(Suggested Reading: Chapter 13)
As the Acts opens, we are introduced to Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, in Jerusalem—5:34. Here in Gentile Antioch we find not a teacher of the law but teachers of grace, one of them being Gamaliel’s old pupil—Saul of Tarsus. “Now there were in the Church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Simeon called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Barnabas heads this list and Saul is at the end of it. It is likely that this arrangement is in view of what happens in the second verse, where the Holy Spirit says, “separate Me Barnabas and Saul.” In other words, Barnabas and Saul are to be separated from Simeon and Lucius and Manaen. These three are to be left behind at Antioch as prophets and teachers.
Barnabas and Saul are subject to a threefold action of the Holy Spirit. First, they are separated from the other prophets and teachers who also minister to the Lord and fast. Next, they are called for a work which is not to be at Antioch. But before going out on this work they receive the fellowship of their brethren at Antioch. This is what is implied by verse 3 “and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away.” The laying on of hands here does not go beyond an expression of fellowship since their separation and call was the result of a direct command from the Holy Spirit. The five had ministered to the Lord and fasted before the Holy Spirit spoke, so that fasting and prayer preceded the laying on of hands. And now the Holy Spirit, who had separated and called them, sends them out. It is more important to see this than dwell on their departure from Seleucia, the seaport of Antioch, or their arrival at their destination, the island of Cyprus. What we are witnessing is the grand opening of the second division of the Book of Acts—the part describing the work of the great Apostle to the Gentiles.
As usual the work begins in the synagogues. Considerable liberty was granted in the synagogues to travelling Jews whose qualifications entitled them to speak. But nothing is said as to the results of the preaching there—only a casual comment that “they had John as their helper.” This is John Mark, in whose mother’s house the prayer meeting had been held for Peter’s deliverance. His service is not defined, the emphasis being that he was officially responsible to serve the two apostles in whatever capacity was necessary. This is partly why his defection in the Lord’s work was viewed so seriously by Paul later on.
The Lord’s Work in the Island of Cyprus
The range of the apostles’ ministry through the island was quite extensive. At Salamis they preach in the synagogues of the Jews; at Paphos, where the Roman governor resided, they preach to the representative of the Roman Senate. In between they confound the power of Satan in “a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus.” Such men were common throughout the Roman Empire at the time. Floods of astrologers, fortune tellers, and other instruments of the devil swept into the Roman Empire from eastern countries and Israel, as the empire extended its sway eastward. The collapse of the old Roman religion among the educated classes gave them entrance to governing circles, as we see here. Bar-Jesus is also called Elymas the sorcerer just as in the next verse Saul is also called Paul. It is a direct confrontation between two men. Elymas withstood them—the apostles—but Paul takes up the challenge. Filled with the Holy Spirit he informs Elymas that the hand of the Lord should be upon him. Normally the hand of the Lord works for good, but it should also be remembered that it also restrains evil. In the Church the hand of the Lord could be seen in Peter’s apostolic rod on Ananias and Sapphira; here in the world in Paul sentencing the sorcerer to blindness. God’s judgment on sin in the Church is more severe than outside in the world for His people know better.
Men like Elymas the sorcerer will always be found in the world. D.L. Moody the great evangelist once received a telegram from a famous circus master, offering him a large sum of money to preach the gospel in a circus where he would be surrounded by freaks of nature, etc. He saw at once the intent—to degrade the gospel to the same level as the curious sights the people came to see. He replied with another telegram, quoting Acts 13:1010And 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? (Acts 13:10)— “O full of all subtlety 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?”
Well, the governor got the blessing. When he saw the blindness of Elymas he believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. This word “teaching” is found at the opening of Acts “they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the Apostles” —2:42. Here we see it in mighty power so that the governor is astonished. Elymas is a figure of the Jew. The Jew, jealous of the Gentile getting the blessing of the gospel, withstands it as Elymas did. Therefore God sends a governmental blindness upon them “you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.” This figure shows us that the Jew will not be blind for ever but for a season—that is, the Church period. He can’t see the sun—a figure of Christ, the light of the world. So it is fitting that at this juncture Saul sheds his Jewish name and the text now refers to him by his Roman name, Paul, or to be completely accurate Paulus, the same name as the Roman governor to whom he preached. Moreover with two exceptions1 which can be explained, the order is now Paul and Barnabas, not Barnabas and Saul. The Apostle to the Gentiles, having demonstrated that he was such before his namesake, takes the lead. So they sail from Paphos.
