home Communications Acts of the Apostles. Bible online About the Acts of the Apostles chapter 13

Acts of the Apostles. Bible online About the Acts of the Apostles chapter 13

Synodal translation. The chapter is voiced by role by the studio “Light in the East”.

1. In Antioch , in the church there, there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon, called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manael, a fellow pupil of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2. While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3. Then they, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, sent them away.
4. These, being sent by the Holy Spirit, came to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus;
5. And when they were in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of Judea ; They also had John with them to serve.
6. Having passed the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew. , in the name of Variesus,
7. who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man. This man, calling Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.
8. And Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9. But Saul, who is also Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit and fixing his gaze on him,
10. said: O, full of all deceit and all evil, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness! will you stop turning aside from the straight paths of the Lord?
11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you: you will be blind and will not see the sun until the time comes. And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon him, and he, turning here and there, looked for a counselor.
12. Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, marveling at the teaching of the Lord.
13. Sailing from Paphos, Paul and those who were with him arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia. But John, having separated from them, returned to Jerusalem .
14. They, passing from Perga, arrived at Antioch Pisidian, and entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.
15. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them to say: Men and brethren! If you have a word of instruction for the people, speak.
16. Paul stood up and made a sign with his hand, saying: Men of Israel and those who fear God! listen.
17. The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted this people while they were in the land of Egypt. , and with an uplifted arm he brought them out of it,
18. And for about forty years he fed them in the wilderness.
19. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land for them as an inheritance.
20. And after this, about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until the prophet Samuel.
21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. So forty years passed.
22. Having rejected him, he made David king for them, about whom he said, testifying: “I have found a man after My heart, David, the son of Jesse, who will fulfill all My desires.”
23. From his descendants God, according to promise, raised up the Savior Jesus to Israel.
24. Just before His appearance, John preached a baptism of repentance to the entire people of Israel.
25. At the end of his career, John said: “Who do you say that I am? I'm not the same; but behold, he comes after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
26. Men and brethren, children of the family of Abraham, and those who fear God are among you! the word of this salvation has been sent to you.
27. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders, not recognizing Him and condemning Him, fulfilled the words of the prophets, read every Sabbath,
28. And, not finding in Him any guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to kill Him.
29. When they had fulfilled all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
30. But God raised Him from the dead.
31. He appeared for many days to those who went with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem and who are now His witnesses before the people.
32. And we bring you good news that God fulfilled the promise made to the fathers to us their children by raising Jesus,
33. As in the second psalm it is written: “Thou art my Son: today have I begotten thee.”
34. And that He raised Him from the dead, so that He would no longer turn into corruption, about this he said this: “I will give you the mercies promised to David, truly.”
35. Therefore, in another place he says: “You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”
36. David, having served the will of God in due time, rested and was united to his fathers, and saw corruption;
37. But He whom God raised did not see corruption.
38. Let it be known to you, men and brethren, that for His sake the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;
39 And in everything in which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified by him.
40. Beware, lest what is spoken of the prophets come upon you:
41. “Look, you despisers, marvel and disappear; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you would not believe if anyone told you.”
42. When they left the Jewish synagogue, the pagans asked them to talk about the same thing on the next Saturday.
43. When the meeting was dissolved, many Jews and worshipers of God, converted from the pagans, followed Paul and Barnabas, who, talking with them, convinced them to continue in the grace of God.
44. The next Saturday almost the whole city gathered to listen to the word of God.
45 But the Jews, when they saw the people, were filled with envy and, contradicting and slandering, resisted what Paul was saying.
46. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: You should have been the first to preach the word of God, but since you reject it and make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
47. For this is what the Lord commanded us: “I have made You a light to the Gentiles, so that You may be a source of salvation to the ends of the earth.”
48. The pagans, hearing this, rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed.
49. And the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole country.
50. But the Jews, inciting the pious and honorable women and the leading people in the city, launched a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their borders.
51. They shook off the dust from their feet and went to Iconium.
52. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

B. The emergence of churches in Asia Minor (12:23 - 16:5)

1. THE SELFLESS SERVICE OF BARNABAS AND SAUL (12:25 - 13:3)

First missionary journey chapters 13-14)

Acts 13:1. The church in Antioch became a stronghold for Saul in his missionary service. The “mother” church was still the one in Jerusalem, but the “missionary” church was the one in Antioch-on-Orontes. Moreover, Peter no longer played a leading role in the Church; Saul (Paul) took it upon himself. The cosmopolitan character of the Antiochian church is evidenced by the "diversity" (in terms of geographical, cultural and social) of its leaders. Barnabas was a Jew with Fr. Cyprus (4:36). Simeon was also a Jew, dark-skinned, judging by his nickname Niger.

