Acts 13:13-25

Acts 13:13-25

From Paphos, Paul and his companions

set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.

But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia.

On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats.

After the reading of the law and the prophets,

the synagogue officials sent word to them,

“My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation

for the people, please speak.”

So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,

“Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors

and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt.

With uplifted arm he led them out,

and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.

When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,

he gave them their land as an inheritance

at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.

After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet.

Then they asked for a king.

God gave them Saul, son of Kish,

a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;

of him he testified,

I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;

he will carry out my every wish.

From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,

has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.

John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel;

and as John was completing his course, he would say,

‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.

Behold, one is coming after me;

I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’"

Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I contemplate your plan of salvation, I am humbled by your faithfulness and mercy. Even though humanity rejected you, you did not abandon your creation. You are always faithful, even when I am unfaithful. I love you and desire to be with you forever in heaven.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark: As Luke narrates the Acts of the Apostles, he transitions from the ministry of Peter in Jerusalem to the ministry of Saul, who took the Roman name “Paulus.” “By switching to the Roman name, Luke suggests the reason for Paul’s increased prominence. Paul was a Roman citizen and possessed a Hellenistic education as well as a Pharisaic one. He was thus able to move among the upper classes of Greco-Roman society, unlike many of the other disciples. The first fruit of Paul’s missionary effort is the proconsul himself, [Sergius Paulus], who ‘believed’ and was astonished at the teaching of the Lord’ (Acts 13:12)” (Pimentel, Witnesses of the Messiah, 115). Barnabas and Paul left Paphos in Cyprus and sailed to Perga, a city on the coast of Asia Minor. Once on land, John Mark left the group to return to Jerusalem. We aren’t told exactly why John Mark left, but it might be because he had some reservations about Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles and wanted to consult the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. When Mark reported what Paul was doing to the Church in Jerusalem, some disciples went from Jerusalem to Antioch to urge the Gentile converts to adhere to the Deuteronomic Law (see Acts 15:1). Years later, Paul was still angry at Mark’s departure from the mission and refused to take him on his second missionary journey after the Council in Jerusalem (see Acts 15:36-40).

2. Paul’s Sermon and God’s Faithfulness: Paul and Barnabas then traveled from Perga to Pisidian Antioch (in the southern portion of Galatia). Luke narrates the sermon Paul gave in the synagogue there as a model of Paul’s preaching. He wants to show how there is a parallel between what Peter preached on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36), what Stephen preached before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:2-53), and what Paul preached throughout Asia Minor and Greece. The theme of Paul’s sermon in Pisidian Antioch is the “Gospel,” the good news (Acts 13:32). For Paul, the good news is that the promises of the Davidic covenant have been fulfilled by the Resurrection of Jesus (see Acts 13:23; 32-33). “Paul begins the sermon. By addressing the ‘men of Israel’ (Acts 13:16) and the Gentile God-fearers present in the synagogue, and he thereby sets the stage for his theme of the restoration of Israel scattered among the Gentiles. He then gives. A summary of Israel’s history and highlights God’s faithfulness to His covenants. The summary follows the outline of Stephen’s sermon (cf. Acts 7:2-46) and traces the sequence of covenants from the patriarchs to David. Paul explains that God ‘chose our fathers’ through His covenant with Abraham (Acts 13:17)” (Pimentel, Witnesses of the Messiah, 117). Israel was elected by God to bless and redeem the nations. This plan was revealed to Abraham (see Genesis 22:18) and began to be fulfilled through David and David’s Kingdom.

3. The Kingdom of David: Paul speaks about David’s anointing and quotes from Psalm 89. The Psalm reads: “I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him” (Psalm 89:21). This line evokes an earlier line in the Psalm which highlights the covenant God made with David: “My mercy is established forever; my faithfulness will stand as long as the heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages” (Psalm 89:3-5). God promised David, through a covenant oath, to establish the kingdom of David’s descendant (2 Samuel 7:12-13). And Paul asserts that this promise has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the son of David: “From this man’s [David’s] descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus” (Acts 13:23). Like the beginnings of the four Gospels, Paul then begins to narrate the appearance and ministry of John the Baptist. And here he emphasizes the superiority of Jesus to John. Tomorrow, we will hear Paul preach the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul had reflected and meditated for almost a decade on how Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures of Israel before he gave his sermon in Pisidian Antioch. We are privileged to hear the fruit of his prayerful meditation on Scripture.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Son of David, hear my prayer today and present it to the Father. I pray for peace in my family, in my community, and in the world. I pray that all men and women may come to know you and love you and worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.

Living the Word of God: Peter and Paul dedicated their lives to preaching the Gospel. They discerned God’s plan in the Old Testament and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. How can I be better equipped to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection to all men and women? Do I need to spend more time studying and meditating on God’s word? Are there parish activities I can join or invite people to join that will help spread the Gospel?