The Defection of John Mark
As they leave the island behind John Mark has time to think. No doubt as the ship plows through the blue waters of the Mediterranean his thoughts may well range over how thoroughly the apostles had covered the whole island and then the work that lay ahead. Perhaps he did not attach much importance to his part in the work for after all he had not been chosen by the Spirit nor by the Assembly at Antioch. But we do not know. We must leave him, not implying motives for his subsequent actions, which have been the subject of much unfruitful speculation.2 So the ship docks at Perga, but the emphasis is not on that town but on Pamphilia, in which it was located. This region was to be the scene of labors in the gospel at a later date, but not now. For at Perga John Mark separates from the apostles and returns to Jerusalem. The Scripture scrupulously avoids comment as to how this parting took place—whether silently or with words. However, it is clear that his sad action bore bitter fruit at a later date. On the other hand, the Lord does not give up His people though they may give Him up. Mark was restored later and finally wrote the Gospel of Mark. This gospel is unique in that it portrays Christ as the perfect Servant.3 Only one who had been an imperfect servant could be chosen to write such a gospel. And later on the breach between Mark and the Apostle Paul was healed for he wrote to Timothy “only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry” —2 Tim. 4:1111Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11). But for the present the Lord’s work must go on without him. And so we observe two different departures. John Mark departs from Perga and goes to Jerusalem; Barnabas and Saul depart from Perga and go to Antioch in Pisidia. It is here the work of the Lord is to be carried out not in Jerusalem. And so Barnabas and Saul go into the synagogue of that city on the Sabbath day and sit down.
Paul in the Synagogue at Pisidian Antioch
First let us try to visualize ourselves going into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. What will it be like? Looking around we note that the seating arrangements are planned to segregate men from women. The women sit in a separate gallery, or behind a lattice work partition. So do the rich and the poor, really. If we wear a gold ring and splendid apparel ours will be a good seat, but if we are poor we may be told to stand, or sit under someone’s footstool—James 2:2, 32For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: (James 2:2‑3). James says this must not characterize the Christian “synagogue”4 but ‘pure religion’—Jas 1:27—for James views the Church as the replacement of the synagogue.5 Well in this synagogue there are “chief seats” —reserved for the rulers of the synagogue. This indicates the importance of the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, for many synagogues have only one ruler. These chief seats face the congregation. Behind them is a veil and lamps, and behind these a closed Ark containing the rolls or manuscripts of the law. The Ark is located on the side of the building nearest Jerusalem. There is a raised platform in the center of the floor space with a lectern for reading and a seat for the speaker. Here the law and the prophets are opened and read to the people every Sabbath day. Following that, the meeting is thrown open to discussion with the rulers of the synagogue acting as moderators. But if special speakers are evidently present, we might expect the rulers of the synagogue to invite them to address the people. Paul is soon identified as a visiting Rabbi, and although the rulers invite both Paul and Barnabas to speak, Paul alone accepts the invitation.
Paul steps up to the lectern with a firm purpose in mind to present Christ to the people. The man of the world might impute unjust principles to Paul namely that he merely uses the synagogue to draw away adherents to the new cause, after which he discards it and forms his own assemblies. True historically. But it only raises the larger question is the synagogue for God or man? If for man Paul is wrong; if for God, Paul is right. Paul can easily step up to that lectern and preach a sermon that will delight the men with the gold rings and goodly apparel. If he does, he will be wined and dined in the houses of the rich, feted at private groups, and go away with the applause of the people and a purse full of gold. Instead he chooses the path of faithfulness which causes him to be expelled from the city.
Paul stands up to preach, as every man should. He is expressive, beckoning with his hand. He includes the two elements present the Jews “men of Israel”, and the Gentile proselytes “ye that fear God”, a touch that is not lost on the latter, although it does not dawn on the former for some time. He asks both classes to pay attention and launches forth on his sermon.
