I was unable to write an “in-between” blog post last week, so I’ll just continue this week with my Life of Paul series.

We left Paul last time on the shores of Pamphylia (Turkey). Acts 13:13 records, “Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem.” For whatever reasons, John Mark left the mission and returned home. Luke doesn’t tell us about any preaching that was done in Perga, on the shores of the Mediterranean. They would be faced with crossing the Taurus mountains, which was made easier by a road constructed by the Roman empire (for military purposes) about 50 years earlier. The road, called the Via Sebaste, ran from Perga to Pisidian Antioch across those mountains. This highway was used until the 1800s.

It is possible that Paul suffered injury during the conjectured shipwreck (see Life of Paul 11) or at the hands of bandits in the mountains. He may have also contracted some sort of illness. At any rate, he credits some physical infirmity with giving him the opportunity to preach the gospel. In Galatians 4:13-14, he says, “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.“

Luke tells us about Paul and Barnabas arriving and preaching in Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13:14-52.

“but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.’”

As I was preparing this post, I found an article by Lois Tverberg helpful in thinking about the practices of Sabbath worship in the synagogues. It was common for a leader of the synagogue to read a passage from the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), and then a passage from the rest of the Old Testament that related to that passage. He would then give a sort of devotion or sermon relating to the two passages together. Then, it was customary to invite guests to also share a word of devotion if they’d like. This is what the leader did with Paul. He invited Paul and Barnabas to share a “word of encouragement.” Paul began by reflecting on Jewish history.

“So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

‘Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 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. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’”

Now Paul begins the second part of his message – pointing to Jesus as the promised Messiah.

“Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’

And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.”

Paul next makes his conclusion and gives an invitation to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: “‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”

The response of the people was good. In fact, it led to what today we might call a “revival” or “spiritual awakening.”

“As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.”

Notice that the opposition to Paul and Barnabas stemmed from jealousy, or a perceived threat to the power that certain leaders felt over the people. The response of Paul and Barnabas was in line with what Jesus encouraged from his disciples in Matthew 10:13-15 – “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.“

“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.“

We’ll pick up in Iconium next time.