Call to Commitment

 

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 In the synagogue in Antioch, Pisidia

 27. For 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. 

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

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

30. But God raised Him from the dead. 

31. 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. And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 

33. God 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.' 

34. And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID.' 

35. Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.' 

36. "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 

37. but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 

38. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness 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 what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: 

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.' " 

 We join Paul again in the synagogue of the Jews in Antioch, Pisidia, where we left off in the last article. He accused the central council of all Jews in Jerusalem that they did not know their God, nor did they understand their prophets. We learned in the last article that the book of Prophets was read every Sabbath, universally, in the synagogues, but Paul knew well from his own experience that they were misinterpreted.

 Their own Scriptures, which they habitually studied, turned against them and they condemned the Messiah, of whom the book foretold (v. 27). Their worship of God corrupted into dead religion and they revolted against the One, Whom they pretended to serve. These deeds have been carried out, not only by the Jews, but by religious hypocrites throughout history. The Jews in Jerusalem went to the despised Roman governor in their supreme hatred of God and looked to pagan Rome to assist them in giving the death sentence, which was required by Roman law. Yet, they had no reasonable or legal accusation to set before Pontius Pilate (v. 28). Jesus confirmed the fulfilling of the Psalmist’s prophecy, “They hated Me without a cause.” (Jn. 15:25 from Ps. 69:4)

  

Chapter 13, part 1

 

Paul's 1st missionary journey

The New Church at Antioch

        1.     Now in the church 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. 

        2.      As 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." 

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

In chapter 11 of Acts, we began to learn of the new church at Antioch. Luke said that after the martyrdom of Stephen, persecution broke out in Jerusalem and some Christians arrived at Antioch, preaching only to Jews (Ac. 11:19). However, after Peter´s experience in Caesaria with the Roman centurion, Cornelius, a great breakthrough came and evangelists, from the isle of Cyprus and from the African nation of Cyrene, began to preach to Greek-speaking Gentile people (Ac. 11:20). Luke records that a great number of Gentiles turned to the Lord (Ac. 11:21). There began the history of the church in Antioch, after the salvation of Jews and Gentiles.

 We learned that Barnabas was sent to Antioch from Jerusalem (Ac. 11:22). He encouraged the new believers (Ac. 11:23) and, through his anointed evangelism, many more were added to the Antioch church (Ac. 11:24). Soon, Barnabas left for Tarsus, looking for Saul, as Tarsus was Saul’s native city (Ac. 11:25), and Saul joined him in the edification of the Antioch church (Ac. 11:26). In chapter 11, in fact, in the closing verse, we learned that they had returned to Jerusalem from Antioch, bringing with them an offering for the believers there (Ac. 11:30).  Then, they returned to Antioch and took John Mark, who is Barnabas’ nephew, with them. Mary, Mark’s mother, is probably Barnabas’ sister, for had she been his sister-in-law, his father, being Barnabas’ brother, would be mentioned (Ac. 12:25).

 Besides Barnabas and Saul, prophets from Jerusalem began to gather in Antioch (Ac. 11:27). The first verse of this chapter 13, mentions also Simeon Niger, Lucius from Cyrene (possibly, one who evangelized Antioch earlier… 11:20), and Manaen, interestingly a close acquaintance of Herod Antipas, who assassinated John the Baptist and joined with Pilate in Christ’s trial. Manaen is now a Christian and leader in the church at Antioch, along with these four others, who were prophets and teachers. It is another verse that shows that prophecy was a ministry in the New Testament church, composed of Jews and Gentiles (see also Acts 2:17, 18; 1 Co. 14:1; Eph. 4:11, 12).