This could be the same Simon of Cyrene (i.e., a native of the North African city of Cyrene) who carried the cross of Jesus (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21), but this is a controversial issue. Lucius was from the same Cyrinus. Manael was a man from the highest strata of society, judging by the fact that he was brought up with Herod the tetrarch, that is, with Herod Antnpa, who beheaded John the Baptist and mocked the Lord when He was brought to him (Table of the Family of Herod in the interpretation of Luke. 1:5). Of these two “co-educators,” one became the enemy of the Lord, and the other became His disciple! The list ends with Saul, a Jew who received a high rabbinic education. So different, all these people acted, nevertheless, at the same time.

Acts 13:2. The Holy Spirit expressed the will of God through the “prophets” who were in the Haitiochi church (verse 1). In the pages of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, He speaks quite often to the people who led God's work on earth (for example, 8:29; 10:19; 13:4). In this case, the Holy Spirit spoke to the five listed in verse 1 while they were serving the Lord and fasting, and commanded Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for Him.

Noteworthy is the fact that here, too, two people were called upon simultaneously to perform some specific work. Saul, judging by the New Testament, was separated by God three times throughout his life - at his birth (Gal. 1:15), after his conversion - as an evangelist (Rom. 1:1), and now in Antioch (13:2) - to perform some specific work (in the Greek text in all three cases the verb “to separate” is used - aphorizoo).

Acts 13:3. The church leaders laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them away. This meant that the church stood in solidarity with them in the service ahead of them and bowed to God's decision regarding them.

2. MISSIONARY TRAVEL OF ASIA MINOR (13:4 - 14:28)

A. In Cyprus (13:4-12)

Acts 13:4. And again it is emphasized that those “set apart” by the Antiochian church were led by the Holy Spirit, who sent them first to Seleucia (a seaport about 25 km from Antioch), from where they sailed to Cyprus. In the Old Testament this island is known as "Kittim" (Gen. 10:4). Cyprus was the homeland of Barnabas (Acts 4:36), and therefore, we must think, he led their small group (the third of which was John Mark; verse 5).

Acts 13:5. Salamis was the largest city in the eastern part of Cyprus. Judging by the fact that Barnabas and Saul preached the word of God in the synagogues (and not in the synagogue) of Judea, many Jews lived there. It was very wise to speak in such “religious centers”, which were synagogues, and here’s why: 1) This made it possible for the first Jews in that generation to hear the Good News (compare Rom. 1:16; Acts 13:46; 17 :2; 18:4,19; 19:8). 2) The pagans who attended the synagogues provided favorable “soil” for sowing the gospel seed, because they were already familiar with the Old Testament and the predictions it contained regarding the coming of the Messiah.

John Mark, nephew of Barnabas (Col. 4:10), was taken into this group as a helper (compare Acts 12:25); in the Greek text this is exactly what it says, but what exactly this hyperetene (helper) meant can only be guessed at. Perhaps John talked with converts, helped with baptism (1 Cor. 1:14-17) and in any other matter when the need arose.

Acts 13:6. There is no talk about the results of the ministry of Barnabas and Saul in Salamis. The city of Paphos lay about 150 kilometers southwest of Salamis; the residence of the Roman governor was located in Papa, and it was there that the missionary group went. What happened there was of great importance for the spread of the Gospel among the Gentiles. In Paphos, Barnabas and Saul met the sorcerer, the false prophet, the Judean... Barijesus.

