Acts 13 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Acts 13:1-3

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 worshipping 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What ministries were there at Antioch? v.1a
2. Who were specifically named? v.1b
3. What were they doing? v.2a
4. What did the Holy Spirit tell them to do? v.2b
5. What did they continue doing? v.3a
6. What did they then do? v.3b

B. Think:

1. How do you think the Spirit told them what to do?
2. What is the significance of what they were all doing, do you think?
3. What can be learnt for church planting strategy here?

C. Comment:

The focus now moves to the church at Antioch , a large church ( 11:24 ), well taught (11:26), a caring and a giving church (11:29,30); in other words a mature church. Yet there is one other aspect of a mature church that the Holy Spirit brings about: it is to be a sending church, a church that plants out. How does that come about?

Well within this well-taught church, as well as the teachers, there are also prophets. Note in passing that the Lord has raised up this ministry in this church, another aspect of a mature church. It is the prophets who bring the revelation of change in direction. It takes place as they wait on the Lord. They have been seeking God in worship, prayer and fasting and as they seek Him He reveals His next step for them, which is to reach out further with the Gospel. He specifically names Barnabus and Saul, so they continue fasting and praying and (presumably) get confirmation that this is the right thing to do, and with no more ado they pray for them and send them off. Paul’s first missionary journey is about to start. He is already much travelled but now his big journeys are about to start.

D. Application:

1. A mature church is a growing one, a well-taught one, a caring and giving  one, a revelatory one and a sending one. Is that yours?
2. Church planting starts at the direction of the Lord who will give wisdom as to who, when and where.

Passage: Acts 13:4-12

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 travelled 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.

A. Find Out:    

1. Where did the two men go? v.4
2. When they arrived where did they preach? v.5
3. Who wanted to hear the word of God? v.7
4. Who opposed them? v.8
5. How did Paul deal with him? v.9-11
6. With what result? v.12

B. Think:

1. What is significant about Cyprus ? Look up Acts 4:36
2. Why do you think they went to a synagogue?
3. What do you think we learn from the way Paul dealt with Elymas?

C. Comment:

From now on you need to look up the maps in the back of your Bible, if you have some there, to follow their journey. They have been sent out, but we are not told if they were told where to go. Cyprus is the home of Barnabus, so they start there. Start witnessing on your home ground is perhaps the first lesson for would-be church planters!

When they get there, they go to Jews. Go to people who are culturally the same as you, may be the second lesson for church planters.

They are called in before the proconsul. Share the gospel and let your reputation go ahead of you and let God open doors for you is the third lesson.

Elymas tries to put the proconsul off. You will get opposition is the fourth lesson.

Paul is full of the Holy Spirit as he deals with him. Ensure you are filled with the power of God is the fifth lesson.

Paul was obviously led by God, spoke the truth and spoke a word of authority against the man and temporary blindness came to him. Be led by God using the gifts of the Spirit He gives you is the sixth lesson.

The result is that the proconsul believes as he sees the power of God working. God will bring the fruit is the seventh lesson.

Clever methods? Human endeavour? No, just two men keeping close to God being led by his Spirit. Sounds simple doesn’t it!

D. Application:

1. God is more intent on sharing the gospel than we are.
2. We are to go to those nearest to us first and let Him lead us.

Passage: Acts 13:13-15

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.’

A. Find Out:

1. Where did they next go to? v.13a (check a map)
2. What happened there? v.13b
3. Where next did they go? v.14a (check the map again)
4. What did they do there? v.14b
5. What happened there? v.15

B. Think:

1. Read also 15:38, Col 4:10, 2 Tim 4:11 What can we glean about John Mark and his leaving the other two?
2. What do we see of their strategy that is similar to what happened on Cyprus ?

C. Comment:

When they leave Cyprus, we aren’t told why they went where they did but perhaps it is reasonable to suppose that they would simply take a boat where it was going, to the nearest mainland, which is also the land where Paul had come from. At that point John Mark left them. We aren’t told why, but Paul obviously saw it as him deserting them, although he subsequently seems to have made use of him and felt good about him. For some reason, not stated by Luke, they went north to Pisidian Antioch, a hundred mile walk over the mountains! Possibly they heard it was a substantial Roman colony where there would be a number of Jews in residence.

When they arrive, they go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. They are still making use of the strategy of reaching out to religious Jews. The clear lesson is first go to those people who clearly show an interest in spiritual matters. Some people are obviously looking for something. Go to these people first, for they are seekers. They may turn out to be hard to reach because they are set in their religious ways, but they are seekers, possibly misguided, but seekers never-the-less. The time for reaching out to others will come, but for the time being, pick up on those who show an interest in spiritual matters.

D. Application:

1. God’s guidance is sometimes to first follow the obvious paths.
2. First go to those who are already showing an interest.

Passage: Acts 13:16-25 

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 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 for 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 Saviour 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.”

