Acts 13:13-41

¹³ Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ 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. 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 All this took about 450 years. And after that 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 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.’ ²³ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. ²⁴ Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ 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. ³² And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, ³³ 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.’ ³⁴ 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.’ ³⁵ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ ³⁶ 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, ³⁷ but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. ³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰ Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ⁴¹ “‘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.’”

Preaching sermons is like raising children:  everybody is an expert on it until they actually have to do it.

Gordon MacDonald said of one sermon he preached, “The sermon was so bad that I asked someone else to give the benediction while I left the building, ran home, and spent the afternoon in the fetal position trying to forget I’d preached that morning.”  Matt Chandler said, “I have my first sermon on my computer, and it’s painful, all of it—exegeses, application, flow of thought, illustrations, theology—it was a train wreck of epic proportions…”[1]  The Apostle Paul once preached Eutychus to death (Acts 20:7-12)!

Indeed, somebody once said that nowhere is the power of the gospel more evident than in the fact that it survives its own preaching.  This is likely true!  Even so, there is power in the gospel proclaimed.  Acts can almost be seen as a chronicle of powerful sermons preached.  Among those, the sermon recorded in our text is one of the greatest.  Here we are privileged to witness the first sermon that Paul ever preached.  This is his inaugural sermon in a ministry that would inspire the ages to come even to our current day.

In our text, Paul, Barnabas, and some others travel to Antioch at Pisidia, a city that, New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III points out, “is not necessarily the most obvious choice for the next place to evangelize.”  It may be the case that they traveled there because the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, who Paul had led to Christ earlier in the first part of our chapter, had family there who owned a massive estate in the area.[2]  That is, they likely had strategic connections in the area and so they made their journey and took the gospel to this region.

¹³ Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ 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.

Let me briefly mention that there is a bit of a scandal in the second half of verse 13 that is not fully fleshed out here.  I am speaking of Luke’s statement, “And John left them and returned to Jerusalem.”  We learn later in the scriptures that Paul and John Mark had a falling out.  Why?  It is hard to say, but it has been noted that whereas previously Luke referred to Barnabas and Paul, here he refers to “Paul and his companions.”  This change in wording likely reflects the fact that Paul’s leadership had become clear and he was now established as the leader of the team instead of Barnabas.  There is no evidence that Barnabas took issues with this new state of affairs.  In fact, one commentator writes, “In nothing is the greatness of Barnabas more manifest than in his recognition of the superiority of Paul and acceptance of a secondary position for himself.”[3]  But it is possible that John Mark did not accept this new order with such understanding.  John Mark, after all, was Barnabas’ cousin.  Perhaps he felt protective of his cousin and was defensive and resentful of this change.  Regardless, he leaves the team and Paul, Barnabas, and the others press on to Antioch of Pisidia.  Upon arriving there, Paul and his companions made their customary visit to the synagogue.

¹⁵ 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.”

What an amazing opportunity!  Paul and his team are noticed in the synagogue and the synagogue leaders ask him if he would like to share any words with the gathered crowd.  Now, I know of no preacher who would do such a thing today:  stand and ask if anybody would like to come to the platform and preach.  The very thought makes modern preachers uncomfortable.  And, indeed, the synagogue leaders who invited Paul to speak would soon come to be uncomfortable themselves.

Observe Paul’s sermon and observe his approach.  Here is a consummate preacher and here is a model for us all.

Paul clearly explains the gospel.

What Paul does in his sermon is build up to and then clearly announce the good news of the gospel of Christ.  He builds up to it by first giving a sketch of Israel’s history.  In this, he is doing what Stephen did in his famous sermon in Acts 7, though with different emphases.

¹⁶ So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ 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. 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 All this took about 450 years. And after that 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 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.’

Paul begins with the children of Israel in Egypt and tells their story through the Exodus, the conquest of the land, and the eventual establishment of David as King.  He then moves beyond this to show that, out of the Davidic line, God finally brought a greater King.

²³ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. ²⁴ Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ 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. ³² And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, ³³ 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.’ ³⁴ 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.’ ³⁵ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ ³⁶ 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, ³⁷ but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.

