Acts 13.1-52 is going to tell us about the calling of Barnabas and Saul by the Ruach Ha Kodesh and their first missionary journey to Seleucia, Salamis and Paphos; Paul’s teaching at the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch and the response of the people to what Paul taught.
v 1…Now there were at Antioch, in the kahal (assembly) that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger (black) and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch (Antipas, and uncle to Herod Agrippa I-his son was too young to rule so procurators return over the land), and Saul.
v 2…And while they (the five in v 1) were ministering to the Lord (they ministered “to the Lord” but in the “kahal” or assembly) and fasting, the Ruach Ha Kodesh said, “Set apart (with a kedusha) for me Barnabas and Saul (he was called Saul many years after his Damascus experience) for the work to which I have called them (release them from their duties so that they can go beyond Antioch).”
v 3…Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them (called “semicha” and it means “to lean” or put their weight on them, meaning to trust them and assure them of their support; it is a solemn attestation that these two individuals have been sent by them), they sent them away.
v 4…So being sent (as a shaliach) out by the Ruach Ha Kodesh, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus (they were going into Greek/Hellenistic territories).
v 5…And when they entered Salamis (east of Cyprus) they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews (as guests); and they had John (Marcus or Mark-was a Roman name and he may have had Roman citizenship) as their helper (assistant).
v 6…And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Yeshua (a common name and one of the false prophets Yeshua said would arise and deceive many),
v 7…who was with the proconsul (Roman deputy), Sergius Paulus, and man of intelligence (he saw through the pretensions of Bar-Yeshua). This man (Sergius Paulus) summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God (the way of life in Yeshua as Messiah).
v 8…But Elymas the magician, for thus his name is translated, was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith (the doctrinal body of truth presented by Barnabas and Saul- he was trying to preserve his money-making schemes and deceptions).
v 9…But Saul, who was also called Paul (Saul in Hebrew is “Shaul” and was his given Hebrew name, Paulus/Paul was his Roman name because he was a citizen. Roman males were often referred to by four names. The first name, called the “praenomen” is their given name. The second name is called the “nomen” or tribal name. The third name is called the “cognomen” or family name. A fourth name could be added because of some honor, which is called the “agnomen.” The full name of Julius Caesar was Gaius Julius Caesar Imperator. Saul, or Shaul, had the Roman name of Saulus Benjaminus Tarsus Paulus-for more information, see our article called, “Have You Ever Heard of Saulus Benjaminus Tarsus Paulus?” on this website), filled with the Ruach Ha Kodesh (under his control and purposes), fixed his gaze upon him (Elymas the sorcerer),
v 10…and said, “You are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil (a follower of the devil), you enemy of righteousness (as defined in the Torah), will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord (found in the Torah)?
v 11…And now, behold (and see), the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind (he was already spiritually blind) and not see the sun for a time (he loved darkness rather than the light).” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand (this lasted for a season, until Yehovah was pleased to end this judgment).
v 12…Then the proconsul believed when he saw what happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord (found in the Torah).
v 13…Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, and John (Mark) left them and returned to Jerusalem (Paul would resent this in Acts 15.37-40; John Mark may have been discouraged, with only one recorded conversion in Cyprus; John Mark would later be reconciled and Paul thought highly of him in Col 4.10 and Philemon 24).
v 14…But going on from Perga (overland), they arrived at Pisidian Antioch (located in Pisidia, different from the Antioch in Syria), and on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
v 15…And after the reading of the Law (Torah, called a “parsha” or “sedrah”) and the Prophets (called the “Haftorah) the synagogue officials (the zekanim or elders) sent to them (invited them as visiting sages), saying, “Brethren, if you have any words of exhortation for the people (a sermon), say it.”
v 16…And Paul stood up, and motioning with his hands (gesturing), he said, “Men of Israel (he is going to the Jew first-Rom 1.16) and you who fear God (the non-Jewish “phobemenoi” or God-fearers who were there attending this synagogue; there were two groups here-see v 43).
v 17…The God of this people Israel chose our fathers (first) and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt (multiplying them), and with an uplifted arm led them out of it (in strength, despite Pharoah’s disapproval).
v 18…And for a period of about forty years (a time of testing) he put up with them (he “bore” them up in his arms) in the wilderness
v 19…And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land as an inheritance-about four hundred and fifty years.
v 20…And after these things he gave judges until Samuel the prophet.
v 21…Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul (Shaul) the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin (Paul had the same name from the same tribe), for forty years (until rejected by Yehovah and Samuel).
