Acts13

The Holy Ghost commissions Barnabas and Saul for missionary work from Antioch. In Cyprus, Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, blinds Elymas the sorcerer, leading the deputy Sergius Paulus to believe. In Pisidian Antioch, Paul preaches a sermon tracing Israel's history to Jesus' resurrection, offering forgiveness through faith. When the Jews reject their message, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles, who gladly receive the word, though persecution ultimately forces the apostles to depart.

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Commissioning of Barnabas and Saul

¶ 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.

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.

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Ministry in Cyprus and Sergius Paulus

¶ So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

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.

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

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.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty 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?

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.

Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

Paul's Sermon in Pisidian Antioch

¶ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him from the dead:

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Rejection by Jews, Turning to Gentiles

¶ And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

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.

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.

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.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

Study Notes for Acts 13

Verse 1

The list highlights the diversity of the Antioch leadership (including those from Africa and Cyprus), demonstrating the church's multi-ethnic character. Manaen's connection to Herod the tetrarch suggests the gospel had reached high social strata.

Verse 2

This is the first official, Spirit-directed missionary journey. The separation of Barnabas and Saul occurs while the church is engaged in worship and fasting, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's will before mission.

Verse 3

The laying on of hands signifies authorization and blessing, recognizing the divine call received by Barnabas and Saul for their specific work.

Verse 4

Luke emphasizes that they were 'sent forth by the Holy Ghost,' underscoring that the mission was divinely mandated, though carried out through the local church.

Verse 5

Following the pattern of 'to the Jew first,' Paul and Barnabas used the established structure of the Jewish synagogue as their initial point of contact in each city.

Verse 7

Sergius Paulus was the Roman proconsul of Cyprus. Luke's use of the specific title 'deputy' (proconsul) is historically accurate, confirming the political status of Cyprus at that time.

Verse 9

This verse marks the formal transition where Saul is henceforth referred to as Paul. This shift, from his Hebrew name to his Roman name, coincides with his ministry focus shifting decisively toward the Gentiles.

Verse 11

Paul’s infliction of temporary blindness on Elymas mirrors the blindness Paul himself experienced at his conversion (Acts 9), demonstrating the superior power of God over false magic.

Verse 12

The proconsul’s belief illustrates that signs and wonders serve to confirm the authority and truth of the gospel message (the 'doctrine of the Lord').

Verse 13

John Mark's unexplained departure becomes a source of later conflict between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:38). His return to Jerusalem may have been due to homesickness, fear, or disagreement over strategy.

Verse 14

Pisidian Antioch was an important Roman colony inland from the coast. Paul maintained his strategy of preaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

Verse 16

Paul addresses two groups: 'Men of Israel' (ethnic Jews) and 'ye that fear God' (pious Gentiles, or 'God-fearers,' who were attracted to Judaism but had not fully converted).

Verse 20

Paul provides a concise survey of Israelite history, from the Exodus to the monarchy, establishing the context of God's faithfulness and covenant promises leading up to the Messiah.

Verse 22

Quoting 1 Samuel 13:14, Paul establishes David as the pivotal figure in Israel's history, whose lineage is the source of the promised Savior, Jesus.

Verse 27

Paul offers a profound theological insight: the Jewish leaders' rejection of Jesus, though done in ignorance, ironically resulted in the precise fulfillment of prophetic scripture.

Verse 30

The resurrection is the central point of Paul's sermon, confirming Jesus' identity as the Messiah and the validity of the apostles' witness.

Verse 33

Paul applies Psalm 2:7, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,' to Jesus' resurrection, affirming that the resurrection is the ultimate confirmation of Jesus’ divine Sonship and Messianic installation.

Verse 39

This verse contains the first clear statement in Acts of the central Pauline doctrine: justification (being declared righteous) is achieved through belief in Christ, not by adherence to the Law of Moses.

Verse 41

Paul quotes Habakkuk 1:5, warning the synagogue members that failing to believe the news of Jesus' resurrection is an act of rejection that will bring judgment.

Verse 42

The Gentiles' request for the message the following week highlights their immediate interest in the gospel, contrasting sharply with the eventual opposition from the Jewish leaders.

Verse 46

This is a decisive turning point in the book of Acts. Paul and Barnabas officially declare their intent to pivot the mission toward the Gentiles, based on the Jewish rejection of the message.

Verse 47

Paul justifies his mission to the Gentiles by quoting Isaiah 49:6, applying the prophecy of the Servant (Messiah) being a 'light of the Gentiles' to his own apostolic calling.

Verse 48

The phrase 'as many as were ordained to eternal life believed' emphasizes God's sovereign purpose in salvation, while still requiring the human response of faith.

Verse 51

Shaking off the dust was a symbolic act, instructed by Jesus (Luke 9:5), signifying a complete separation from those who rejected the gospel and leaving them accountable for their own decision.

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Acts13

Commissioning of Barnabas and Saul

Ministry in Cyprus and Sergius Paulus

Paul's Sermon in Pisidian Antioch

Rejection by Jews, Turning to Gentiles

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