A. Find Out:

1. To whom was Paul speaking? v.16
2. Where does he start his account? v.17-19
3. What area of history does he next cover? v.20-22
4. For what point? v.23
5. Who does he then speak about? v.24
6. How had he testified? v.25

B. Think:

1. Why do you think Paul starts with the Exodus?
2. Why did he stop at David?
3. What does all this teach us about Paul?

C. Comment:

Israel had history and their history was all about HIS-story, God’s dealing with them. He had delivered them out of Egypt, into the Promised Land and had eventually given them kings. Their greatest king had been David, from whom God had promised the Messiah would come. Now says Paul, he has come.

Now, observe that Paul is preaching to Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism, people who would have been much taught about God and His dealings with Israel , and so he can preach about these things because the people would understand. Later we’ll see when Paul goes to Gentile unbelievers he uses a different approach. The lesson is clear: preach at the level of your listeners . To those who know about Israel ‘s history you base it on that history, to those who know nothing about the Old Testament, you use a different approach.

How often, I wonder, do Christians use the “language of Zion ”, language full of religious words, to speak to non-Christians, and then wonder why they don’t understand?

Paul then went on to start to speak about Jesus and again he puts him in historical context. John came first and John testified to Jesus so Paul starts from there. Do we put Jesus in an historical context?

D. Application:

1. Communicate in ways people can understand!
2. Christianity is an historically based faith. Speak it like that.

Passage: Acts 13:26-41

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 recognise 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 travelled 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.”

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.”

35 So it is also stated elsewhere:

‘“You will not let your holy one see decay.”

36 ‘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.”’

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul now preach about? v.26-29
2. And what does he add? v.30,31
3. What does he then seek to show? v.32,33
4. What did he next seek to prove? v.34-37
5. So what is the outcome for us? v.38,39
6. Finally, against what does he warn them? v.40,41

B. Think:

1. What in this message is “factual historical information”?
2. What is “confirming Biblical information”?
3. What is “doctrinal conclusion”?

C. Comment:

Let’s simply answer the questions above. We saw yesterday that Paul had started talking about Jesus, the saviour, who had come after John. Now he first of all gives simple historical information, i.e. this is what actually happened! He tells of Jesus death and resurrection These are simple historical facts.

Next he moves on to seek to confirm these facts by reference to the Old Testament. Here he first points out that God spoke of having a son (see Psa 2) and then that the coming one will not lay in the grave and decay but will obviously be raised from the dead.

Next he brings out the spiritual conclusion or doctrine that comes from all this, that through Jesus we can have forgiveness of sins. Finally he pleads with the Jews, just as Scripture warns, don’t harden your hearts against this thing that God has done.

     This presentation of the Gospel can be simply divided into:

• a) facts of history – Jesus death & resurrection
• b) declaration that this was all according to God’s previously declared plan

     so that –

• c) we could be reconciled to Him and receive forgiveness of sins and
• d) a plea not to disregard these things but receive it all.

                 Very simple & straight forward isn’t it!

D. Application:

1. Jesus coming is a simple fact of history
2. Jesus coming was part of God’s plan to save us.

Passage: Acts 13:42-52

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 light for the Gentiles,
    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured 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.

A. Find Out:

1. How were they first received? v.42,43
2. What happened the next Sabbath? v.44,45
3. So what did Paul & Barnabus say they would do? v.46
4. What Scripture did they cite? v.47
5. So what happened as a result? v.48,49
6. But what also happened? v.50-52

B. Think:

1. Read Isa 49:6, 55:4,5, Gen 18:18 , 22:18 , 1 Chron 16:8,24,31
2. How were the apostles now fulfilling these prophecies?
3. What was it that forced it upon them?

C. Comment:

If you have a concordance, look up the word “nations” in it and see he many, many times that God said throughout the Old Testament that the nations would see and be blessed. The Jews had assumed that it meant Jews spread throughout the nations, but God actually meant that He wanted all peoples to hear of Him and His love for them. Although we have seen Peter being sent to a Gentile and Jerusalem ostensibly accepting that God wanted to include the Gentiles, this missionary trip so far had been really to the Jews. This is now the first real diversion to include the Gentiles. From now on they are apostles to the Gentiles.

What caused this? The success of the word of God preached, the interest shown by the many people of the town, and the jealousy of the Jews. Just as it had been with Jesus, when the religious Jews saw that the crowds were showing interest, they immediately rejected the message. If this message is being publicly accepted it must be wrong. What terrible logic! Paul & Barnabus refuse to turn down the opportunity to tell others about Jesus and a verse referring to the Gentiles comes to Paul’s mind. The die is cast, they move away from the Jews and now tell the Gentiles. It will never be the same again! Persecution follows and the apostles are forced to move on again.

D. Application:

1. God loves all peoples, not just one group.
2. When one group rejects the word, move on to the next group.