Acts 13 marks the formal beginning of the Gentile mission from the multi-ethnic church in Antioch. The Holy Spirit Himself speaks and separates Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He has called them. The first missionary journey begins. On Cyprus they confront a Jewish sorcerer, Elymas, and the proconsul Sergius Paulus believes. In Pisidian Antioch Paul delivers a landmark synagogue sermon: he rehearses Israel’s history, proclaims Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise made to David, and declares that through this Man everyone who believes is justified from all things from which the Law of Moses could not justify. When the synagogue rejects the word, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles, citing Isaiah 49:6. The word spreads throughout the region. Despite persecution, the disciples are filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. The gospel is now deliberately going to the nations while the Temple still stands and the old covenant age is still running its course.
1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant. 6 When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”
16 Paul stood up, and gesturing with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. 18 For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance for about four hundred fifty years. 20 After these things, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, 24 before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. 25 As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32 We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’ 34 “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ 36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. 37 But he whom God raised up saw no decay. 38 Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins; 39 and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets: 41 ‘Behold, you scoffers! Wonder and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’ ”
42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. 46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’ ” 48 As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52 The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Source: ebible.org
The initiative for the first missionary journey does not come from a human planning committee. While the prophets and teachers in Antioch are worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit speaks: “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” The church fasts, prays, lays hands on them, and sends them out. Luke is careful to say they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit.” The Gentile mission is Spirit-directed from the start. This is the New Covenant pattern: the Spirit both creates the multi-ethnic community and then propels it outward.
Paul’s synagogue address is a carefully constructed argument from Israel’s own history and Scriptures. He traces God’s dealings from the fathers through the exodus, the wilderness, the judges, Saul, and David. He then announces that from David’s offspring God has brought a Savior, Jesus, according to promise. The rulers in Jerusalem fulfilled the prophets by condemning Him. God raised Him from the dead. Therefore, through this Man remission of sins is proclaimed, and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which the Law of Moses could not justify. This is a clear declaration that the old covenant system could not accomplish what the New Covenant now offers freely by faith.
When the synagogue is filled with jealousy and rejects the word, Paul and Barnabas speak boldly: “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves… behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” They quote Isaiah 49:6 — the Servant is a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. This is not a permanent abandonment of Israel, but a strategic and prophetic shift. The gospel was always intended for the nations. The rejection by many in the synagogue accelerates the fulfillment of that purpose while the old covenant age still stands.
Luke records that as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. The language is deliberate. The advance of the gospel among the Gentiles is not left to chance or human effort alone. God has appointed people to life, and they believe. This does not negate human responsibility (the call to continue in the grace of God is clear), but it roots the success of the mission in the sovereign purpose of God. The same God who chose the fathers and raised up David is now gathering a people from the nations.
Acts 13 is a major milestone in the transition generation. The multi-ethnic church in Antioch, itself a fruit of the earlier scattered preaching, becomes the launching pad for deliberate mission to the nations. Justification by faith apart from the Law is publicly proclaimed in a synagogue. The turn to the Gentiles is formally declared. All of this happens while the Temple still stands and the old covenant structures remain. The fullness of the Gentiles is beginning to come in before the end of the age.
Acts 13 shows the New Creation mission fully underway. The Spirit who created one new man in Antioch now sends that community outward. Justification is announced as available through faith in the risen Messiah, free from the Law of Moses. When many of Israel’s children reject the word, the nations receive it with gladness. Those appointed to eternal life believe. The disciples are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit even while being driven out. This is the life of the age to come already breaking into the present age — while the Temple still stands and the old order still has a few decades left. The light to the Gentiles has been lit, and it will not be extinguished.
Paul and Barnabas did not turn to the Gentiles out of frustration alone; they did so in obedience to the Lord’s command in Scripture. How does their boldness challenge the ways we sometimes hesitate to move when doors close or opposition rises? What does it mean for us that the same Spirit who separated Barnabas and Saul is still sending the church today?