- Gospels and Acts(NT) Acts 13:1~14:28
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Question
Acts 13:1-14:28
Key Verse: 14:22
“...strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Read 13:1-4. What was special about the Antioch church? (11:19-21)
Who were the Bible teachers? Why and how did they send out Barnabas
and Saul as missionaries?
2. Read 13:4-12. Find Cyprus on a map. Who was Sergius Paulus and how
was he converted? How did Paul deal with enemies of God? Read
13:13-15. Trace their journey from Cyprus to Pisidian Antioch. What
happened to John Mark?
3. Read 13:16-25. How and why did God train his people? (Ex.19:5,6) How
did Paul describe the flow of history? Why does he focus on David?
What was God's promise and how did he keep it? (13:22-25)
4. Read 13:26-31. What is the good news? (26,32,33,38) What does it
mean that Paul includes the Gentiles as brothers? (26) What did the
people in Jerusalem do? How did this reveal God's sovereignty? What
did God do? (30) What does it mean?
5. Read 13:32-41. How does Jesus' resurrection fulfill Scripture? What
does it mean to all who believe? To unbelievers? (38-41; 1Co
15:54b,55) Read 13:42-52. What was the response to Paul's message?
The result?
6. Read 14:1-7. What happened in Iconium? How did Paul handle a
critical situation? How did God help him? Read 14:8-20. What
happened in Lystra? What happened when he tried to teach Genesis?
How did Paul show his resurrection faith? (19-21a)
7. Read 14:21-28. Trace the trip home. How did Paul encourage new
believers? What was the report to the church in Antioch?
Manuscript
Message
Acts 13:1-14:28
Key Verse: 14:22
“...strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
It's good to remember that the Acts of the Apostles is the second
book written by Luke. The life-giving work of God began in the Galilean
district in the land of Palestine. After Jesus' ascension, the handful
of apostles took over his gospel work. To the eyes of the historian
Luke, it was amazing that gospel work did not perish but grew and grew,
conquering the world progressively. When we study Acts carefully, we
learn that the Holy Spirit is the principle and the apostles were
agents. Acts 13:1-28:31 is primarily concerned with St. Paul's dynamic
work among the Gentiles. It is so much his work that many call this
section, "The Acts of St. Paul." Basing in the Antioch church, Paul
takes three journeys around the Roman world. At last Paul attains his
goal of preaching at Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire. Today's
passage, chapters 13-14, covers Paul's first missionary journey; it is
commonly called, "Paul's work in Galatia."
I. The Antioch church (13:1-3)
As we studied in chapter 9, the early Christians were scattered by
the persecution in connection with Stephen (11:19-24). Some Christians
ran for their lives and came to Antioch, a cosmopolitan meeting place
of Jew, Greek, Roman and Syrian. Here the gospel of Jesus first
attracted pagan attention. The church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to
Antioch to see about them. The Jerusalem church did not send a bigoted
person, but Barnabas. It is obvious that the Jerusalem church had a
good intention to help the Antioch church, despite racial prejudice.
When Barnabas arrived, he saw that a great number of people were filled
with the Holy Spirit and faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ
(11:22-24). God had already established the Antioch church as the first
headquarters of the Gentile Christian church. A main member of the
church in Antioch was Barnabas, who loved God more than money
(4:36,37), and who had introduced Saul to the apostles. He believed
God's work in Saul. He also recognized the Antioch church as a
legitimate Christian church (11:22-26). Then there were Niger, Lucius,
who came from Cyrene in North Africa; Manaen, who had courtly
connections; and Saul, who was a trained Rabbi. The Antioch church was,
in essence, international. Verse 2 says, "While they were worshiping
the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas
and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" The Antioch
believers devoted themselves to prayer and Bible study as their
expression of worshiping God. The church was seeking God's will. As
soon as they heard that they should set apart Barnabas and Saul as
missionaries, they obeyed, even though these two men were two main
pillars in their church.
II. The work of God in Cyprus (13:4-12)
Cyprus was a Roman province and the home country of Barnabas
(4:36). Obviously, Barnabas desired to share the gospel of Jesus first
of all with his own people. Barnabas and Saul, by the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, went down first to Seleucia, a port city of Antioch. From
there they went to Salamis, a city of Cyprus, and proclaimed the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Cyprus was an island country like the Philippines.
