Acts Chapter 13

Acts Chapter 13

In the church at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers for example, Barnabas, Simeon who is called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul.  They ministered to the Lord, and fasted.  The Holy Ghost told them to “Separate Barnabas and Saul because I have work for them”.  When they had fasted and prayed, they sent them off to do the Holy Ghosts work in Seleucia and Cyprus.

When they were at Salamis preaching the word of God in the synagogues they John joined them in preaching.  When they had gone through the island of Paphos they found a sorcerer, ooo how exciting, who was a false prophet, a Jew named Barjesus.  Oh I was almost hoping in was Bejesus you know the one that’s always scared out of you?  Barjesus was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul to hear the word of God.But Elymas (which is his interpreted name) tried to turn the deputy, Sergius Paulus away from the faith. 

Saul, who is also called Paul, (Holla! We’ve got Paul in the house!) who was filled with the Holy Ghost, looked at him and said “You’re full of subtly and all sorts of mischief you child of the devil, you enemy of righteousness, won’t you stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?  The hand of the Lord is now on you, and you will be blind, and not see the sun for a season!”  A mist fell on the dude and he couldn’t see any more.  He had to be led out by his hand.  That really stinks. 

The deputy was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord but he believed.  I’m sure, I’m sure anyone would believe just to appease this angry force so they wouldn’t go blind.  But that doesn’t make you love it.  

Paul and company left Paphos to go to Perga in Pamphylia, and John returned to Jerusalem.  When they led Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia and when to the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.  After reading the law and prophets, the rulers of the synagogue asked if anyone had anything  good to say, than say it.

Paul stood up and beckoned the folks with his hand saying “Men of Israel, and God fearing folk listen to me. The God of the people of Israel chose our dads and exalted the people who were strangers living in the land of Egypt.  God brought them out with a high arm.”

Okay seriously didn’t we have Stephen tell us this same history in this same book?  Do we have to go over that again?  And isn’t all in Exodus too?  Whatever.

“God suffered forty year of his people wandering the wilderness.  When he destroyed the seven nations in the land of Chanaan and divided them by lot. 

After that he gave them judges for four hundred and fifty years until Samuel the prophet.  After that they wanted a king so God gave them Saul, the son of Cis, a man form the tribe of Benjamin for forty years.  After he removed hi, he raised David up to be their king.  God gave David a testimony, and said that he found David the son of Jesse to be a man after his own heart and would fulfill his will. According to his promise Jesus was a descendant of David. 

When John first preached before his coming the baptism and repentance of the people of Israel.  Ad John did his work he asked if they though he was the one.  Then he told them about how he wasn’t fit to lace the shoes of the guy who is coming.  Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and who ever fears God, the word of salvation is sent to you. The people live in Jerusalem, and their rulers didn’t recognize JC as the one that would fulfill the prophecies, and they ended up fulfilling the prophecy by condemning him.  Even though they didn’t find a real reason to kill him they wanted Pilate to have him killed. When they had fulfilled the scripture, they took him down from the tree, (Really tree again?  Why don’t we wears trees then as a religious symbol?) and put him in a tomb.  But God raised him from the dead.  He was seen for many days by those who had been with him in Jerusalem and Galilee who are his witnesses to the people. 

We give you glad tidings, how the promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled for their children.  He raised up Jesus again, (again?) as it’s written in the second psalm, “You are my Son, this day I have become your dad.”  As to how he raised him up from the dead, never to return to decompose, he said he would give you the mercies of David.  In another psalm he said you shouldn’t make you Holy One see corruption.  Once David has served his own generation with God’s will, he fell asleep and was laid with his fathers, that would be he died, and his body did decompose.  But the one God raised again, didn’t decompose.”

Beat that dead horse Paul!  But did the dead horse decompose?  Or did God raise the horse again…

You all should know that that man preached to you about the forgiveness of sins. Those who believe are justified from everything, but you couldn’t be justified by the law of Moses.  Beware in case the thing that are spoken by the prophets come to you. Look you people who despise, and wonder and die, for I will do something that you won’t believe even though a man tells you about it.”  Not unusual Paul I’ve got to say. 

When the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles wanted that they could hear these words the next Sabbath.  When the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious folks, followed Paul and Barnabas who persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

When the Jews was the crowds they were jealous and spoke against what Paul was talking about contradicting and blaspheming.  Folks just let Paulie contradict himself. Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly said that the word of God should have spoken to you first but seeing that you pushed it away, and you judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life so we turned to the Gentiles.

The Lord commanded us telling us to be a light to the Gentiles that we should be salvation to the ends of the earth.  When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the rod of the lord.  Those who were ordained gained eternal life.  And the word of the Lord was published throughout the region. 

But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and pushed them off of their coasts. So they dusted off their feet and came to Iconium and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.