a great part in this story.
Then we read the response of Paul and Barnabas, "who…persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." We are not given any details concerning exactly what is meant by "continue in the grace of God." Does this mean that they were converted and became children of God? It might mean that. However, there is no mention at this time that they were baptized or added to the church. It may mean that they became vitally interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ and were eager to find out more. That in itself would require the grace of God. At any rate, Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue in this direction, likely answering questions they asked.
The rest of the chapter relates to us the second phase of the ministry in Antioch of Pisidia. While the first phase was centered in the synagogue and focused on the Jews, this next phase will move toward the Gentiles. Verses 44-45 pick up the story a week later…
And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
The word spread very rapidly in Antioch, so much so that almost the entire city was at the synagogue the next sabbath. They came to hear the Word of God, particularly the preaching of this man Paul, who identified Jesus as the Messiah and the One through whom people could be justified and forgiven. We would assume that most of the Jews had been there the week before, as regular attenders of the synagogue. The great majority of the newcomers were Gentiles, no doubt. And that was a problem. The Jews were filled with jealousy. Though it is not stated, surely this was especially true of the Jewish leaders.
But why were they jealous? Why weren’t they thrilled that so many had come to hear the Word of God? Why aren’t people in churches always thrilled when newcomers fill their seats? No doubt, they were jealous of the immediate popularity of these two new missionaries. What must have bothered them most was the concept that people could come to God without first becoming Jews. By now, they had probably realized that Paul and Barnabas were not going to require circumcision in order to follow this new Messiah Jesus. They had worked hard to bring these Gentiles to attend the synagogue and were hoping that they would convert to Judaism. And now Paul comes along saying they can come directly to God through Jesus. The sudden appearance of all these Gentiles only aggravated the problem for them.
We read in verse 43 that many of the Jews and proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas. However, apparently that wasn’t the majority of the Jews in the synagogue. We might reason that these Jews who followed Paul and Barnabas changed their minds during the week, but not necessarily so. Here the focus is on the Jews who were not disposed to listen to the gospel.
These jealous Jews quickly began to oppose Paul and to contradict what he had to say. Some translations say that they spoke abusively to Paul. That is probably the idea of "blaspheme." They did everything they could to discredit Paul and Barnabas.
Now listen to the response of Paul and Barnabas… (46-47)
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. 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Paul would later state this principle succinctly in Rom 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." So they proclaimed their message first to the Jews in the synagogue, but Paul says they have demonstrated they are unworthy of everlasting life. "Worthy" is best understood in light of Jesus’ statement in Matt. 22:8, "Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden [invited] were not worthy.’" All they would have needed to do to be counted worthy was respond to the invitation. And that is all that was necessary for these Jews in Antioch. But since they refused, Paul said resolutely: "We turn to the Gentiles."
Paul made it clear that their decision was not an act of revenge against the Jews who opposed them. Far from it, it was according to the very purpose of God. Then Paul quotes from the scripture as evidence that God had indeed commanded them to go to the Gentiles. The verse he quotes is the last part of Isaiah 49:6. Though he quotes only the last part, his Jewish hearers knew not only the whole verse, but entire context of Isaiah 49. Is. 49:6 reads, "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." As part of one of the "servant passages" of Isaiah, these words were very well known.
Please turn to Isaiah 49, if you haven’t. Let’s read the first 3 verses… (Is. 49:1-3)
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 3. And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Notice that the Lord addresses His servant with the words, "O Israel, in whom I will be glorified." It was the nation of Israel that was the Lord’s servant. But the tone begins to change in vs. 5, "And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength." Now God is using the servant to bring His people Israel back to Him. The nation neglected its great privilege, and the fulfillment of this passage would be found in the one Israelite, who was faithful and true to all the Father willed. In that context, listen again to vs. 6, "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
Praise God that He has a place for us Gentiles. It would have been quite a story for God to choose a people for Himself and glorify Himself in and through that people. But that wasn’t enough for our great God. That would have been a light thing. No, He would give His Son as a light to the Gentiles, to be His salvation to the end of the earth. There wouldn’t be a group of people anywhere in this world that would be excluded from His salvation. Praise His name!
When the Gentiles heard this, they were overjoyed at this good news. Can’t you see them jumping up and down and shouting at the top of their voices. The good news was for them too! "And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." So among these Gentiles, who believed? Those who were ordained to eternal life. What does that mean? The word "ordained" simply means "to arrange, to appoint." The statement is simple and straightforward. Those who believed had been appointed to eternal life by God the Father, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. This accord perfectly with the opening words of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-2, "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2. As thou hast given him power [authority]over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
The spread of the message wasn’t confined to the city of Antioch, but "the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region." Neighboring towns and villages received also received the message. But soon there was strong, organized opposition from the Jews of Antioch (obviously, the unbelieving Jews). As the Jewish leaders engineered opposition against Jesus, so these stirred up trouble among "devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city." These women may well have been the wives of the leading men of the city. But how can they be called "devout"? Though they were God-fearing women, they were not above being led astray by the very subtle and convincing arguments of these Jews, who were eaten up by jealousy. At any rate, the persecution that soon arose against Paul and Barnabas was strong enough to run them out of the city. As they left, they did what Jesus had told His twelve apostles to do, as recorded in Matt. 10:14, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." It seems that this action was directed at the Jews of the city, rather than to the entire population. In effect, they were treating the Jews as if they were pagans, and that was exactly the way they were acting.
Now listen to verse 52, "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." What a way to end the ministry in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were gone, but that could not defeat the work of God’s Spirit. Their joy and life was not dependent upon any man, not even Paul and Barnabas. They were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Notice that the fulness of the Spirit was normal life for the Christian disciples of Antioch. This was not a special blessing for a few; it was the norm for all who belonged to Jesus. No doubt, they felt the effects of the persecution directed against Paul and Barnabas, but that could not dampen their joy in the Lord.
Conclusion
Isn’t this a thrilling story! Though Paul would continue to go the synagogue first, clearly the focus of the ministry is now upon the Gentiles. This pattern would be repeated again and again. Paul would go first to the synagogue, but the majority of the Jews there would reject his message. Then he would turn to the Gentiles. It would not be uncommon for the Jews to then stir up opposition against him.
As we think about this passage this week, let’s ask a couple of searching questions…
1. Have I responded to the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
2. Am I proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
3. Like the Antioch disciples, am I filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit?
ACTS 13:14-52
** Someone goes to the front, after scripture reading and says, "Does anyone have any exhortation for us today? Would anyone like to come and speak to us, offering encouragement, comfort, challenge, or rebuke? If so, come ahead." At that point, I will go up and preach the sermon which Paul preached in the synagogue of Antioch.
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You men of Israel, and all of you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me this morning. The God of this people Israel chose our forefathers to be His own people. But why did God choose our forefathers? Why did He choose them, rather than others? We find the answer in the scriptures. Let’s read it from Dt. 7:6-7…
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.
The Lord chose our fathers to be holy, set apart unto Him.