He begins with Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, recounts their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, the conquest and division of the land “and after that He gave them judges about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.” A careful review of this part of their history, as Paul recounts it, shows that God did everything for them. He chose their fathers, He exalted the people. He brought them out of Egypt. He nursed them in the wilderness. He destroyed the seven nations. He divided the land. He gave them judges. Dissatisfied with what God had done they desired a King.6
Then Paul tells us something we don’t find elsewhere in the Bible that this king that they desired Saul reigned forty years. Now we know that David and Solomon also reigned over the undivided kingdom for forty years, yet Paul does not mention Solomon. What then is the point of his message? First of all the number forty in Scripture always indicates a period of testing Moses was on the mount forty days and forty nights Ex. 24:1818And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:18). The Lord fasted forty days in the wilderness before He was tempted by the devil. The children of Israel were forty years in the wilderness v. 18. The Lord was seen forty days on earth after His resurrection 1:3. Three kings ruled over the undivided kingdom forty years each.
The first king Saul was the man after the flesh. The second king David was a man after God’s own heart. Solomon the third king is not mentioned, for he is a type of Christ reigning in His future glory. Instead the question of David’s seed is raised “of this man’s seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” Then Paul points out that John the Baptist testified concerning Him. Now his discourse reaches the critical point. Paul repeats his opening salutation in slightly different words while still maintaining the dual form of address he adopted in the beginning. But never again do we hear of Abraham or his children in Acts. Paul moves on in v. 39 to justification, laying the doctrine subsequently set down in writing in his epistle to the Galatians “know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham” Gal. 3:77Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7). Paul breaks this new ground in v. 26 when he states that the word of this salvation is sent, really, to both classes whom he had addressed Jews and Gentiles. This was an unforgiveable insult to the religious pride of the Jew to be classed as needing salvation along with the Gentiles. Then he condemns the religious leaders of the Jewish nation at the same time pointing out that what the prophets had foretold had come to pass. In spite of what their leaders had done, God had raised Him from the dead. To this there was abundant witness. Notice that the second king, David, and His seed, remain the theme throughout this discourse. So “Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee” has nothing to do with His eternal Sonship though this is always true but to His birth in time as Messiah, “and as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, thus He spoke, I will give you the sure mercies of David.”
The Sure Mercies of David
The sure mercies of David are God’s promise “once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David; His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me” Ps. 89:35, 36. This promise, that a man should sit on David’s throne, is fulfilled in Christ, whom God has raised from among the dead. “All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God by us” 2 Cor. 1:2020For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Corinthians 1:20). For this reason they are the sure mercies of David. David at the end of his life acknowledged the failure that had come in to his house. He knew his own mercies were not sure, but he counted on the faithfulness of God to make them sure. He counted on the eternal covenant God had made with him, ordered in all things and sure. So he looked forward to a morning without clouds. The sure mercies of David are to reach Israel through Christ risen. In the light of Isa. 55:33Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:3) that may be why Paul called upon them to hear at the opening of his address— “incline your ears, and come unto Me, hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” As a commentator puts it “only the death and resurrection of the Messiah could make the covenant everlasting; only so could the promised holy or merciful blessings of David be made inviolable—Thus only could the soul even of a Jew live, or the door of grace open widely enough to take in a Gentile. Hence it will be seen that the chapter in Isaiah begins with the call of God to ‘every one who thirsteth!’ He who was lifted up on the Cross will draw all, not Jews only; and a risen Messiah, though He thereby gives the utmost sureness to Israel’s promises, cannot be bounded in His grace any more than in His glory, but will certainly have all peoples, nations and languages to serve Him with an everlasting dominion.”7
A Light of the Gentiles
Much of what we have just considered would not be understood by the Gentiles who, unlike the Jews, were not versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. But the key points were understood—Christ had been raised from the dead and was seated on the throne of glory. From that position He was preaching through His servants, not only to the Jew but to the Gentile, 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.” The Gentiles had been attracted to the synagogue, here as in other places in the ancient world, because it was an improvement on paganism. But its strictures made the Gentiles a thing apart. No wonder then that “the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God.”
The rest of the story needs no comment. Filled with envy at the sight of so many Gentiles coming together to partake of their spiritual things, understanding finally the full meaning of Paul’s words, and perturbed by his comments the previous Sabbath, they contradict and blaspheme. Paul then says, “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.” This made the Gentiles glad, many believed, and the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. As for the Jews they stirred up trouble for Paul and Barnabas (note the new name Paul—and the new order—Paul first). They depart and go to Iconium. This is God’s way. We are not to force the gospel on people if they will not have it— “when they persecute you in this city flee ye into another” —Mat. 10:23. Their testimony at Pisidian Antioch is ended. They recognize the fact, leave the results with God, and do as they are instructed—flee to another city. The pathway of obedience is always the right one for the child of God. And so “they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”