They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There
Sergius Paulus was a Roman governor who kept a Jewish fortune-teller,
Elymas. The governor was an intelligent man. But he was so fearful and
unsure about himself that he hired a fortune-teller. He sent for
Barnabas and Saul to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer
opposed them and tried to turn the governor from the faith. Where
there was a work of God, there was Satan's hindrance.
What did Paul do with this enemy of God? Paul looked straight at
Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of
everything that is right!" (10a) At Paul's rebuking, Elymas' eyes were
blinded. The governor believed in Jesus. He was amazed at Paul's
teaching about the Lord, not by the miracle. Paul won a convert when he
had faith in Jesus and a clear attitude toward a child of the devil.
III. The work of God in Pisidian Antioch (13:13-52)
In this part Paul explains that Jesus is the Savior of the world,
relating Jewish history to the salvation plan of God. From Paphos, Paul
and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John, later
known as Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark, went back to Jerusalem.
Probably he was homesick and was terrified by Paul's fighting spirit.
After 20 years John Mark joined Paul's ministry again (2Ti 4:11). From
Perga, Paul and his companions went to Pisidian Antioch. On the
Sabbath, as soon as Paul's company entered the synagogue, the synagogue
rulers asked them to say a word of encouragement to the people. Paul
stood up and began to speak. In his speech we learn that Paul had a
clear sense of the work and history of God.
First, God sent the Savior of the world from David's root (16-25). In
this part Paul began to teach the tedious history of Israel to the
Gentiles. But it was necessary to explain who Jesus is. Look at verse
17. "The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the
people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led
them out of that country..." God chose Israel as his firstborn son so
that through them the world might overflow with the knowledge of God
(Ex 19:5,6). For this, God trained his people in Egypt, where they
experienced the cruelty and heartlessness of mankind under godless
rulers. It was humanity study. After the training was over, God brought
them out into the wilderness. To God, humanity study was not enough;
they needed faith training. God gave them daily bread training. They
had to gather one day's portion of manna every day. If they gathered in
their greediness more than that, they found the next day that it had
spoiled. They received this training for 40 long years. Finally God
sent them to the promised land. But his people asked for a king like
other nations. God gave them a king, Saul. After removing him because
of his unbelief, God established David as king because he was a man
after God's own heart and would do everything God wanted him to do
(22). When David obeyed God's will absolutely, God was pleased and
promised that he would send the Savior of the world from his root. As
God promised, John the Baptist came. And then Jesus came. He is the
Savior of the world. His coming changed the world from BC to AD. These
days many people say history is going nowhere. More educated people say
history is nothing but a vicious cycle. Some stoic people say, "History
is the record of man's sins and injustice." But history is not a
purposeless process, as they say. Here Paul insists that the coming of
Jesus is the consummation of history.
Second, God raised Jesus from the dead (26-52). After explaining God's
plan to send a Savior of the world from his chosen people and from the
root of David, Paul exclaimed, "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you
God-fearing Gentiles...!" Paul accepted the Gentiles as his own
brothers in Christ. We can aptly describe Paul's feeling with the
Lord's prayer, "Our Father in heaven..." It was unthinkable for Jews to
call Gentiles "brothers" or "children of Abraham." We can understand
the depth of Paul's faith in God through Jesus' words to Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was an outcast among the Jews, abandoned and condemned; his
name was removed from the record book of Israel. Jesus said to him:
"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a
son of Abraham" (Lk.19:9). Read verse 26. "Brothers, children of
Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of
salvation has been sent." Paul had been an ardent nationalist, but when
he accepted Jesus, the universal brotherhood in Christ came into his
heart.
Next, Paul tells them what the people of Jerusalem and their leaders
had done to Jesus (27-35). Jesus came to that which was his own, but
his people did not recognize him or receive him. When Jesus healed the
sick and preached the good news of the kingdom of God, the religious
rulers should have supported him because his work was to save sinners
from their sins. When Jesus raised 12 disciples, they criticized him
with sarcasm, "They are a band of beggars and breakers of the Sabbath
law." Thomas Carlyle said, "Sarcasm is the language of the devil."
These devils condemned and crucified Jesus on the cross. But his death
was not a tragedy; it was the fulfillment of prophecy that the Messiah
would come as the Lamb of God; his death was to save men from their
sins; ultimately, his death was the Son's obedience to his "Abba
Father" and the fulfillment of the Father's will for world salvation.