God not only chose them, but He also lifted them up. You remember that they found themselves down in Egypt, where they were slaves. When they first went to Egypt, they were not slaves. You remember that through His servant Joseph, the Lord brought His people to Egypt that He might feed them and preserve their lives. But after some time, there arose a new ruler who had no regard for Joseph, and he put them in bondage. Even from their, the Lord heard their cry and by His mighty hand led His people out of Egypt. We read from Dt. 7:6-7; now let’s read the very next verse. Dt. 7:8, "But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
The Lord brought our forefathers out of Egypt for a purpose. He brought them out of Egypt that He might bring them into the Promised Land, as we read in Dt. 6:23, "And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers." But when He was ready to take them into the land, they refused to go. As a result, the Lord put up with them in the wilderness for 40 years, while that generation died off because of their stubborn refusal to obey His command.
But God wasn’t through with His people. He raised up another generation, and when they crossed over into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, He destroyed seven strong nations before them. And then He divided the land among the twelve tribes of Israel.
Once they were in the land, the Lord provided judges for them for about 450 years. These judges were what we might call "deliverers." When the people would forsake the Lord and go after other gods, He would allow their enemies to conquer them, but when the people would cry out to Him, then He would raise up a judge, a deliverer, who would lead the people to throw off their enemies. This happened again and again.
Then there arose a prophet named Samuel. We might consider him to be the last of the judges. It was during the ministry of Samuel that the people of God desired a king. Through Samuel, God told them they didn’t need a king, for He, the Lord Himself, was their king. Nevertheless, they insisted on having a king, like the other nations around them. So the Lord allowed them to have what they wanted, and He gave them Saul to be their king. Saul reigned 40 years in Israel, but the Lord removed him because he did not obey Him.
In place of Saul, the Lord raised up David to be their king. What wonderful things we could say about David, but nothing could be so powerful as what Samuel told Saul, "But now thy kingdom shall not continue; the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that with the Lord commanded" (I Sam. 13:14). In spite of his faults and failures, David was indeed a man after God’s own heart, who would fulfill all His will.
You know well that the Lord our God promised David that He would raise up to him a seed, whose kingdom would be established forever. According to that promise, God has indeed raised up for Israel a Savior, whose name is "Jesus." But before this Jesus was revealed to Israel, John came and preached the baptism of repentance. He called upon the people to bring forth fruit as evidence of true repentance. As John was completing his ministry, he continued to say: "Who do you think I am? I am not He, the promised Messiah. Know this -- there is one coming after me, and I am not worthy to loosen His sandals."
Now listen to me, all of you – both those of you who are the descendants of Abraham, and you who are Gentiles but fear the Lord. This message of salvation is sent to you. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t recognize the truth of the prophets, whose words they hear read every sabbath day. They refused the message of the prophets and proceeded to condemn Jesus. They were not able to demonstrate that He was worthy of death, but they insisted that Pilate, the Roman governor, have Him killed.
Yes, they killed Jesus, finally convincing Pilate to hang Him on a cross. But in so doing, they were only fulfilling what had already been written about Him. The prophets had long before declared that His death. After they crucified Him, they buried Him. BUT GOD raised Him from the dead. That’s right, God raised Jesus from the grave. His own apostles, who had come with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem saw Him after He was risen over a period of many days. They are His witnesses. They can testify that He rose from the grave and lives.
This is good news! God made great promises to our forefathers, and now God has fulfilled those promises by raising up Jesus from the dead. Consider the second Psalm, where it is written: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee" (Ps. 2:7). Don’t misunderstand. Our God is not saying that He literally gave birth to a son. He was saying that He would raise His Messiah from the grave, which He did when He raised up this Jesus. Hundreds of years later, God said to His people through the prophet Isaiah, "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David" (Is. 55:3). Though David had long since died, the Lord promised to give us the holy things promised to David, and that included the promised seed, whose kingdom would be established forever. And again in the 16th Psalm, David himself said, "You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption" (Ps. 16:10). David couldn’t have been speaking of himself, for after he had served the people of his own generation, he died and his body was indeed subject to corruption, but that was not true of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. Yes, David spoke of this Jesus.
Let me make it absolutely clear to you. Through this man Jesus, I proclaim to you the forgiveness of sins. By this same Jesus all that believe are declared to be right with God. Through Him, they are delivered from everything that has separated them from God. All your lives you had the law of Moses, but by that law you could not be made right with God. You have tried to keep the law, but you can’t. But now through Jesus, a person can truly be justified, declared righteous in the sight of God.
Now that you know this truth, watch out that you don’t ignore it. To whom much is given, much is required. Be careful that these words of the prophet are not true in you, for Habakkuk said, "Look, you scoffers, and marvel and perish; for I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you" (NASV, 13:41). As you know, the work Habakkuk spoke of was God bringing the Babylonians down to take His people captive. But I am speaking about a wonder far greater. And if you will not listen to this good news and refuse this Jesus, your destruction will be far greater than what happened to your forefathers at the hands of the Babylonians.
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** Sit down and give time for these words to sink in. After a while, step back up to the mic.
This is the message which Paul delivered to the people gathered in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia. And this is the message I deliver to you this morning. Obviously, you are not Jews. You are not the physical descendants of Abraham. Nevertheless, this message was addressed directly to us because we are a part of the God-fearers who were allowed to come into the synagogue.
Paul reminded them of the words of the Old Testament prophets. They are glorious words, prophesying even of the resurrection of Jesus, who would live hundreds of years later. But Paul also reminded his hearers that those in Jerusalem, especially the Jewish leaders, had refused the words of the prophets and had crucified the very Messiah of whom the prophets spoke. He urges his hearers not to be guilty of the same thing.
In verse 32, it is literally, "And we ourselves are bringing to you good news." Hear the good news this morning. After Paul gave strong scriptural support that the Messiah would be raised from the dead, He then declared that through the risen Jesus there is forgiveness of sins. The Jewish people were looking for their Messiah. They were eager for Him to come and set them free, free from Roman domination and political corruption and everything else that was a burden to them. But now comes a promise far greater than all of those put together. In Jesus, there is forgiveness of sins. There is no burden that crushes us like the burden of sin. Through Jesus, that crushing burden of sin can’t be sent away, as far as the east is from the west.
But don’t be deceived. Go back to verses 16 and 17. "…Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel…" Who is this God of whom Paul speaks? Paul doesn’t deal with that question, because those people already knew. They were well aware that He is the Holy One of Israel, the one Israel recognized as set apart. The scripture says, "There is none holy as the Lord" (I Sam. 2:2). He isn’t like us. "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high?" (Ps. 113:4). This God is righteous and perfect. We read in the New Testament that without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). This is the God of whom Paul speaks.
So what is sin? Sin isn’t just doing something wrong. It isn’t just an act of immorality. Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is missing the mark that God Himself has established. Sin is a personal attack upon God Himself. That is why after committing adultery and murder, David could say, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight" (Ps. 51:4). Though David had wronged Bathsheba and Uriah greatly, that was nothing in comparison to his rebellion against the God who made him. God created us; God owns us; God has every right to expect perfect obedience from us. We owe everything to Him. Sin has no meaning, unless we see it in light of who God is.
