Set Free

Chapter 13

Saul and Barnabas continue on their journey – they have picked up a new partner – John Mark – who will travel with them for a short time. My Harper Collins Study Bible is full of maps in this section of the book, which are useful. Get ahold of some maps if you can, because it’s not easy to keep their whereabouts straight.

Initially, they are in Antioch of Syria, directly north of Judea. From there, they sail to the island of Cyprus, where they cover the island from end to end, speaking to the Jewish communities in their synagogues. From Cyprus they sail north to Pamphylia and then continue traveling inland until they reach Antioch in Pisidia. Do not confuse Syrian Antioch with Pisidian Antioch. They are different. See? This is why you need a map.

One thing we notice in their travels is the role of the Holy Spirit. We are reminded here that everything the church does is directed and powered by the Spirit of God. As Philip was sent on a zigzag journey through Judea (Chapter 8), now these apostles are sent zigzagging around the Mediterranean. They are “sent” by the Holy Spirit.

We should also recognize that they are participants in this sending. They prepare themselves by worshiping, fasting, praying, and the laying on of hands. Integral to the work of the apostles is faith, trust, submission, and obedience.

Their encounter with a magician, Bar-Jesus, also follows a pattern we might begin to recognize. When the church begins work in a new place they are challenged by other powers. Recall that Peter and John had a similar encounter with a magician – Simon (Chapter 8.) Unlike Bar-Jesus, Simon was converted to Christianity. But the significant matter here is that, wherever it goes, the church encounters contrary powers – evil power – and that, in one way or another, the power of God will win.

When the apostles arrive in Pisidian Antioch, they follow their usual pattern of checking in at the synagogue. They are invited to speak, to deliver a word of exhortation. It should remind us of Luke 4, where Jesus begins his ministry in Galilea. He gets up to speak in the synagogue, presumably by invitation and delivers a message that nearly gets him killed (Luke 4:29).

The sermon delivered by Paul/Saul also presents some danger to himself and his companions. He uses the history of Israel, quoting from the Psalms and the prophets, to make the case that Jesus is the true heir of King David (vv. 16-25), that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the fulfillment of God’s promise (vv. 26-37). The promise has been fulfilled. God’s kingdom has come. Salvation is here and now.

In Jesus’ words (Luke 4:21) “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke, in these two volumes, wants the reader to know this. Even though we live in a world where there is sorrow and pain and death, a world where evil is plain to see, the powerful love of God is also with us. Salvation is not “in the sweet by and by.” It is here and now. And if we do not recognize it, that might be because we are not recognizing our role in it.

The 20th century American labor leader, Joe Hill, wrote a song called The Preacher and the Slave, to the tune of a popular hymn, The Sweet By and By. Hill’s song was a critique of religious folks who speak of heaven only to ignore the needs of the hungry and needy here on earth. Hill wrote:

You will eat, you will eat, by and by
In that glorious land in the sky, way up high
Work and pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die, that's a lie.

As Christians, we might hear in this an exhortation to examine our actions toward our neighbors, the part we play in God’s kingdom.

Paul calls for his listeners to repent, to turn to Jesus and receive forgiveness and freedom (vv. 38-41). Many are moved by his message and become followers of Jesus. Not all, of course, and the sharp rejection the apostles experience gives them the incentive to turn their ministry toward the Gentiles (v. 46). This is a critical turning point in the story of Acts, the story of the church. We know now that it will not be a Jewish movement, that it will continue to move westward and expand across the world. We know that Judaism will continue, and that, even though there will be lingering pain from the divorce, Jews and Christians will still be brothers and sisters. Wherever they go, Paul and his companions will not forget, or neglect their outreach to, the Jews.

So, you probably noticed the name change – Saul has become Paul. If you didn’t know it before, you know it now: This is the famous historical figure of the New Testament – the Apostle Paul. The name change is probably just a recognition that Paul is his Roman name, while Saul is his Jewish name. So the significance of introducing it at this point may be to mark the beginning of a new phase in the mission of the church, a movement toward Rome.

Questions for Reflection:

·        Throughout the book of Acts, there are demonstrations of God’s power over evil, sickness, death. Each time the demonstration serves to bring more believers to the church. We don’t expect to see such dramatic displays of divine power today, but we do have opportunities to see the power of God over the forces of evil. Where do you see love winning? From where do you draw hope?

·        We repeatedly see the church turning to prayer and other spiritual disciplines (fasting, laying on hands). Importantly, they find direction in these ways.

o   Is there a difference between praying for direction and praying for God to get behind your direction?

o   Do you find it hard to listen and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction?

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