The Book of Acts Chapter 13

[뉴맨]

The Book of Acts Chapter 13

Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ACT.13.NIV

The Mission Church & the First Missionary Journey Begun

Appointing Missionaries

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.(The church was organized with various leaders.)

2 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 Lord Jesus was worshiped and the Holy Spirit assigned missionaries.)

3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (So the church obeyed sending missionaries with fasting and prayer. We call it Paul's First Mission Journey. (1, map))

On Cyprus

4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues(**). John (Mark) was with them as their helper. (Salamis, John was with them.)

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. (They were invited by the proconsul Sergius Paulus.)

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. (There was some resistance to the Gospel.)

9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” (Paul, the new name of Saul, rebuked the sorcerer.)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. (The sorcerer became blind.)

12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. (The happening deepened the faith of the proconsul since he was moved by the teaching about the Lord.)

In Pisidian Antioch

13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. (John left team due to his lack of commitment.)

14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.

15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” (They went to synagogue(2) on the Sabbath, where and when the Jews gathered, and preached the Gospel.)

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! (The people, the Jews and the converted Gentiles, were there to learn the LORD so Paul began to preach.)

17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob); he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt (Multitudes under the twelve fathers); with mighty power he led them out of that country (Exodus); 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness (40 years of wandering); 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. (Conquering the land of Canaan.)

20 All this took about 450 years. “After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. (Time of Judges)

21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. (The reign of Saul)

22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (The King David who established the kingdom and became the protocol of Messiah.)

23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. (Jesus is the One who came through the lineage of David as the Savior.)

24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. (John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus.)

25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. (John the Baptist, the recently known prophet, testified Jesus is the Messiah. Before him there was no prophet for 400 years after Malachi. So, people were impressed more by John the Baptist.)

27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. (As it is foretold in the Old Testament time, the Jewish rulers rejected Jesus due to their jealousy.)

28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. (Jesus was killed by the Jewish leaders and the Roman governor, Pilate.)

29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. (They buried Jesus who was killed according to the OT prophecies.)

30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. (Jesus has been resurrected and witnessed by many people, who now witnessing HIs Lordship.)

32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

“ ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ (Ps. 2:7, The resurrection and the Lordship of Jesus is the Good News.)

34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,

“ ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ (Isa. 55:3)

35 So it is also stated elsewhere:

“ ‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ (Ps. 16:10) (It is the good news because of His resurrection we have hope of eternal life.)

36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. (The protocol- preview of the Messiah died and buried.)

37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. (But not Jesus buried and decayed.)

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. (Those who have faith in Jesus, therefore their sins were forgiven and destined to the eternal life in Kingdom of God.)

40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 “ ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’” (Hab. 1:5, Don't be a unbeliever who's destined to the eternal damnation.)

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. (The people moved by the message and asked Paul and Barnabas to come back for more messages.)

43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. (Some of them followed Paul and Barnabas for further instruction.)

44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. (Now the news spread and more people gathered in the synagogue on the next Sabbath.)

45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. (The popular acceptance of the Gospel of those people caused jealousy and counter attack on the messengers.)

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. (Because many Jews rejected the Gospel, Paul and Banabas will preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.

47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isa. 49:6, The rejection of the chosen and the blessing of the outsider have already been foretold. It reflects human nature; those who have will lost but who have not will be given. Jn. 1:11-12)

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (God is the God of Nations, and the Gospel is for all people.)

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. (The missionaries overcame the ethnic and cultural walls.)

50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. (But the Jewish leaders kicked them out of the region.)

51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. (Mt. 10:14-15)

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (The disciples were joyous for being accepted or being rejected. Because they just obeyed the Lord.)

(1)Map of Paul's Mission Journey

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2515/the-journeys-of-paul-the-apostle/

Paul's Missionary Journeys

The First Journey (Google AI)

Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13-14) started in Antioch (Syria), went to Cyprus (Salamis, Paphos), then sailed to Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to cities in Galatia like Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, before retracing their steps and returning to Antioch, a roughly 1,400-mile trip focused on preaching in synagogues.

(2)Synagogues: (Google AI)

A synagogue is a Jewish house of worship, study, and community, serving as a central hub for prayer, education, and social activities, often called a beit knesset (house of assembly) or shul (school) in Yiddish, with key features like an Ark for the Torah and a bimah (platform) for readings, functioning as a vital gathering place for Jewish life, even for small groups of ten (a minyan) for prayer.

The mission team utilized the existing Jewish community to share the Gospel.

The three advantageous factors that enhance the missionary activities. (Gal. 4:4)

The scattered Jews who were longing for the Messiah- Synagogue,

Common language- Greek,

Free and easy travel throughout the Roman Empire.