But Paul is proclaiming forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead. How can a God so holy and righteous and perfect forgive sins? How God hates sin. Try to put yourself in His place, though we can never truly do that. You raise a child, doing all in your power to give that child what is best. You make great sacrifices on his behalf. You would lay down your life for him. But as he grows older, he goes his own way. It seems he has no recollection of what you have done for him. He does the very things you hate. And yes, he knows it hurts you, but he refuses to turn from his wicked ways. He has done every filthy thing imaginable, but now he wants to come back home and live with you. He wants to pretend that everything is okay. No, he hasn’t changed at all. But he wants you to forgive him and take him in. What will you do? Some of you will say, "Yes, I would take him in, because he is my son. My love is unconditional."
I want you to know that our God is not like that. "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way" (Is. 53:6). We have been rebels against a holy God. Will God simply tell us it’s okay and take us in? No, never. To say so is to prove that we have no understanding of a holy God.
Won’t you notice in verses 38 and 39 that immediately after mentioning forgiveness of sins, Paul speaks of justification. Don’t let that word scare you. You can’t be serious about God’s Word and avoid the term justification. God will never forgive anyone until that person has been justified! Mark it down. God doesn’t forgive anyone because he asks to be forgiven. He must be justified. That is, he must be rightly declared righteous in the sight of God. God will not have anything to do with sin. The sinner must be made right.
Let that sink in. Millions upon millions of people will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness," because they have swallowed a perverted view of the love of God. Will God lay down a strict and holy standard of righteousness and in the end say it is okay if the standard is not met. NO. That’s the world’s Santa Claus; that is not our holy and righteous God. If God did that, He would cease to be God. He would be no different than the parent who warns his child not to do it, but then overlooks it, when the child defies him.
Remember that it is after emphasizing the resurrection of Jesus that Paul says there is forgiveness through Him. Why did God raise Jesus from the dead? Because Jesus hung there on the cross and was able to say, "It is finished. I have paid the debt completely. Sin has been paid for." Every sin ever committed against a holy God was paid for by the sinless Jesus, who had no sin of His own. He went to the cross as our substitute. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Is. 53:5-6).
A man is justified only through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. A man is made right with God only when he realizes that there is nothing he can do for himself, for by the works of the law shall no man be justified. A man is justified only when he realizes the depth of his sin against a holy God. We can say that we want to follow Jesus; we can say that we accept Jesus into our heart; we can say that we want to be saved; we can be baptized… we can do all those things, but until we confess that there is no goodness in us, that we have never done a good deed and that we never will, we cannot be made right with God. Essentially, that is repentance, a giving up on self and admitting that we are corrupt to the core, a willingness to cease from trusting self.
The other side of that coin is belief, faith in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, trusting in Jesus and Him cruficied. Why trust Jesus? Because He is the spotless Son of God and He did the only thing that can ever make us pure and clean. But even then, we don’t trust Him just so we can be forgiven and cleansed. We trust Him because He is worthy of our trust, because the Holy and Almighty God deserves our very lives. If you and I profess Christ, but we have to conclude that we came to Christ simply for our own benefit, there is every reason to question whether we have ever been justified before God. Why do I say that? Because the very core of sin is selfishness. If we profess Christ just so we can be forgiven and miss hell, how does that differ from selfishness? I am not saying that the thought of reward plays no part, for it certainly does. We must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). However, that is only a beginning and is the smaller part of our motivation. Far more important is the glory of God. As Creator and Redeemer, He deserves all that we can give Him; He deserves us!
Now let come straight to the point. There are many who seem to think what I have just shared is not good news. I am saying exactly what Paul said, except I am giving more explanation. Paul didn’t have to give so much explanation because his hearers had a more biblical background than most of us and because he didn’t live in a pseudo-religious society which has made God in its own image. We do. The vast majority of the people in our society cannot understand the good news until we have our view of God, man, and sin corrected. The gospel we preach must be much broader than saying that God loves us, we have sinned, and Jesus died for us. It must begin with the holiness of God, proceed through the absolute corruption of man, run to the cross of Jesus, and glory in His resurrection.
I plead with you to examine yourself and ask God if that is the gospel you have believed. Don’t miss the fact that Paul closed his message with a solemn warning. Through the prophet Habukkuk, when the Lord spoke of doing a work that His hearers would not believe, He went on to describe that work. He said that the Babylonians (Chaldeans) would march through the land of Judah and take possession of it. Indeed, that must have seemed unbelievable to the people of Judah. Of course, we know that it happened. But now Paul is speaking of an even greater work, but it is a work that the Almighty had already done through His Son Jesus. His hearers didn’t have to look into the future and wonder; they could simply look at the account of Jesus of Nazareth and behold how He had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. Now if the hearers of Habbakuk refused to believe and perished, how much moreso for those who refused to believe Jesus, whom the Father had set before them as their Messiah? There is no remedy for the one who refuses this Jesus.
As we see in verses 42 and 43, Paul’s preaching had some very positive results. Your translations will vary a great deal in verse 42, because there is a difference in the Greek texts behind the English translation. While the KJV (NKJV similar) reads, "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath," your other translations will read something like this: "And as Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath" (NASV) The question regards whether this was a Gentile request, or whether it came from all the people in the synagogue. If you would like to discuss this question, I would be happy to talk with you about it. For our purposes right now, let’s just say that there was a great interest in hearing more from Paul and Barnabas on the next sabbath.
Verse 43 reveals that many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas. Notice that it wasn’t just a few, but many. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit was speaking through Paul and many of these people understood what he was saying. They had never heard anything like this, but they were eager to hear more.
There is some question about these devout ("religious" in KJV) proselytes. Were these the God-fearers, Gentiles who were allowed into the synagogue? That seems likely when we read 13:16 and see that Paul was addressing two groups of people – the Jews and the Gentiles who feared God. On the other hand, if "devout proselytes" here refers to Gentile God-fearers, it would be the only time in the New Testament that the term "proselytes" is used in this way. Normally, it referred to those who were not born Jews but who converted to Judaism, submitting to circumcision and taking the obligation to obey the Jewish laws. Whether or not this term referred to Gentile God-fearers, we will soon see that the Gentiles will play a great part in this story.
Then we read the response of Paul and Barnabas, "who…persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." We are not given any details concerning exactly what is meant by "continue in the grace of God." Does this mean that they were converted and became children of God? It might mean that. However, there is no mention at this time that they were baptized or added to the church. It may mean that they became vitally interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ and were eager to find out more. That in itself would require the grace of God. At any rate, Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue in this direction, likely answering questions they asked.
The rest of the chapter relates to us the second phase of the ministry in Antioch of Pisidia. While the first phase was centered in the synagogue and focused on the Jews, this next phase will move toward the Gentiles. Verses 44-45 pick up the story a week later…
And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
The word spread very rapidly in Antioch, so much so that almost the entire city was at the synagogue the next sabbath. They came to hear the Word of God, particularly the preaching of this man Paul, who identified Jesus as the Messiah and the One through whom people could be justified and forgiven. We would assume that most of the Jews had been there the week before, as regular attenders of the synagogue. The great majority of the newcomers were Gentiles, no doubt. And that was a problem. The Jews were filled with jealousy. Though it is not stated, surely this was especially true of the Jewish leaders.
