Last week, we saw that God’s ultimate plan for the Church was to take the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, beginning with Jews in local synagogues and later reaching out specifically to Gentiles. But before Saul (Paul) could go to the Gentiles, three things needed to happen: 1) The Church in Jerusalem needed to hear Peter’s testimony of Gentiles in the household of Cornelius coming to faith; 2) A “mission-launching” church needed to be established and strengthened; and 3) The one whom Jesus told would be “sent to the Gentiles” needed to be retrieved from Tarsus and established in this new church before he could be “sent” by them.
For an entire year, Paul and Barnabas, along with other members of the church in Antioch, forged a friendship and an unyielding bond between them. And furthermore, followers of Jesus in this church became known as “Christians.” Let’s take a moment to see what God was putting together in this amazing church in Antioch:
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:1-3).
The church had attracted disciples from around the eastern Mediterranean, including Lucius from Cyrene in North Africa and Barnabas from the Island of Cyprus. Let’s take a moment to look at the sequence of events that transpired in this amazing church: 1) While the Church was worshiping God and fasting; 2) The Holy Spirit spoke to those gathered, telling them to “set apart” Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He had called them; and 3) They were commissioned by the church and sent out to accomplish what God had called them to do. Even today, churches commission those who are called to “go,” and then they are “sent out” into various parts of the world, serving the Lord according to the gifts He has given them. It’s God who calls workers to go out into the world, just as He did with Saul and Barnabas. I’m so grateful that some of you reading this blog are such workers! But for those who have not been able to “go,” He calls us to “stay” and pray and help support those who are “sent.”
As it turned out, Paul and Barnabas took along John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin on this First Missionary Journey. Sailing by ship after leaving Antioch, they arrived at the Island of Cyprus, and if you remember, Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus, so this means that the missionary team’s first stop was in familiar territory to Barnabas.
After preaching the Good News in the synagogues on Cyprus, they got back on a ship bound for Perga, on the southern coast of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). For some unknown reason, it was in Perga where John Mark left Paul and Barnabas and returned to Jerusalem. This “abandonment” would later cause a temporary rift between Paul and Barnabas. However, this unfortunate event would not deter Paul and Barnabas from their mission to bring the Gospel into Asia Minor.
After leaving Perga and traveling northward through the Tarus Mountains and into the high plateau of Asia Minor, the missionaries reached Pisidian Antioch. Keep in mind that the sending church was in the province of “Syria,” hence Syrian Antioch, while this city in Turkey was in the province of Pisidia, hence Pisidian Antioch. Furthermore, these cities were named “Antioch” in honor of Mark Anthony, the famous Roman general. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, Luke records the following:
After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials said, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen…” (Acts 13:15-16).
Can you imagine if after the synagogue official asked Paul if he had anything to say, he would have stood and said: “Nope, not really! We are just here to see how you guys are doing!” Of course not! Paul used every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and so he began by recounting some of the main events of Israel’s history, such as: God’s calling of Abraham; their sojourn in Egypt as enslaved people; their exodus out of Egypt and through the sea; their forty years of wilderness wandering; their conquering of the Land of Canaan; and then recounting how God gave them Samuel, Saul, and David. Using David as a launching point for the Gospel, Paul continued by saying:
From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie” (Acts 13:23-25).
And then Paul used the message of John the Baptist to tell them about Jesus. He continued:
“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him, and though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb” (Acts 13:26-29).
Following this biblical “history lesson,” Paul introduced them to Jesus. He did not mince words regarding Jesus’ crucifixion by the Romans, as he pointed directly to the religious leaders in Jerusalem who “forced” Pilate’s hand. But Paul needed to add one more thing:
But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus… (Acts 13:30-32).
Of course, in every presentation of the Gospel we must include the resurrection of Jesus and His appearance to many witnesses. Furthermore, Paul makes it clear that the resurrection is the promise made to the fathers throughout Israel’s history. And then, after offering some quotations from the Psalms, Paul concludes by saying:
Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39).
Paul made it clear that Jesus’ death on the cross and the shedding of His blood made provision for the forgiveness of our sins. And then, still speaking in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, Paul challenged their doubts and unbelief by saying:
“Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days,
A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you” (Acts 13:41).
But now comes the really good part:
As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas… (Acts 13:42-43).
I am always amazed at the power of the spoken Word of God. And that power leads one who is far from God to repentance. It is through the Word of God that the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sins and of their need for Christ. And it is the same Word of God that calls each of us to examine our own lives, calling us to live a life exhibiting godly character and conduct that reflects that of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Those in the synagogue who believed in the veracity of Paul’s message spent the entire week with Paul and Barnabas, growing in their faith and rejoicing to learn that God had sent Jesus to redeem them. And let’s not forget that God can use each of us to lead others to faith in Christ as we share about our lives and what God has done and continues to do in and through us.
Next week, we’ll take a look at what happened when they regathered in the synagogue the following week. In the meantime, blessings to all.