v 22…And after he removed him, he raised up David to be their king, concerning whom he also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart (he cared about the things that God cared about), who will do all my will.
v 23…From the offspring (descendants) of this man, according to promise (the Davidic Covenant-2 Sam 7.10-13) God has brought to Israel a savior, Yeshua,
v 24…after John had proclaimed before his coming an immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel.
v 25…And while John was completing his course (running his race), he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am (supposed to be)? I am not (he). But behold (see, take note), one is coming after me (pointing to Messiah) the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie (not worthy to be even a servant).’
v 26…Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God (the non-Jewish God-fearers or “phobemenoi”) to us the word of this salvation is sent out (commissioned to reach the Jew first and the non-Jew).
v 27…For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these (prophecies) by condemning him (Yeshua was to be rejected according to the prophets; had everyone accepted him he would not have been the Messiah).
v 28…And though they found no ground for death they asked Pilate that he be executed.
v 29…And when they had carried out all that was written concerning him (prophetically-Luke 24.44), they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.
v 30…But God raised him from the dead (overturning the injustice of the people);
v 31…and for many days (forty) he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now his witnesses to the people (the resurrection could be verified at this time by many living witnesses).
v 32…And we preach to you the good news (the Basar) of the promise made to our fathers (at least going back to Adam in Gen 3.15 and Abraham in Gen 12.3),
v 33…that God has fulfilled this to us their children in that he raised up Yeshua, as it is also written in the second Psalm, “Thou art my son; today I have begotten (brought forth) thee.’
v 34…And that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to decay. He has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy things of faithful David.’
v 35…Therefore (as a result) he also says in another (Psalm), ‘Thou wilt not allow thy holy one to undergo decay (Psa 16.10).’
v 36…For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep (sleep is a picture of death, and waking up a picture of the resurrection), and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay (so Psa 16.10 was not talking about David);
v 37…but he whom God raised did not undergo decay (Yeshua).
v 38…Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
v 39…and through him everyone who believes is freed (justified) from all things (acquitted of all charges, not under indictment, not under arrest, not under the judicial aspect of the Torah) from which you could not be freed (or justified by works) through the Law (Torah) of Moses.
v 40…Take heed (beware) therefore so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you (God’s judgment for sin if you think the Torah justifies you);
v 41…’Behold (see), you scoffers, and marvel (but do not respond to Yeshua), 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 (the redemption has come but some don’t believe it; Israel is being invited to the kingdom of God, his movement in action, and warned of disobedience like earlier generations).’ “
v 42…And as Paul and Barnabas was going out (of the synagogue), the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.
v 43…Now when the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the God-fearing proselytes (non-Jews; “sebemenoi” and another name for the God-fearers called “phoubemenoi”) followed Paul and Barnabas,, who, speaking to them, were urging (persuading) them to continue in the grace of God (they knew that those who followed them believed in what they were saying and encouraged them to continue in the grace to understand that God was providing).
v 44…And the next Sabbath (remember the non-jews who were the Phobemenoi and Sebemenoi attended the synagogue) nearly the whole city (many) assembled to hear the word of God (found in the Scriptures, the Tanak).
v 45…But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy (at the non-Jews, that they had a place in the kingdom along with them, without becoming Jewish by ritual circumcision; they were indignant) and contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
v 46…And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first (before the non-Jews); since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles (in that synagogue-Paul will continue to go to the Jews first-Acts 14.1, 17.1-2,10, 17; 18.4-6, 19; 19.8).
v 47…For this the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth (beyond Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, etc).”
v 48…And when the Gentiles heard this they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord (that commanded this on their behalf-Isa 55.10-11; Ecc 11.1-6; Psa 126.5-6; Rom 10.17-21; Acts 1.20-21; John 20.21; Acts 1.8); and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (chosen in him from before the foundation of the world; this cannot be interpreted any other way than there is a divine ordination to eternal life which is not the effect of any man believing on his own; it is all God-John 1.13; Acts 16.14; Eph 1.4).
v 49…And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.
v 50…But the Jews aroused the devout (sebemenas) women of prominence (non-Jewish women who believed in the God of Israel) and the leading men of the city, and instituted a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district (a sign that their labor was over, exonerating them of any further responsibility for what happens-Matt 10.14; Ezek 33.7-11).
v 51…But they shook off the dust of their feet against them (they were done and would trouble them no longer) and went to Iconium (a Roman city with a large population).
v 52…And the talmidim were continually filled with joy and with the Ruach Ha Kodesh (under his control and purposes).
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