But why were they jealous? Why weren’t they thrilled that so many had come to hear the Word of God? Why aren’t people in churches always thrilled when newcomers fill their seats? No doubt, they were jealous of the immediate popularity of these two new missionaries. What must have bothered them most was the concept that people could come to God without first becoming Jews. By now, they had probably realized that Paul and Barnabas were not going to require circumcision in order to follow this new Messiah Jesus. They had worked hard to bring these Gentiles to attend the synagogue and were hoping that they would convert to Judaism. And now Paul comes along saying they can come directly to God through Jesus. The sudden appearance of all these Gentiles only aggravated the problem for them.
We read in verse 43 that many of the Jews and proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas. However, apparently that wasn’t the majority of the Jews in the synagogue. We might reason that these Jews who followed Paul and Barnabas changed their minds during the week, but not necessarily so. Here the focus is on the Jews who were not disposed to listen to the gospel.
These jealous Jews quickly began to oppose Paul and to contradict what he had to say. Some translations say that they spoke abusively to Paul. That is probably the idea of "blaspheme." They did everything they could to discredit Paul and Barnabas.
Now listen to the response of Paul and Barnabas… (46-47)
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. 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Paul would later state this principle succinctly in Rom 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." So they proclaimed their message first to the Jews in the synagogue, but Paul says they have demonstrated they are unworthy of everlasting life. "Worthy" is best understood in light of Jesus’ statement in Matt. 22:8, "Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden [invited] were not worthy.’" All they would have needed to do to be counted worthy was respond to the invitation. And that is all that was necessary for these Jews in Antioch. But since they refused, Paul said resolutely: "We turn to the Gentiles."
Paul made it clear that their decision was not an act of revenge against the Jews who opposed them. Far from it, it was according to the very purpose of God. Then Paul quotes from the scripture as evidence that God had indeed commanded them to go to the Gentiles. The verse he quotes is the last part of Isaiah 49:6. Though he quotes only the last part, his Jewish hearers knew not only the whole verse, but entire context of Isaiah 49. Is. 49:6 reads, "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." As part of one of the "servant passages" of Isaiah, these words were very well known.
Please turn to Isaiah 49, if you haven’t. Let’s read the first 3 verses… (Is. 49:1-3)
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; 3. And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Notice that the Lord addresses His servant with the words, "O Israel, in whom I will be glorified." It was the nation of Israel that was the Lord’s servant. But the tone begins to change in vs. 5, "And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength." Now God is using the servant to bring His people Israel back to Him. The nation neglected its great privilege, and the fulfillment of this passage would be found in the one Israelite, who was faithful and true to all the Father willed. In that context, listen again to vs. 6, "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
Praise God that He has a place for us Gentiles. It would have been quite a story for God to choose a people for Himself and glorify Himself in and through that people. But that wasn’t enough for our great God. That would have been a light thing. No, He would give His Son as a light to the Gentiles, to be His salvation to the end of the earth. There wouldn’t be a group of people anywhere in this world that would be excluded from His salvation. Praise His name!
When the Gentiles heard this, they were overjoyed at this good news. Can’t you see them jumping up and down and shouting at the top of their voices. The good news was for them too! "And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." So among these Gentiles, who believed? Those who were ordained to eternal life. What does that mean? The word "ordained" simply means "to arrange, to appoint." The statement is simple and straightforward. Those who believed had been appointed to eternal life by God the Father, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. This accord perfectly with the opening words of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-2, "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2. As thou hast given him power [authority]over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
The spread of the message wasn’t confined to the city of Antioch, but "the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region." Neighboring towns and villages received also received the message. But soon there was strong, organized opposition from the Jews of Antioch (obviously, the unbelieving Jews). As the Jewish leaders engineered opposition against Jesus, so these stirred up trouble among "devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city." These women may well have been the wives of the leading men of the city. But how can they be called "devout"? Though they were God-fearing women, they were not above being led astray by the very subtle and convincing arguments of these Jews, who were eaten up by jealousy. At any rate, the persecution that soon arose against Paul and Barnabas was strong enough to run them out of the city. As they left, they did what Jesus had told His twelve apostles to do, as recorded in Matt. 10:14, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." It seems that this action was directed at the Jews of the city, rather than to the entire population. In effect, they were treating the Jews as if they were pagans, and that was exactly the way they were acting.
Now listen to verse 52, "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." What a way to end the ministry in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were gone, but that could not defeat the work of God’s Spirit. Their joy and life was not dependent upon any man, not even Paul and Barnabas. They were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Notice that the fulness of the Spirit was normal life for the Christian disciples of Antioch. This was not a special blessing for a few; it was the norm for all who belonged to Jesus. No doubt, they felt the effects of the persecution directed against Paul and Barnabas, but that could not dampen their joy in the Lord.
Conclusion
Isn’t this a thrilling story! Though Paul would continue to go the synagogue first, clearly the focus of the ministry is now upon the Gentiles. This pattern would be repeated again and again. Paul would go first to the synagogue, but the majority of the Jews there would reject his message. Then he would turn to the Gentiles. It would not be uncommon for the Jews to then stir up opposition against him.
As we think about this passage this week, let’s ask a couple of searching questions…
1. Have I responded to the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
2. Am I proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
3. Like the Antioch disciples, am I filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit?
Monday, June 11, 2007
Acts 13:1-14 -- 6/10/07 P.M. (The Lord's Church)
Sunday P.M., June 10, 2007
ACTS 13:1-14
Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Up through 8:3, we have the witness to Jerusalem. In 8:4-12:25, we have the witness to Judaea and Samaria. Now from chapter 13 through chapter 28, the focus will be on the witness to uttermost part of the earth, even to the city of Rome. While there have been a few notable exceptions to this (the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, the people of Antioch), this is the general plan.
Here in chapter 13 we also see a change in focus. Where the witness up to this time has been decidedly Jewish, now the emphasis will be on taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Whereas Jerusalem has been the base of operations up to this point, now we will find that Antioch is the great missionary center. And while Peter has dominated the first 12 chapters of Acts, his name will be mentioned only one time in chapters 13-28. And what human figure will dominate these chapters? Yes, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
With that introcution, let’s launch into chapter 13.
1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Remember the beginnings of the church at Antioch (this is Antioch of Syria, almost 400 miles north of Jerusalem; see map). Chapter 8 began with the scattering of many of the disciples in Jerusalem, because of the persecution that arose after the martyrdom of Stephen. While Philip went to Samaria and Peter spoke the word to Cornelius in Caesarea, some of them went much further, even as far as Antioch. At first, those who were scattered proclaimed the good news of Jesus only to Jews, but then there were some of the disciples in Antioch who dared to present the message to Greeks, to non-Jews, to Gentiles. And guess what? Many of them received the message and were converted.
