July 20, 2014
Evening Service

Acts 13:14-52

 

Summary of the first 13verses of chapter 13:

            We saw this morning that Luke’s attention now will be Paul, and Barnabas.  We will leave Peter for awhile, and follow the Apostle Paul on his missionary work.  This morning in the first 13 verses of chapter 13, we saw that Paul, and Barnabas was associated with the church that met in Antioch, Syria.  They had been there a year along with other prophets, and teachers, when at one of their prayer meetings, the Holy Ghost said, “Separate to Me Barnabas, and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  After laying on hands, and praying for them, they left on their mission.  John Mark was also with them to minister to their needs.  We saw them sail to Cyprus, landing at Salamis, then continuing on to the other side of the Island to Paphos.  They are preaching the Word of God, and the message of Christ, everywhere they stop, and are doing it in the Synagogue of the Jews. 

            Then we meet Elymas, or Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer, a Jew, and one that mislead the people.  He was a friend to Sergius Paulus the proconsul, or the man in authority, in this region.  He wanted to hear what the Apostle had to say.  Elymas, tried to stop it, and Paul spoke blindness to this man.  This only made a believer out of Sergius Paulus.

            Now as Paul and his party leave Paphos, they will arrive in Perga, in Pamphylia, which is in modern day Turkey.  It is located on the southern coast line.

 

As we begin our study this evening we recognize the first of many sermons by the Apostle Paul.  We want to compare what he says, with that of what Peter preached.  We will find they speak the same message.  First of all remember what is happening:

1.       We have seen the beginning and start of the church that Jesus said He would build, Matt.16:18.   What is significant about this, it is the new covenant that God said He would make with the children of Israel.  Jer_31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

The Hebrew writer, whom I believe to be Paul, said this:  Heb_8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

And again:  Heb_8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

 

The Apostle Paul writes the letter to the Hebrew people to explain to them that God is beginning this new covenant, that He spoke of, through the Prophet Jeremiah.  How that it is better than the first covenant;  Heb_12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

 

And it is all incorporated in this new message of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

 

Let’s see what Paul says concerning this new covenant.

 

Act 13:14-52  But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 

·         The city was built by Seleucus, the founder of the Antioch in Syria, and was called after the name of his father, Antiochus. He is said to have built 16 cities of that name.

·         Now notice the order of service in the synagogue.

(15)  And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 

·         The New Testament was not yet compiled, and they would not have read it anyway.

·         Then Paul, and his company were given a chance to speak.

(16)  Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 

·         Men of Israel, and ye that fear God.  These were the gentile proselytes.

·         A proselyte was someone not of Israel decent, but was permitted to join Judaism.  There were specific laws concerning them in the old testament.

(17)  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 an high arm brought he them out of it.  (18)  And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.  (19)  And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.  (20)  And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.  (21)  And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.  (22)  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto 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 mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.  (23)  Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 

·         This kind of preaching is what got Stephen stoned.  So far these Israelites know that Paul is speaking the truth. 

·         They knew of the promise of the seed from David to be Messiah, but now Paul is telling them it is Jesus of Nazareth Who fulfills this promise.

(24)  When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.  (25)  And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. 

 

·         They all knew of John the Baptist, the Prophet that Jesus said fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi. 

Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:   Jesus said one time that this is who John was.

·         Again Jesus said of John the Baptist, “there has been none born of woman that is greater than John the Baptist.”

(26)  Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.  (27)  For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.  (28)  And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.  (29)  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.  (30)  But God raised him from the dead:  (31)  And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.  (32)  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,  (33)  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.  (34)  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.  (35)  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  (36)  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: 

·         Paul speaks of this change in our bodies at the resurrection, in chapter 15 of I Cor. Read it.

(37)  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.  (38)  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:  (39)  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 

·         God teaches us this throughout the New Testament, or the New Covenant.  We are not Jews, we are not under the law of Moses, we are Christians, under the law of Christ.

(40)  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 

 

 

Paul quotes from Hab.1:5

(41)  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. 

 

(42)  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.  (43)  Now when the congregation 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.  (44)  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.  (45)  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.  (46)  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, 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.  (47)  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.  (48)  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.  (49)  And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.  (50)  But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.  (51)  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.  (52)  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

 

What we see here is men in authority from God, speaking God’s new revelation, and men set in their denominational ways rejecting the message of God.  God is vindicating these men with signs, and wonders.  They are to believed.

 

The gospel message is the New Testament that God has made with mankind.  Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.