Acts 13:13-14. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
They would be noticed as strangers who had come thither. The synagogue did not generally contain a very large assembly, and the Jews of the place would be well known to one another, and they would notice that two or three men had come in whom they had not been accustomed to see in their company.
Acts 13:15-17. 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. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 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.
They always liked to hear the story of their race, it was sure to win their attention. Notice how expressly Paul puts it that, though they were a favored people, it was by the election of divine grace that they were such: «The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers.» The Lord chooseth whom he will, and he chose the fathers of the house of Israel: «and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt.» God took care of them when they were aliens and foreigners under a cruel power in the land of Egypt: «and with an high arm brought he them out of it.» This was the glory of Israel; the Jews always delighted to hear of Egypt, and of the Exodus, and of the great things that God did for them in the day of their redemption when, by the sprinkling of the blood of the paschal lamb, they were protected from the sword of the destroying angel.
Acts 13:18. And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
It is a continuous history that Paul gives to these people at Antioch, and it brings to their minds the sins of their fathers as well as the grace of their God. These are two things that you and I need always to keep in mind, God's grace and our own sin. Truly, I fear that God has had much provocation from us during our forty years, even as he had with his ancient people. There is much meaning packed away in that sentence, «Forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.»
Acts 13:19. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
The Lord did not run back from his covenant. He promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, and he gave it to them, even though seven nations had to be destroyed to make room for them. This verse reminds us of that passage in Isaiah: «since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.» He gave seven nations of Canaan for this one nation of Israel.
Acts 13:20-21. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king:
This was another piece of wantonness on the Israelites' part. God was their King, yet they must have a visible king, like the other nations by which they were surrounded. They were faithfully warned by the prophet Samuel of the evil consequences that would follow their choice, but they would not be content with their God as their only Ruler: «afterward they desired a king.»
Acts 13:21-23. And God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 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 fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
No matter where the apostle begins, he comes to Jesus Christ before long. No matter what the preacher's text may be, he must never close a sermon without having set forth the claims of Jesus. This should be the invariable rule of our ministry, that Christ is the top and bottom, the sum and substance of all our preaching. Paul could truly say, «We preach Christ crucified.»
Acts 13:24-26. When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 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. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
This is plain preaching, pointed preaching, bold preaching. Paul did not conceal the truth, though he well knew how objectionable it would be to his hearers, yet he put it before them in the plainest possible terms: «To you is the word of this salvation sent.»
Acts 13:27. 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.
It was strange that they should fulfill the prophecies which they had often read, no doubt, with fear and trembling. They became the guilty agents by which the prophecies were fulfilled. Paul's preaching agrees with what Peter said on the day of Pentecost: «Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.»
Acts 13:28-30. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead:
Now the apostle has reached the very heart of his judgment, now he has come to the great corner-stone of the Christian faith. Notice that there are no embellishments here; there is not even an anecdote, or a story, by which he may illustrate the truth he sets forth, but just a plain declaration of the great facts of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are the backbone of the gospel; and the more we dwell upon these facts, the better. Let us preach the doctrines that grow out of these facts, for the facts are stubborn things, and if they be backed by the Spirit of God, they will carry all before them.
Acts 13:31-33. And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 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.
Writing to the Hebrews, Paul quotes this passage from the Psalms to prove Christ's Godhead and everlasting filiation, so that he evidently saw more than one meaning in this portion of divine teaching, and we do not err when we believe that no Scripture is exhausted by a single explanation. The flowers of God's garden bloom, not only double, but sevenfold; they are continually pouring forth fresh fragrance.
Acts 13:34-35. 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. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Christ did die, but his precious body was not allowed to see corruption.
Acts 13:36-41. 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: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 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.
This is a noble sermon, but again I remark, how simple it is! Like the sermon of Peter, on the day of Pentecost, it is free from that continual calling out of «Believe, believe, believe,» which is the habit of some preachers, who never tell the people what they have to believe. Exhortation is well enough in its place; but you must not have all powder in your gun, there must be some shot also. The apostle has solid facts here which he drives home to the heart and conscience of his hearers; he does not forget that the weight and forge of a sermon must lie in the distinct truth which is taught in it.
Acts 13:42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
They would like to hear the same message; so they said to Paul «This sermon was to the Jews. Will you not preach to us Gentiles? We have come in here, and heard what you have said; but you did not speak specially to Jesus; will you do so next Sabbath?»
Acts 13:43-44. 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. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
There is something attractive about the gospel. I do not think they sent out a trumpeter; the preaching of the gospel is all the trumpet that is needed to gather the people together. If we will but preach it in the power and plenitude of the Spirit of God, it will soon attract a congregation, as it did in this instance.
Acts 13:45-49. But when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 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. 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. 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. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
God send us days like that, for Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.