Now in the church of Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers. Who were these prophets? We have a tendency to simply interpret prophets as preachers, seeing them as any preacher today. I don’t think you can find that in the New Testament. Here in the book of Acts this term "prophet" is used here in 13:1 for the 18th time. However, the first 16 occurrences speak either of the Old Testament prophets or of Moses’ statement that God would raise up a prophet like unto him, which, of course, was none other than Jesus Himself. Let’s go back to chapter 11 to find the 17th occurrence of this term. Acts 11:27, "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch." So who were these prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch? They were not representatives of the Jerusalem church, who were sent to investigate what was going on at Antioch. Barnabas had already been sent to Antioch for that purpose. It is not stated that they were sent by the Jerusalem church at all. They simply came to Antioch. Only one of them is named, and that is Agabus. Let’s read about him in 11:28, "And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth [famine] throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."
So we see that Agabus, speaking in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, told them that a famine was coming. Agabus was fulfilling his function as a prophet. God, through the Spirit, revealed to him that there would be a famine, and he relayed it to the believers in the church at Antioch. It appears that was the role of the prophet in the New Testament. He simply relayed to others what God revealed to him.
Not only were there prophets at Antioch, but there were also teachers. It is not absolutely clear whether this means that each of the five men listed exercised both the function of prophet and teacher, or whether some were teachers and some were prophets. Though it is an interesting question, it is not important for us to know the answer. It is enough to know that these were godly leaders in the church of Antioch.
Following the statement that there were certain prophets and teachers at Antioch, Luke then names five of them. There may have been more, but we are not told. Two of these we already know, Barnabas and Saul. Remember that it was Barnabas who came down from Jerusalem to check out the reports which had come from Antioch, "who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (11:23). Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," remained in Antioch to encourage his new brothers and sisters in the Lord. But he soon discovered that he needed some help, so he went to Tarsus to find Saul, with whom he was acquainted. You will remember that we read about the conversion of Saul in chapter 9. Saul came back to Antioch with Barnabas, and together they taught these new disciples for an entire year. Afterwards they took a love offering to the saints in Jerusalem, who were suffering because of the famine that had been predicted.
Come now to the last verse in chapter 12. Acts 12:25, "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark." That is where our story begins today. So we see that Barnabas and Saul were two of the teachers in Antioch, for we are specifically told in 11:26 that they taught the people. We know nothing of the other three men who are named. It is interesting that Lucius was from Cyrene, which was a province located in north Africa. It was believers from Cyprus and Cyrene who had first proclaimed the gospel to Gentiles in Antioch, and Lucius may have been one of them. Manaen was brought up with Herod the tetrarch. Literally, he was "nourished with Herod." Translations range from friend or companion to foster-brother. This was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded. We can see that this is quite a mix, fitting of a church that would become the missionary center of the gospel.
2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
So who was it who ministered to the Lord and fasted? It was these five men, who were just listed in verse 1. Literally, "they were ministering to the Lord and fasting." The emphasis is on continuing action. The word for "ministering" is the word that was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to designate the official service of the priests and Levites. Here it may speak of the leading of public worship, but the details are not given.
Notice that they also fasted. That simply means that they were voluntarily abstaining from food for a time. But why did they do that? Was it a law that had been laid down by the apostles? No, it certainly was not. Then why did they fast? We don’t have time to do a study of fasting, but allow me to simply make a few comments. The roots of fasting are in the Old Testament, where this practice is not an unusual occurrence. People fasted when there was great sorrow, when they were aware of the ugliness of their sin, when they were seeking the Lord in an unusual way. Fasting often accompanied prayer.
But that was the Old Testament. What about the New Testament. Jesus did not command fasting; He assumed it. In the Sermon on the Mount, He did not say "If you fast," but… (Matt. 6:16-18)
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Twice Jesus says, "When you fast…" Later, Jesus was asked why His disciples didn’t fast. People noticed that the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus’ disciples did not. Listen to His answer in Matt. 9:15, "And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Jesus made it clear that it wasn’t a matter of whether nor not His disciples would fast, but it was a matter of timing. When Jesus was with them, it wouldn’t be appropriate to fast. It would be like fasting at a wedding feast. But when Jesus would be taken away, "then shall they fast." Jesus assumed that His disciples would fast.
That is what we see right here in these verses. Earlier we read the testimony of Cornelius in Acts 10:30, "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing…" Even before Cornelius came to hear, understand, and embrace the gospel of Christ, he fasted. Why? Because he was seeking the Lord with all his heart. If that sounds foreign to us, it is because we live in a fat, self-satisfied society, where few people ever even consider fasting. That hasn’t been the norm down through the ages. The abnormal is not what we find throughout the world through the ages; the abnormal is what we find in modern America.
So as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting (imperfect tense, denoting continuous action), the Holy Spirit spoke to them and said: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." I’m not sure why most English translations omit an important word from this verse. The Amplified includes it: "Separate now for me Barnabas and Saul…" It is a little two-letter word that emphasizes immediacy. The Holy Spirit made it clear that this setting apart of Barnabas and Saul was to take place right now.
I love the simplicity of this verse. "As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…" Make no mistake about it, it was the Holy Spirit who called (summoned) Barnabas and Saul to this work. So how did the Holy Spirit speak to these men? I don’t know, but they recognized that it was the Spirit speaking. Many believe that the Spirit spoke through one of the prophets in the group, and that well may be. This ministry was Spirit-initiated; it wasn’t just what these leaders decided would be a good idea.
Oh that we might know the leading of the Spirit of God. It doesn’t matter how He speaks. What matters is that we hear and obey Him!
3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Again, what simplicity. Since the Spirit said that Barnabas and Saul should be separated unto this work, there was nothing for them to do but to send them out, accompanied by prayer and fasting. We might ask, "But how did they know what the work was? How did they know where to send them?" I don’t know, but apparently they had confidence that this was what the Lord wanted. Perhaps that was part of the fasting and praying, that they would know where to send them. At any rate, we get the sense from this text that they acted with confidence in the Spirit’s direction.
They laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul. Who laid their hands on them? It seems proper to take "they" as referring to the men who have just been described in the preceding verses. However, people in the church may have also participated. If they didn’t, then these leaders were doing so as representatives of the church. The whole context of the missionary journeys lead us to believe that this was not just the action of a few leaders, but it was the church who sent them out.
Don’t you know this meant a great deal to Barnabas and Saul. They were going out to who know’s where, but as they went, they knew that these brothers would be lifting them up in prayer. The laying on of hands was a tangible and visible sign that the church recognized the validity of the Spirit’s call, rejoiced in their fellowship with them, and sent them out with their blessing.
4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Again, notice that even though it was the church at Antioch that sent them out, they were sent forth by the Holy Spirit. There is no contradiction. The leaders of the church were acting upon the direction of the Spirit. The Spirit and the church were in one accord.
Seleucia was the port city, about 16 miles from Antioch. They didn’t do any preaching there. It was simply their jumping off point. From the port of Seleucia they then sailed to the island of Cyrpus (see map).
5. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
Remember that Barnabas was from Cyprus (4:36). Perhaps this is the reason they began their ministry there. Also, we must remember that they were not the first Christians to preach the Word on the island of Cyprus. Acts 11:19, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch…"
Their first stop on the island of Cyprus was the town of Salamis. And where did they go in Salamis? They went straight to the synagogues. Notice that it is plural – synagogues. The Jewish people were spread all over the Roman Empire, as we saw by the fact that the varied attendance at the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2). And wherever you found Jews, you found a synagogue. The synagogue was the center of Jewish life. On the sabbath, the Jews came together to worship and hear from the scriptures. As we will see throughout the book of Acts, this was the normal practice of Saul (Paul). Whenever he went to a city which had a synagogue, that was the first place he preached? Why? Because these people had a background. They were looking for a Messiah. In addition, this was the first place to look for Gentiles who were interested in God, for God-fearing Gentiles were allowed in the synagogue, as we will see later. Nowhere is Paul’s philosophy stated more clearly than in Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth – to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
We now learn that Barnabas and Saul were not alone in this venture. They had with them a young man named John. This is the young man they brought back with them from Jerusalem. We know him as John Mark. We are told here that he was their "minister." This word translated "minister" is very interesting. It is a compound word made up of the verb which means "to row" and a prefixed preposition meaning "under." So it literally means "under rower." It was originally used of one in the galley of a ship, who rowed at the orders of one above him. So it came to mean one who served another. In the New Testament, it is used often of the officers or servants of the Sanhedrin. It is also used of the servants of the high priest, as well as one who served in the synagogue. Once Jesus used this word to refer to Paul himself. Acts 26:16, "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee." It is also found in 1 Cor. 4:1, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." So John Mark was a servant, an assistant, who helped Barbabas and Saul.
We are not informed of the results of their preaching in the synagogues of Salamis. After this brief account, we are told that they moved on.
6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7. Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10. And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 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. 12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Whether or not they preached at other locations, we do not know. But when they came to Paphos, they encountered a sorcerer. We get our English word "magician" from the Greek word that is used here. A form of the same word is used in chapter 8 to describe Simon, the sorcerer of Samaria. This man, whose name was Barjesus (son of Jesus), is described by three terms – sorcerer, false prophet, and Jew.
This Barjesus was closely associated with the deputy (proconsul, governor) of the province, whose name was Sergius Paulus. This government leader obviously heard about the work of Barnabas and Saul, because he sent for them with the desire to hear the Word of God. But Elymas (another name for Barjesus) was opposed to the idea. It was his plan to turn him away from the faith. We are not told why, but it may well be that Elymas realized that if Sergius Paulus turned to Christ, he could be out of a job as a sorcerer. At any rate, the following verse would indicate that he was being used as a tool of the enemy.
In verse 9, for the first time, Saul is referred to as Paul. It was common for a Jew to have both a Hebrew name and a Roman name. Most likely, Saul had borne both of these names from the time of his birth. Why does the name "Paul" now appear for the first time and dominate throughout the rest of the book of Acts? After this point, his name "Saul" occurs only three times (Acts 22:7,13; 26:14). In all three cases, Paul is retelling the story of his conversion and twice quotes the voice from heaven and once the words of Ananias, who said, "Brother Saul…" It seems that the Roman name "Paul" is now more appropriate, as he begins to deal more and more with the Gentiles.
More importantly than the addition of the name Paul is the fact that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul gave Elymas his full attention and spoke to him: "O full of all subtley and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right w ays of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and will not see the sun for a season." How could Paul be sure that this man would become blind? Because he was in tune with the Holy Spirit. And just as Paul said, Elymas was immediately blinded and had to have some one lead him around by the hand.
The conclusion of the ministry at Paphos is related very briefly in verse 12, "Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." At first glance, we might wonder if this was genuine saving faith. There is a certain similarity to what we read in John 2:23, "Now when he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did." We are told that they believed in Jesus’ name, which is a very strong statement. However, the following verses make it clear that whatever their belief was, it fell short of what we would call saving faith. John 2:24-25, "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25. And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." While this incident may seem similar on the surface, we must remember that Sergius Paulus actively sought Barnabas and Paul out to hear the Word of God, before there was any consideration of miracles. Since there is nothing to indicate otherwise, we have to assume that he was truly converted, unlike Simon in chapter 8.
13. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Notice that the threesome is now referred to as "Paul and his company." This is most likely due to the fact that Paul was taking the lead, especially in the case of dealing with Elymas, the sorcerer. After this, Paul’s name is mentioned first most of the time. Barnabas, the son of encouragement, was content to let this younger brother in the Lord take the lead.
They left Paphos and the island of Cyprus and came to Perga (see map). Perga was in the Roman province of Pamphylia. While there, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. We want to ask, "Why? Why did he go back home?" Some have theorized that he was a mama’s boy and this was not the kind of life he bargained for, but we really don’t know. Others have suggested that he resented Paul taking the lead in the ministry. The truth is, we simply don’t know. We could try to finish the story of John Mark, but his name will come up again here in the book of Acts.
14. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
It looks to be close to a hundred miles from Perga to Antioch. Notice that this is Antioch in Pisidia, to distinguish it from Antioch of Syria, the city from which Barnabas and Paul were sent. (Point to each on the map). How did they choose this city, as opposed to other cities in the area? We don’t know. Perhaps they had information that there was a strong Jewish settlement in Antioch, for Luke tells us that on the sabbath day they went to the synagogue.
Conclusion
That will make a good stopping place for us. Next time we will take up the witness in Antioch of Pisidia. I want to encourage you to read the rest of chapter 13 and all of chapter 14. What we call "the first missionary journey" is related in these two chapters.
Let me give you a few things to think on from the opening verses of chapter 13. Note first that when the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to this mission work, He also made it known to those around them. It wasn’t just a private thing, but it was body enterprise. The body of Christ worked together. While Paul and Barnabas were the ones who went, they were representing the church at Antioch.
Notice also that the church at Antioch was willing to send two of their best servants. They could have been selfish and said, "Let’s send someone else. These are the two men that have been so valuable in teaching our new converts. We can’t spare them." Instead, they sent them out with their blessing.
Finally, we might ask the question, "Why would the Holy Spirit and the church send Paul and Barnabas out to do missions, when they were living the in the middle of over half a million pagans who needed to know Christ?" That is a good question. However, there can be no question that this was the plan of God. It was the Holy Spirit who summoned them to this mission work. No doubt, the witness in Antioch continued. The work in Antioch and the work out in the rest of the world went hand in hand. May it be so with us. May we have a heart to reach the people in the Tularosa Basin, as well as people in the uttermost part of the earth.
ACTS 13:1-14
Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Up through 8:3, we have the witness to Jerusalem. In 8:4-12:25, we have the witness to Judaea and Samaria. Now from chapter 13 through chapter 28, the focus will be on the witness to uttermost part of the earth, even to the city of Rome. While there have been a few notable exceptions to this (the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, the people of Antioch), this is the general plan.
Here in chapter 13 we also see a change in focus. Where the witness up to this time has been decidedly Jewish, now the emphasis will be on taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Whereas Jerusalem has been the base of operations up to this point, now we will find that Antioch is the great missionary center. And while Peter has dominated the first 12 chapters of Acts, his name will be mentioned only one time in chapters 13-28. And what human figure will dominate these chapters? Yes, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
With that introcution, let’s launch into chapter 13.
