Acts 13:13-15:5    

v. 27-31 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, yet in condemning Him they unwittingly fulfilled the prophecies that they read in the synagogues every Sabbath. The Jews asked Pilate to kill Jesus and when they had done everything the prophets had written about Him they laid His body in a tomb. But God raised Jesus from the dead. He was seen for many days by the disciples who had traveled with Him during His ministry. Those disciples who saw Him after His resurrection are now Jesus' witnesses to the Jewish people.

v. 32-37 Paul proclaims the good news that "What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus." He quotes Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalm 16:10 to emphasize that Jesus is the one God was speaking of as His own Son, who would receive the blessings promised to David and whose body would not decay. Clearly, David died and his body decayed just like everyone else. But Jesus was raised from the dead and His body did not see decay.

v. 38-43 Jesus' resurrection is proof that forgiveness of sins comes through Him. Jesus justifies them (makes them righteous) from everything they could not be justified from by the Law of Moses. In other words, Jesus' sacrifice did more than all the sacrifices that had been offered according to the Law of Moses. Paul ended his speech by warning them that scoffers will perish. The people (not the leaders) invited them to come back on the next Sabbath and tell them more.

v. 44-52 The following week nearly the whole city gathered to hear but the Jewish leaders became jealous and spoke against Paul's message. Paul and Barnabas told them the Lord had made them a light to the Gentiles and they would now speak to the Gentiles. The Gentiles honored the word of the Lord and "all who were appointed for eternal life believed." The word spread and the Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas. They shook the dust from their feet and left for Iconium.

14:1-7 Paul preached in the synagogue in Iconium and many people believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles against Paul. The Lord enabled Paul and Barnabas to do miracles to authenticate the message. But the opposition grew and they were planning to stone Paul. So the apostles left and went to Lyconia where they continued to preach.

v. 8-18 Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra. The pagan crowd thought that Barnabas was the god Zeus (god of rain) and Paul was Hermes (spokesman god for the Greek gods). The people were about to offer sacrifices to them but Paul stopped them and tried to turn them away from their pagan gods to the one true God. He appealed to them by saying God is the one who gives them rain, crops, and fills their hearts with joy. Paul and Barnabas were barely able to keep the people from sacrificing animals to them.

v. 19-21 Some unbelieving Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, won the crowd over and stoned Paul. They thought he was dead but he got up, went back into the city and left the next day for Derbe. (See Map #2) Many people in Derbe believed the gospel.

v. 22-28 Paul and Barnabas back-tracked through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch so they could appoint elders in each city. Then they went to Pamphylia, Perga and Attalia where they sailed back to Syrian Antioch (See Map #2). They gathered their home church together and told them all that God had done and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Syrian Antioch a long time.

15:1-5 Some Jews came from Judea to Syrian Antioch teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them strongly. They decided to go to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders to settle this issue. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were greeted warmly by the church there. "Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.'"

We'll continue this story next time.

--Sandy Blank