Here we see Paul laying out the elements of the gospel.  They are:

• God sends the Savior, Jesus. (v.23-26)
• Jesus is crucified. (v.27-29)
• Jesus rises from the dead. (v.30-37)
• If we trust in Him our sins will be forgiven. (v.38-39)

What a stark contrast to much of what passes for preaching today!  Ours is the age of what has been called “moralistic therapeutic deism,” the idea that God wants us to be good, that God wants to fix all of our problems, but that otherwise God is uninvolved in our lives.  Paul, on the other hand, preaches the gospel with passion and clarity.  He speaks of Christ:  His coming, His death, His rising from the dead, and His offered salvation and forgiveness!

Paul’s primary focus is not his own popularity or his own financial security.  He is not looking to establish a career or to “win friends and influence people.”  Nor does he seek first and foremost to inspire his hearers to works of philanthropy and benevolence.  This is not to say that philanthropy is bad.  It is good indeed!  But it is significant that the content of Paul’s proclamation was unapologetically historical and theological before it was ethical.  He told the story of what Christ had done!  He presented the gospel.

The life of the Christian arises out of the truth and reality of the gospel, not separate from it.  Once the gospel takes root, the new life in Christ – which includes works of kindness and goodness and charity – will flow, but what separates the Church from mere philanthropic societies is the doctrinal core out of which Her goodness flows.  Love of man and efforts to feed and clothe him arise, for the church, out of an awareness of the uniqueness of man as created in the image of God and the love of God for man.  Our theology inevitably forms our anthropology, and, more than that, the presence of Christ in us is what enables us to love as Christ loves.

Paul knew this.  Paul knew that the gospel is at the very heart of our salvation and our life before God and man.  The cross and resurrection are the controlling and course-setting realities around which the Church gathers and out of which she lives.  Thus, Paul preaches the gospel!

Paul calls his hearers to receive Christ personally.

But Paul preaches no theoretical gospel.  He then moves on a personal challenge for his hearers.

³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Notice the movement of his sermon.  He moves from the history of Israel, to the coming of Christ, to the need for “you…brothers” to believe and be freed.  That “you” is vitally important.  It means that the gospel is not an abstraction, nor is it an important but impersonal truth.  No, the gospel is life for Paul’s audience…for us.

Christ was born and He was born for you!  Christ died and He died for you!  Christ rose and He rose for you!  Christ intercedes at the right hand of the Father and He intercedes for you!  Christ is coming again and He is coming for you!

Do you see?  Christ, Paul tells his audience and us, offers freedom and “forgiveness of sins.”  But we need to trust.  We need to believe.  We need to receive this amazing gift.

Have you?

Paul warns against rejecting the gospel.

This call to accept Christ carries with it an implicit warning about rejecting Him that Paul makes explicit in his sermon’s conclusion.

⁴⁰ Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ⁴¹ “‘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.’”

A.T. Robertson suggests that Paul may have added this warning conclusion because he “noticed anger on the faces of some of the rabbis.”[4]  The 16^th century Swiss reformed preacher Rudolph Gwalther said that there had to be some reason for this sudden rebuke by Paul and concluded that Paul must have “perceived in the hearers tokens of obstinancy and unbelief.”[5]  This is likely so.  The synagogue leaders could not have been thrilled by what Paul had just preached.  Regardless, he cautions his audience to pay heed and listen and refuse to turn away from the offer of salvation.

In Matthew 22, Jesus told an amazing parable about the dangers of refusing the invitation to be saved.

¹ And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, ³ and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

This is the very essence of Paul’s warning.  He is warning them not to refuse the offered salvation, not to turn away from life itself.  And, like Jesus foretold in the parable, the Jews were indeed turning from the offer of salvation and Paul was indeed taking it to the Gentiles, those previously considered to be outsiders.

Even so, the personal application of this truth is paramount:  we must not ignore or reject the offer of eternal life.  We must make sure that we have said, “Yes!”  If we reject the offer to come in, we will find ourselves shut outside forever.  What a heart breaking tragedy!  What an avoidable tragedy!

Whatever it is that is making you hesitate, set it aside now and run to the open arms of Jesus!