1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Remember the beginnings of the church at Antioch (this is Antioch of Syria, almost 400 miles north of Jerusalem; see map). Chapter 8 began with the scattering of many of the disciples in Jerusalem, because of the persecution that arose after the martyrdom of Stephen. While Philip went to Samaria and Peter spoke the word to Cornelius in Caesarea, some of them went much further, even as far as Antioch. At first, those who were scattered proclaimed the good news of Jesus only to Jews, but then there were some of the disciples in Antioch who dared to present the message to Greeks, to non-Jews, to Gentiles. And guess what? Many of them received the message and were converted.
Now in the church of Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers. Who were these prophets? We have a tendency to simply interpret prophets as preachers, seeing them as any preacher today. I don’t think you can find that in the New Testament. Here in the book of Acts this term "prophet" is used here in 13:1 for the 18th time. However, the first 16 occurrences speak either of the Old Testament prophets or of Moses’ statement that God would raise up a prophet like unto him, which, of course, was none other than Jesus Himself. Let’s go back to chapter 11 to find the 17th occurrence of this term. Acts 11:27, "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch." So who were these prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch? They were not representatives of the Jerusalem church, who were sent to investigate what was going on at Antioch. Barnabas had already been sent to Antioch for that purpose. It is not stated that they were sent by the Jerusalem church at all. They simply came to Antioch. Only one of them is named, and that is Agabus. Let’s read about him in 11:28, "And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth [famine] throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."
So we see that Agabus, speaking in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, told them that a famine was coming. Agabus was fulfilling his function as a prophet. God, through the Spirit, revealed to him that there would be a famine, and he relayed it to the believers in the church at Antioch. It appears that was the role of the prophet in the New Testament. He simply relayed to others what God revealed to him.
Not only were there prophets at Antioch, but there were also teachers. It is not absolutely clear whether this means that each of the five men listed exercised both the function of prophet and teacher, or whether some were teachers and some were prophets. Though it is an interesting question, it is not important for us to know the answer. It is enough to know that these were godly leaders in the church of Antioch.
Following the statement that there were certain prophets and teachers at Antioch, Luke then names five of them. There may have been more, but we are not told. Two of these we already know, Barnabas and Saul. Remember that it was Barnabas who came down from Jerusalem to check out the reports which had come from Antioch, "who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (11:23). Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," remained in Antioch to encourage his new brothers and sisters in the Lord. But he soon discovered that he needed some help, so he went to Tarsus to find Saul, with whom he was acquainted. You will remember that we read about the conversion of Saul in chapter 9. Saul came back to Antioch with Barnabas, and together they taught these new disciples for an entire year. Afterwards they took a love offering to the saints in Jerusalem, who were suffering because of the famine that had been predicted.
Come now to the last verse in chapter 12. Acts 12:25, "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark." That is where our story begins today. So we see that Barnabas and Saul were two of the teachers in Antioch, for we are specifically told in 11:26 that they taught the people. We know nothing of the other three men who are named. It is interesting that Lucius was from Cyrene, which was a province located in north Africa. It was believers from Cyprus and Cyrene who had first proclaimed the gospel to Gentiles in Antioch, and Lucius may have been one of them. Manaen was brought up with Herod the tetrarch. Literally, he was "nourished with Herod." Translations range from friend or companion to foster-brother. This was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded. We can see that this is quite a mix, fitting of a church that would become the missionary center of the gospel.
2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
So who was it who ministered to the Lord and fasted? It was these five men, who were just listed in verse 1. Literally, "they were ministering to the Lord and fasting." The emphasis is on continuing action. The word for "ministering" is the word that was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to designate the official service of the priests and Levites. Here it may speak of the leading of public worship, but the details are not given.
Notice that they also fasted. That simply means that they were voluntarily abstaining from food for a time. But why did they do that? Was it a law that had been laid down by the apostles? No, it certainly was not. Then why did they fast? We don’t have time to do a study of fasting, but allow me to simply make a few comments. The roots of fasting are in the Old Testament, where this practice is not an unusual occurrence. People fasted when there was great sorrow, when they were aware of the ugliness of their sin, when they were seeking the Lord in an unusual way. Fasting often accompanied prayer.
But that was the Old Testament. What about the New Testament. Jesus did not command fasting; He assumed it. In the Sermon on the Mount, He did not say "If you fast," but… (Matt. 6:16-18)
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Twice Jesus says, "When you fast…" Later, Jesus was asked why His disciples didn’t fast. People noticed that the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus’ disciples did not. Listen to His answer in Matt. 9:15, "And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Jesus made it clear that it wasn’t a matter of whether nor not His disciples would fast, but it was a matter of timing. When Jesus was with them, it wouldn’t be appropriate to fast. It would be like fasting at a wedding feast. But when Jesus would be taken away, "then shall they fast." Jesus assumed that His disciples would fast.
That is what we see right here in these verses. Earlier we read the testimony of Cornelius in Acts 10:30, "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing…" Even before Cornelius came to hear, understand, and embrace the gospel of Christ, he fasted. Why? Because he was seeking the Lord with all his heart. If that sounds foreign to us, it is because we live in a fat, self-satisfied society, where few people ever even consider fasting. That hasn’t been the norm down through the ages. The abnormal is not what we find throughout the world through the ages; the abnormal is what we find in modern America.
So as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting (imperfect tense, denoting continuous action), the Holy Spirit spoke to them and said: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." I’m not sure why most English translations omit an important word from this verse. The Amplified includes it: "Separate now for me Barnabas and Saul…" It is a little two-letter word that emphasizes immediacy. The Holy Spirit made it clear that this setting apart of Barnabas and Saul was to take place right now.
I love the simplicity of this verse. "As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…" Make no mistake about it, it was the Holy Spirit who called (summoned) Barnabas and Saul to this work. So how did the Holy Spirit speak to these men? I don’t know, but they recognized that it was the Spirit speaking. Many believe that the Spirit spoke through one of the prophets in the group, and that well may be. This ministry was Spirit-initiated; it wasn’t just what these leaders decided would be a good idea.
Oh that we might know the leading of the Spirit of God. It doesn’t matter how He speaks. What matters is that we hear and obey Him!
3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Again, what simplicity. Since the Spirit said that Barnabas and Saul should be separated unto this work, there was nothing for them to do but to send them out, accompanied by prayer and fasting. We might ask, "But how did they know what the work was? How did they know where to send them?" I don’t know, but apparently they had confidence that this was what the Lord wanted. Perhaps that was part of the fasting and praying, that they would know where to send them. At any rate, we get the sense from this text that they acted with confidence in the Spirit’s direction.
They laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul. Who laid their hands on them? It seems proper to take "they" as referring to the men who have just been described in the preceding verses. However, people in the church may have also participated. If they didn’t, then these leaders were doing so as representatives of the church. The whole context of the missionary journeys lead us to believe that this was not just the action of a few leaders, but it was the church who sent them out.
Don’t you know this meant a great deal to Barnabas and Saul. They were going out to who know’s where, but as they went, they knew that these brothers would be lifting them up in prayer. The laying on of hands was a tangible and visible sign that the church recognized the validity of the Spirit’s call, rejoiced in their fellowship with them, and sent them out with their blessing.
