Study #45: Paul preached the Gospel of Christ to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:13

Study #45: Paul preached the Gospel of Christ to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:13 - 43)

Acts, Chapter 2.1: The Jews of Asia Minor violently opposed the church-planting efforts of Paul and Barnabas among them (12:25 - 15:35)

§Complement Introduction: The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to plant churches among the Gentiles, and they began on Cyprus (12:25 - 13:12)

¶Opposite The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to work in the mission field (12:25 - 13:5)

¶Opposite Paul destroyed the spiritual influence of a false prophet on the leader of Cyprus (13:6 - 12)

§Complement Body: The hostility of the Jews in Asia Minor moved the missionary efforts of Paul and Barnabas toward the Gentiles (13:13 - 14:28)

¶Opposite Paul and Barnabas traveled to Antioch in Pisidia of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel in the synagogue of the Jews (13:13 - 25)

¶Opposite Paul boldly proclaimed Jesus Christ as the Risen Messiah of Israel to them (13:26 - 43)

¶Complement The hostility of the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia encouraged Paul and Barnabas to reach out to the Gentiles with the Gospel instead (13:44 - 52)

¶Complement The hostility of the Jews in Iconium eventually forced Paul and Barnabas to flee for their lives to Lystra and Derbe (14:1 - 7)

¶Unique After spending time with the new churches they had planted, Paul and Barnabas returned home to the church in Antioch (14:8 - 28)

§Unique Conclusion: The Apostles and elders held a council at Jerusalem to determine whether Gentile Christians should be circumcised (15:1 - 35)

¶Complement The church leadership debated whether Gentile Christians should be forced to follow the Law of Moses (15:1 - 12)

¶Complement The church at Antioch rejoiced to hear that Gentile Christians would not be forced to follow the Law of Moses (15:13 - 35)

We continue our study of Acts Chapter 2.1 with the first two paragraphs of the Body Section.

The Bible text arranged by the Golden Ratio design:

§Complement Body: The hostility of the Jews in Asia Minor moved the missionary efforts of Paul and Barnabas toward the Gentiles (13:13 - 14:28)

¶Opposite Paul and Barnabas traveled to Antioch in Pisidia of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel in the synagogue of the Jews (13:13 - 25)

Unique Now when Paul and his group set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia (but John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem).

Complement But when they left Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

Complement And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men, brethren: if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Opposite Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt; and with a high arm he brought them out of it. And about the time of forty years he endured their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the Prophet. And afterward they asked for a king; and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

Opposite And when he had removed him, he raised up to them David to be their king: to whom also he gave testimony, and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall fulfill all my will.’ Of this man’s seed has God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus; when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, ‘Whom do you think that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there is one coming after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loosen.’

Comment: The first paragraph has the “UCC-OO” Golden Ratio design on its subparagraphs. Notice the break between the first three and the last two.

Paul and Barnabas began the first missionary journey to Asia Minor with a visit to a Jewish synagogue. This was completely normal and natural for them, because they were Jews themselves. Having been born again through faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ themselves, they were eager to share this good news with the people of their own nation everywhere they went.

Paul began his sermon by remind his Jewish kindred of their own history, that Jehovah God chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants; and he gave them the land of Canaan; and later gave them judges; and later, he gave them Saul, and then David, as their kings.

In other words, Paul was reminding them that they are the elect people of God; and especially, that David was chosen to be the ancestor of the Messiah. So all of that was necessary to remind the Jews that their Messiah would come from the line of David, from whom Jesus descended (through his step-father Joseph and his mother Mary). God chose him, and then God chose him etc. Paul is using election to point his hearers to Jesus Christ. Paul builds on this point in the next paragraph.

Matthew made the same connection from Abraham to David to Christ at the beginning of his Gospel (Matthew 1:1-17), as one way of convincing the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

The Bible text arranged by the Golden Ratio design:

¶Opposite Paul warned the Jews not to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ (13:26 - 43)

Opposite Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the Word of this salvation sent: for they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor yet the voices of the Prophets who are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet they asked Pilate to slay him. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

Opposite But God raised him from the dead! And he was seen many days by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled the same to us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son, this day have I begotten you.’ And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this manner, ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You shall not allow your Holy One to see corruption.’ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption; but he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Complement Therefore let it be known to you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all sins, from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

Complement Therefore beware, lest that condemnation comes upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets: ‘Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall never believe, though a man declares it to you.’”

Unique And when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles pleaded that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. And when the assembly was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

Comment: The first paragraph has the “OO-CCU” Golden Ratio design on its subparagraphs. Notice the break between the first two and the last three.

Paul built on the previous point about David, and connected the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to David and his prophecies about the Messiah in the Psalms.

1) Jesus is the Son of God

2) Jesus, the Son of David, was raised from the dead without corruption, verifying that He was indeed the Messiah, because David died and his body decayed in the grave, so his words in the Psalm were not about him, but the Messiah, his descendant.

Then Paul warned his hearers that they should trust in Christ, because they could find forgiveness from all sins, which the Law of Moses could not provide.

Then he added that they should not reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ, lest they perish in their rebellion against God.

Finally, many of the Jews and Gentile converts to Israel believed the Gospel of Christ and wanted to hear more from Paul and Barnabas.

Interestingly, the Gentiles who were not allowed into the synagogue, but were apparently listening outside to Paul’s sermon, begged Paul to preach to them on the following Sabbath. They wanted to hear more! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if sinners responded to the Gospel like this in our day?

Sometimes they do, but sadly, the words of Eternal Life through the Gospel are often scorned by the very people who need to hear them most. We need to be patient and understanding with those who mock and reject the Gospel, because many of us did not believe in Jesus Christ quickly, but instead we were rebellious at the first; and God was patient with us over many months and even years until we finally understood that we were sinners in need of a Savior, so that we could avoid going to Hell when we die; but instead go to Heaven.

Let us pray for our family and friends, and those in our workplace, and those that we meet in other places. Give them a Gospel tract that clearly explains how to be saved, or verbally explain the Gospel of Christ to them using the Bible; and then continue to pray for them, that the seed of the Gospel will take root in their lives, and that God will open doors to bring them into the Kingdom of God through repentance and faith in Christ.

Dear friend, if you have never been born again through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for your sins and rose again from the dead on the third day, then at this moment, your future destination is Hell; and later, the Lake of Fire.

It doesn’t matter if you have been baptized as a baby, or whether you are a church member already, or whether you think that you are a good person, because none of those things will satisfy the wrath of God against your sins when you die and stand before Him for judgment.

Only the Finished Work of Jesus Christ on the cross can satisfy the wrath of God against all sin, no matter how terrible or vile.

But your destination COULD be Heaven, if you believe in Jesus Christ and call upon Him to save you.

Repent of your sins and believe on Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for your sins and rose again on the third day; and then ask Him to come into your heart to save you, because He paid for all of your sins on the cross of Calvary; then you will be saved and go to Heaven when you die!

The Gospel is very simple: Jesus said,

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” John 14:6.

He also said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.” John 3:16.

I urge you to trust in Jesus Christ right now! Here is a prayer that you can use to repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior right now, because you may not live to get saved tomorrow:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, were buried, and rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”

If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook or email me at editor@phibible.org and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.