READING THE BOOK OF ACTS: CHAPTER 13
READING THE BOOK OF ACTS: CHAPTER 13
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
INTRODUCING ACTS, CHAPTER 13
Acts Chapter 13 discusses the ministry in Antioch, which started with teachers who had journeyed together, including Barnabas, Simeon, and Paul. the disciples of Christ prayed and fasted about their ministry. After being filled with the Holy Ghost, the apostles were told that Barnabas and Paul were to separate from them and go where God sent them. The others were told to continue on their own journeys. After laying hands over Barnabas and Paul and praying, the others set out to different locations. (https://totallyhistory.com/acts-chapter-13/)
1) Verses 1-12, On Cyprus, MRS. ELNORA
1 Now
in the church at Antioch there were prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and
Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the
work to which I have called them.” 3 So after
they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them
off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy
Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When
they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish
synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They
traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a
Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who
was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an
intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word
of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is
what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the
faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You
are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are
full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the
right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord
is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see
the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he
groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When
the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the
teaching about the Lord.
NOTATIONS:
SECTION QUESTIONS:
1. How were Saul and Barnabas chosen to go to Cyprus? (V.2)
2. Who did Saul and Barnabas meet in Paphos? (V.6)
3. Who was Sergius Paulus? (V.7)
4. What was the sorcerer trying to do? (V.8)
5. What did Saul tell the sorcerer? (V. 10-11)
2) Verses 13-25, In Pisidian Antioch, (Part 1) MS. ELNORA
13 From
Paphos, Paul, and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where
John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga
they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath, they entered the
synagogue and sat down. 15 After the
reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent
word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the
people, please speak.” 16 Standing up, Paul
motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who
worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the
people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their
stay in Egypt; with mighty power, he led them out of that country; 18 for
about forty years he endured their conduct[a] in the wilderness; 19 and he
overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as
their inheritance. 20 All this took
about 450 years. “After this, God gave them judges until the time
of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a
king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of
Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing
Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have
found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything
I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s
descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he
promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached
repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As
John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not
the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose
sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
NOTATIONS:
SECTION QUESTIONS:
1. In what country was the Pisidian Antioch church located?
2. How long were the Israelites in the wilderness? (V.18)
3. How long did it take for the Israelites to reach Canaan? (V.20)
4. Who was the king after God's own heart? (V.22)
5. Whose descendants did Christ come to the earth through? (V.23)
6. Before Christ came who preached repentance and baptism? (V.24)
3) Verses 26-41, In Pisidian Antioch (Part 2), JEANNIE
26 “Fellow
children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this
message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of
Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him
they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though
they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him
executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was
written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in
a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and
for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to
Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. 32 “We
tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he
has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is
written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my son; today I have become your
father.’[a]34 God
raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has
said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’[b] 35 So it is
also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’[c36 “Now
when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell
asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one
whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. 38 “Therefore,
my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you. 39 Through him
everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were
not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40 Take care that
what the prophets have said does not happen to you: 41 “‘Look,
you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your
days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’[d]”
NOTATIONS:
- Paul preached the GOOD NEWS.
- The historical occurrence of the resurrection has HUGE implications.
- After serving God's purpose, we too will 'fall asleep' and then be raised by God to eternal life.
SECTION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the second Psalm say? (V.34)
2. How is the forgiveness of sin proclaimed to us? (V.38)
3. What is meant in verse 41?
4) Verses 42-52, In Pisidian Antioch (Part 3), DESTINY
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you[a] a light for the Gentiles, that you[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’[c]” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
NOTATIONS:
SECTION QUESTIONS:
1. What happened when the Jews saw the large crowd following Paul and Barnabas? (V.45)
2. Why did Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles? (V.46)
3. What did the Lord command Paul and Barnabas to do? (V.47)
4. What did Paul and Barnabas do when they were expelled from the region? (V.51)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
It was preordained as a message of hope for desperate slaves, as a symbol of deliverance and mercy, and is celebrated as a festival to the Lord. It lasts for 7 days. Eating unleavened bread symbolizes taking in God's righteousness lasting only through Christ living in us to help us develop Godly character. The very core of the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the truth that the resurrected Jesus Christ now lives in the life of every individual Christian.
In Galatians 5:1-6 Paul stresses that Christ, by God's grace and through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, has set believers free from slavery to the outward control of the law.
The Passover
It's the oldest and most important religious festival in Judaism, commemorating God's deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, and His creation of the Israelite people. The Passover marks the beginning of the celebration of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The height of the Passover is a communal meal, celebrating God's deliverance of the Hebrews through Exodus.
Leaven symbolizes sin. Paul, in Galatians 5:9, described it by saying a little leaven goes throughout the whole loaf of bread. In other words, a little sin affects the whole person, or a little false teaching can affect the whole congregation.
A Prayer Confession
Holy God,
Speak to us by your Holy Spirit like you did to the apostles. Help us to hear clearly what you are calling us to do. Give us the courage and strength to accept and act upon your commands. We want to declare and decree your Word in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to pursue your cause with passion and power! We rejoice in the amazing GOOD NEWS of the resurrection! Our sins are forgiven once and for all. There is no need to fear death, because in you, Father, we pass through death to life eternal. Jesus said in John 6:40, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." Yet, while we are here, let us seek you continually for our purpose and walk in your anointing upon us.
In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
Comments
Post a Comment