4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Again, notice that even though it was the church at Antioch that sent them out, they were sent forth by the Holy Spirit. There is no contradiction. The leaders of the church were acting upon the direction of the Spirit. The Spirit and the church were in one accord.
Seleucia was the port city, about 16 miles from Antioch. They didn’t do any preaching there. It was simply their jumping off point. From the port of Seleucia they then sailed to the island of Cyrpus (see map).
5. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
Remember that Barnabas was from Cyprus (4:36). Perhaps this is the reason they began their ministry there. Also, we must remember that they were not the first Christians to preach the Word on the island of Cyprus. Acts 11:19, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch…"
Their first stop on the island of Cyprus was the town of Salamis. And where did they go in Salamis? They went straight to the synagogues. Notice that it is plural – synagogues. The Jewish people were spread all over the Roman Empire, as we saw by the fact that the varied attendance at the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2). And wherever you found Jews, you found a synagogue. The synagogue was the center of Jewish life. On the sabbath, the Jews came together to worship and hear from the scriptures. As we will see throughout the book of Acts, this was the normal practice of Saul (Paul). Whenever he went to a city which had a synagogue, that was the first place he preached? Why? Because these people had a background. They were looking for a Messiah. In addition, this was the first place to look for Gentiles who were interested in God, for God-fearing Gentiles were allowed in the synagogue, as we will see later. Nowhere is Paul’s philosophy stated more clearly than in Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth – to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
We now learn that Barnabas and Saul were not alone in this venture. They had with them a young man named John. This is the young man they brought back with them from Jerusalem. We know him as John Mark. We are told here that he was their "minister." This word translated "minister" is very interesting. It is a compound word made up of the verb which means "to row" and a prefixed preposition meaning "under." So it literally means "under rower." It was originally used of one in the galley of a ship, who rowed at the orders of one above him. So it came to mean one who served another. In the New Testament, it is used often of the officers or servants of the Sanhedrin. It is also used of the servants of the high priest, as well as one who served in the synagogue. Once Jesus used this word to refer to Paul himself. Acts 26:16, "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee." It is also found in 1 Cor. 4:1, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." So John Mark was a servant, an assistant, who helped Barbabas and Saul.
We are not informed of the results of their preaching in the synagogues of Salamis. After this brief account, we are told that they moved on.
6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7. Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10. And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 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. 12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Whether or not they preached at other locations, we do not know. But when they came to Paphos, they encountered a sorcerer. We get our English word "magician" from the Greek word that is used here. A form of the same word is used in chapter 8 to describe Simon, the sorcerer of Samaria. This man, whose name was Barjesus (son of Jesus), is described by three terms – sorcerer, false prophet, and Jew.
This Barjesus was closely associated with the deputy (proconsul, governor) of the province, whose name was Sergius Paulus. This government leader obviously heard about the work of Barnabas and Saul, because he sent for them with the desire to hear the Word of God. But Elymas (another name for Barjesus) was opposed to the idea. It was his plan to turn him away from the faith. We are not told why, but it may well be that Elymas realized that if Sergius Paulus turned to Christ, he could be out of a job as a sorcerer. At any rate, the following verse would indicate that he was being used as a tool of the enemy.
In verse 9, for the first time, Saul is referred to as Paul. It was common for a Jew to have both a Hebrew name and a Roman name. Most likely, Saul had borne both of these names from the time of his birth. Why does the name "Paul" now appear for the first time and dominate throughout the rest of the book of Acts? After this point, his name "Saul" occurs only three times (Acts 22:7,13; 26:14). In all three cases, Paul is retelling the story of his conversion and twice quotes the voice from heaven and once the words of Ananias, who said, "Brother Saul…" It seems that the Roman name "Paul" is now more appropriate, as he begins to deal more and more with the Gentiles.
More importantly than the addition of the name Paul is the fact that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul gave Elymas his full attention and spoke to him: "O full of all subtley and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right w ays of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and will not see the sun for a season." How could Paul be sure that this man would become blind? Because he was in tune with the Holy Spirit. And just as Paul said, Elymas was immediately blinded and had to have some one lead him around by the hand.
The conclusion of the ministry at Paphos is related very briefly in verse 12, "Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." At first glance, we might wonder if this was genuine saving faith. There is a certain similarity to what we read in John 2:23, "Now when he [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did." We are told that they believed in Jesus’ name, which is a very strong statement. However, the following verses make it clear that whatever their belief was, it fell short of what we would call saving faith. John 2:24-25, "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25. And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man." While this incident may seem similar on the surface, we must remember that Sergius Paulus actively sought Barnabas and Paul out to hear the Word of God, before there was any consideration of miracles. Since there is nothing to indicate otherwise, we have to assume that he was truly converted, unlike Simon in chapter 8.
13. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Notice that the threesome is now referred to as "Paul and his company." This is most likely due to the fact that Paul was taking the lead, especially in the case of dealing with Elymas, the sorcerer. After this, Paul’s name is mentioned first most of the time. Barnabas, the son of encouragement, was content to let this younger brother in the Lord take the lead.
They left Paphos and the island of Cyprus and came to Perga (see map). Perga was in the Roman province of Pamphylia. While there, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. We want to ask, "Why? Why did he go back home?" Some have theorized that he was a mama’s boy and this was not the kind of life he bargained for, but we really don’t know. Others have suggested that he resented Paul taking the lead in the ministry. The truth is, we simply don’t know. We could try to finish the story of John Mark, but his name will come up again here in the book of Acts.
14. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
It looks to be close to a hundred miles from Perga to Antioch. Notice that this is Antioch in Pisidia, to distinguish it from Antioch of Syria, the city from which Barnabas and Paul were sent. (Point to each on the map). How did they choose this city, as opposed to other cities in the area? We don’t know. Perhaps they had information that there was a strong Jewish settlement in Antioch, for Luke tells us that on the sabbath day they went to the synagogue.
Conclusion
That will make a good stopping place for us. Next time we will take up the witness in Antioch of Pisidia. I want to encourage you to read the rest of chapter 13 and all of chapter 14. What we call "the first missionary journey" is related in these two chapters.
Let me give you a few things to think on from the opening verses of chapter 13. Note first that when the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to this mission work, He also made it known to those around them. It wasn’t just a private thing, but it was body enterprise. The body of Christ worked together. While Paul and Barnabas were the ones who went, they were representing the church at Antioch.
Notice also that the church at Antioch was willing to send two of their best servants. They could have been selfish and said, "Let’s send someone else. These are the two men that have been so valuable in teaching our new converts. We can’t spare them." Instead, they sent them out with their blessing.
Finally, we might ask the question, "Why would the Holy Spirit and the church send Paul and Barnabas out to do missions, when they were living the in the middle of over half a million pagans who needed to know Christ?" That is a good question. However, there can be no question that this was the plan of God. It was the Holy Spirit who summoned them to this mission work. No doubt, the witness in Antioch continued. The work in Antioch and the work out in the rest of the world went hand in hand. May it be so with us. May we have a heart to reach the people in the Tularosa Basin, as well as people in the uttermost part of the earth.
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