Acts 13:13-52 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Acts 13:13-52

• Can you think of any gimmicks businesses and people use hopes of drawing a large crowd?  Mail key for car come see if we start it, give away something, free food, door prizes…etc. 
• Context:
  • We left Barnabas, Saul and John Mark on the island of Cyprus last week.
  • The time frame of the 1st missionary journey 46-47 AD.  We will see a shift in how Luke refers to Saul, he will now be called Paul consistently his Greek name because he is the apostle to the Gentiles.  Also Luke will no longer write Barnabas and Saul but rather write Paul and Barnabas … which shows Paul is taking the leadership position.  
• Acts 13:13
• 13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.
  • Why did Barnabas’ nephew, John Mark leave them?
    • We don’t know for sure…There have been many ideas offered like maybe they were going further then he expected to travel, or  Paul was taking the lead, and John Mark didn’t like taking the gospel to Gentiles, or it could be as simple as homesick. Whatever the problem was it was bad enough for John Mark to return home alone. Paul and Barnabas will part their ways over taking him on the 2nd missionary journey. Later on we see John Mark comes to work with Paul again.
• Acts 13:14-15
• 14 They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”
  • The journey from Perga to Pisidian Antioch was long and difficult, traversing a hundred miles of mountains, rivers and bandits.
  • Where do Paul and Barnabas go first to share the gospel?
    • Synagogue… 
  • Why were Paul and Barnabas given an opportunity to speak?
    • Could be they asked or people knew they had a message. But often travelers and visitors were asked to speak.
• Acts 13:16-25
• 16 Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen! 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm. 18 And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness; 19 and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 After removing him, he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my will.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus. 24 Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’
  • This is the first recorded sermon of Paul we have in Acts
  • Why do you think Paul gives them a brief history lesson of the Jews…why not start with Jesus?
    • Paul knows the Jews love to hear their history… if jumped in with Jesus he would lose his audience so he probably started with the lesson they were having that day and laid a foundation of the redemptive work of God among the Jews…leading up to Jesus.
  • Do you think these Jews would have heard about John the Baptist?
    • I would think possibly. John was like a national hero. But how did John see Jesus?
• Acts 13:26-31
• 26 “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him. 28 Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29 When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
  • Paul shifts from ancient history to contemporary event. Do you these Jews would have heard something about Jesus?
    • News of His miracles may have been heard. But I doubt these Jews would have heard the whole gospel story before.
  • What does Paul mean by saying the people of Jerusalem and rulers did not recognize Jesus?
    • They did not see Him as the Messiah or the Son of God.
  • In condemning Jesus what did the rulers unwittingly do?
    • Fulfilled God’s plan to bring redemption.
  • What 2 things does Paul offer as confirming evidence that Jesus is indeed the Messiah?
    • See verses 27 & 31 Words of the prophets and eye witnesses.
• Acts 13:32-41
• 32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors. 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm: You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 34 As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David. 35 Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay. 36 For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and decayed, 37 but the one God raised up did not decay. 38 Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. 39 Everyone who believes is justified through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses. 40 So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you: 41 Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish away, because I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you.”
  • Paul has spoken earlier of Jesus death, but now seeks to highlight what?
    • See verse 32 – 33 Jesus raised from the dead.
  • What will Paul use to prove the resurrection of Jesus?
    • Psalm 2:7   “‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ Jesus is God’s Son.
    • Isaiah 55:3   God has said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ What was the promise? He would have a descendent on the throne forever.
    • Psalm 16:10 “‘you will not let your holy one see decay.’  Jesus’ body did not decay.
  • What does Paul want them to know about Jesus in verse 38 & 39?
    • That forgiveness of sin is found in Jesus …faith in Jesus can free you from your sin.   Something the law never did.   What warning does he give if you reject this? See verse 41 41 “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’
• Acts 13:42-49
• 42 As they were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. 46 Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.
  • How did the people at the Synagogue initially respond to the gospel?
    • See 42-43 Evidently many wanted to hear more from Paul.
  • Why do you think the large turnout happen on the next Sabbath to hear Paul and Barnabas?
    • Because it is good news…forgiveness of sin…resurrection
  • How did some of the leading Jews respond to the crowds?
    • They never could get that many to come to the synagogue, they were jealous. They also saw Paul and Barnabas being honored which to them meant they were losing honor.
  • Contrast the way the Jews handled the gospel versus the Gentiles?
    • One rejects the other is happy to accept. What happens to the gospel then? 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.
• Acts 13:50-52
• 50 But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. 51 But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
  • The Jewish leaders were not satisfied to have Paul and Barnabas put out the synagogue they wanted them out of what?
    • The region
  • How were the disciples after Paul and Barnabas had to leave?
    • See verse 52 filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
• TAKE AWAY:
  • Can we still provide evidence of the resurrection of Jesus today?
  • Why does preaching the gospel produce a variety of results?
    • Depends upon the hearts of the people hearing it. Like the parable of the soils.
  • Is the gospel still able to draw large number people?
  • Paul and Barnabas went through a lot to carry the gospel to Asia? Where are we willing to share the gospel?