BIBLE: Acts Chapter 13 – Headline “Believe It!”

Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Acts 13

Paul and Barnabas Are Sent to the Gentiles

Acts 13:¹ Now in the church (Lit: assembly) that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Acts 13:²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:³Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Preaching in Cyprus

Acts 13:⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Acts 13:⁵And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13:⁶Now when they had gone through(the whole island) the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus (salvation) (refer to Bar-Abbas),

Acts 13:⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) (opposed) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

Acts 13:⁹Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

Acts 13:¹⁰and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

Acts 13:¹¹And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Acts 13:¹²Then the proconsul (Sergius Paulus) believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

Acts 13:¹³Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

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

Acts 13:¹⁵And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of (encouragement) exhortation for the people, say on.”

Acts 13:¹⁶Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

Acts 13:¹⁷The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with (Mighty power) an uplifted arm He brought them out of it.

Acts 13:¹⁸Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.

Acts 13:¹⁹And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.

Acts 13:²⁰“After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Acts 13:²¹And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

Acts 13:²²And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

Acts 13:²³From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a (salvation) Savior—Jesus—

Acts 13:²⁴after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

John’s baptism of repentance was for the Jews at that time. Jesus’ baptism is the baptism of death to self and dedicated service to God.

Acts 13:²⁵And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He (Jesus the Messiah). But behold, there comes One (Jesus) after me, the sandals of whose feet (authority) I am not worthy to loose.’

Acts 13:²⁶“Men and brethren, sons of the (stock) family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the (message) word of this salvation has been sent.

Acts 13:²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.

Acts 13:²⁸And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.

Acts 13:²⁹Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree (cross) and laid Him in a tomb.

Psalm 2:2 Why do the nations (heathens/gentiles/Roman leaders) rage,
And the people plot a vain (empty/hopeless) thing?
²The kings of the earth (Roman leaders) set themselves,
And the (Jewish) rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed (Jesus),
Note: It was hopeless to try and keep Jesus in the Grave and the tomb was empty.

Acts 13:³⁰But God raised Him from the dead.

Psalm 2: Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Who raised Jesus from the dead? The Father, The Holy Spirit, and Jesus raised Himself. In other words, the Godhead raised Jesus from the dead.

^{John 10:1 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”}
^{Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.}
^{John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”}
^{Galatians 1:1 Greeting – Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),}

Acts 13:³¹He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.

Acts 13:³²And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.

Acts 13:³³God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’

“Begotten” means “Risen from the dead” ie: “Born Again”:

^{Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He (the Father) who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”}
^{1 Peter 1:3 A Heavenly Inheritance – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,}
^{1 Corinthians 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you (raised you up from death to life) through the gospel.}
^{John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.}

Acts 13:³⁴And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to (the state of decay) corruption, He has spoken thus:

‘I will give you the sure (blessings) mercies of David.’

Acts 13:³⁵Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’

^{Psalm 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Torments/Hades), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.}

Acts 13:³⁶“For David, after he had served (in) his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep (died), was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption (underwent decay);

Acts 13:³⁷but He (Jesus) whom God raised up (underwent no decay) saw no corruption.

Acts 13:³⁸Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Acts 13:³⁹and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Acts 13:⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

Acts 13:⁴¹‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’ ”

Blessing and Conflict at Antioch

Acts 13:⁴² So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. (Or: And when they went out of the synagogue of the Jews, Or: And when they went out they begged)

Acts 13:⁴³Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 13:⁴⁴On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

Acts 13:⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:⁴⁷For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation (Jesus) to the ends of the earth.’ ”

The darker the night the brighter the Light.

The literal meaning of Jesus’ Greek Name is “Salvation” in Hebrew.

Acts 13:⁴⁸Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 13:⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.

Acts 13:⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.