What did God do when his one and only Son was buried in a tomb after
crucifixion? God raised him from the dead on the third day (Ps 16:10).
By raising him God proved that he is living and almighty. By raising
him God destroyed the last enemy, death. By raising him God gave a
living hope of the kingdom of God to those who believe in the Son.
In the past all men knelt down before the power of death and were
swallowed up. David was a king who served God's purpose in his own
generation. But he also died and his body decayed (36). Let's see what
happened to the one whom God raised from the dead. Read verse 37. "But
the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay." The
resurrection of Jesus is God's victory as well as victory to all human
beings who believe in him (1Co 15:54b, 55). Not only so, but also
through his Son's death, those who believe in the Son are all pardoned
and accepted as the children of God, regardless of their condemned
state. Read verses 38,39. "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know
that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you
could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Therefore we must not
take lightly what the prophets have said (40,41). In this way Paul
explained that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people invited them to speak
again (42,43). On the other hand, the Jews who were filled with
jealousy talked abusively against what Paul was saying (45). The Jews
persecuted and expelled Paul's company by making use of God-fearing
women of high standing (49,50). Since fellow Jews rejected the gospel,
Paul and Barnabas decided to turn to the Gentiles (46,47). When the
Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord.
In this way God opened the door for gospel work among Gentiles.
IV. In Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (14:1-28)
First, the work of God in Iconium (1-7). The work of God in Iconium was
like a bloody battle between Christian soldiers and those of the
devil. Look at verse 1. "At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual
into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great
number of Jews and Gentiles believed." Then what happened? Enemies of
God poisoned new Christians' minds. Paul and Barnabas did not fight
against the agents of the devil. Instead they only preached the gospel
of Jesus Christ. When the soldiers of Christ were too weak, the Holy
Spirit enabled them to perform miracles before the enemies. Still the
enemies persisted. So there was a division in the city between the
Christian soldiers and the enemies of God (4). There was a plot afoot
among the Gentiles and Jews; historically they were known to be
enemies, but in doing the devil's work they became friends. Paul and
Barnabas found out about the plot and fled to the cities of Lystra and
Derbe. Here we learn that when Christians are weak, the Holy Spirit
comes to the rescue.
Second, God's work in Lystra and Derbe (8-20). In Iconium Paul and
Barnabas met a critical moment because they were badly mistreated. In
Lystra they met another critical moment because the people there wanted
to make them gods. In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who
was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was
speaking (8.9a). Paul healed him because he saw that the man had faith
(9b,10).
What was the response of the crowd when they saw what Paul had
done? They said, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" They
called Barnabas Zeus--the god of lustful immorality. They called Paul
Hermes--a chief speaker (Kermit the frog). The priests of Zeus prepared
to offer sacrifices to them. These ignorant people tried to deify them,
not based on the gospel, but on a miracle (10-13).
What did Paul do with them? He said, "We are only men, human like
you." Paul began to teach them a simple truth from Genesis: God is the
Creator; he provides for all men's needs; he fills men's hearts with
joy (14-18). But Genesis study did not work in their hearts because
they were superstitious (18). Things went from bad to worse when some
Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and stirred up the crowd. They
stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city and threw him away,
thinking he was dead. But after the disciples gathered around him, he
got up and went back into the city (19,20). In doing gospel work, Paul
participated in the remaining suffering of Jesus Christ, who was killed
and thrown away outside the city walls of Jerusalem.
The next day Paul and Barnabas went to Derbe and won a large number
of disciples. Then they started back to Antioch. On the way, back what
did they do? They visited the towns where they had been mistreated.
Did they complain? No. Read verse 22. "...strengthening the disciples
and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through
many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." This was their
testimony after their first missionary journey. Through their testimony
they strengthened and encouraged the disciples to remain true to the
faith. "To enter the kingdom of God" does not necessarily mean
personal salvation; it can also mean to expand the territory of the
kingdom of God and conquer the whole world with the gospel of Jesus
until his kingdom comes. When they arrived in Antioch, they told how
God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
In this passage we learn that the Christian church is the fellowship
of those who study the Bible and pray earnestly, and that Christians
are not easy-going civilians, but the soldiers of Christ. May God use
us as Christian soldiers, to fight to expand the territory of the
kingdom of God.