In some cases, the word “magician” (magos) means a wise, knowledgeable person (and it is in this sense that it is used in Matt. 2:1,7,16), but here it means a sorcerer who resorted in his activities to the help of the forces of evil and did not abhorred deception and fraud. Simon was a similar “magician” (Acts 8:9).

Acts 13:7. It so happened that this Variisus ended up as an assistant to the proconsul Sergius Paulus. He was an intelligent and thoughtful man, and the sorcerer was not at all interested in making Sergius Paul interested in the Gospel. "Proconsuls" were the rulers of territories appointed by the Roman Senate; “Procurators” are provincial governors appointed by the emperor himself. The New Testament speaks of three procurators of Judea - Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD), Anthony Felix (52-59? AD) and Portia Festa (59-62 AD . X.).

Acts 13:8. And so Elymas the sorcerer... resisted them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. There is no complete clarity regarding the name "Elyma". This is probably some kind of Semitic word - a synonym for “sorcerer”; this may have been a nickname for Varijesus.

Acts 13:9. From this moment on, Saul comes to the fore, who is also mentioned here for the first time as Paul. He becomes the group leader. Perhaps due to a more decisive character than Barnabas, and also because he understood the psychology of the pagans better than Barnabas. It is noteworthy that now his name is mentioned before the name of Barnabas, with the exception of those places where their stay in Jerusalem is described (15:12,25), as well as in 14:14. It is also noteworthy that from that time on the apostle was called by his Roman name - Paul; euro “Saul” is heard only when the apostle refers to his past in witnessing (22:7; 26:14).

Acts 13:10. Translated from Aramaic, “Variisus” means “son of Jesus,” i.e., “son of Jehovah for salvation.” So Paul deliberately emphasizes that Elymas is not the “son of Jesus,” but the son of the devil. The Apostle, filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 9), denounces the sorcerer, mercilessly revealing his essence as a person filled with... deceit and... villainy, as an enemy... of truth (in the sense of “righteousness”).

Will you stop, he exclaims, seducing, resorting to the help of demonic power (this was implied in Paul’s words), from the straight paths of the Lord? This is the second of four incidents in the book of Acts in which the apostles come into conflict with and triumph over demonic power (8:9-23; 16:16-18; 19:13-17).

Acts 13:11-12. As punishment, Paul makes Elymas temporarily blind. This is the first recorded miracle that Paul performed, and he performed it when he came into conflict with a Jew who was blocking the delivery of the Good News to a Gentile. Sergius Paul had already been interested in the teachings of the Lord, but now, under the influence of the miracle that amazed him, he believed in Christ.

This incident is significant for three reasons: 1) It marks the beginning of Paul's leadership role in this missionary journey; in verse 13 this is clearly evident from the phrase “Paul and those who were with him.” 2) From this moment on, the apostolic ministry gains a clear advantage in the direction of the pagans. 3) The whole episode is full of symbolic nuances. A pagan named Paul accepts the Gospel, while a Jew opposes it. Elymas's blindness, like a drop of water, reflects the "blindness" of Israel (compare 28:26-27). Luke in this way emphasizes the transitional nature of the book of the Acts of the Apostles: in it the pagans are made the first object of the Good News, and God temporarily turns away from the Jews, thereby expressing His condemnation to them.

b. In Antioch of Pisidia (13:13-52)

1) The departure of John Mark.

Acts 13:13. Barnabas’ nobility was also reflected in the fact that he did not object to the leadership of the group passing from him to Paul. So, Paul and those who were with him arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia. But John (i.e. John Mark) returned to Jerusalem. There were a lot of guesses as to why he did this: 1) The young man was upset by the “change of leadership” - especially since Barnabas was his relative. 2) He, a Palestinian Jew, could not come to terms with the fact that the Gospel was now, first of all, preached to the pagans. 3) John was simply afraid of the dangerous road chosen by Paul - through the Tver Mountains to Pisidian Antioch. There is evidence that in Pergi Paul became seriously ill, possibly from malaria, which was the scourge of this city.

There is even information that it was for this reason that Paul was the first to preach to the Galatians (Gal. 4:13), i.e. the group went deep into the continent, rising higher into the mountains and avoiding low-lying places where malaria was especially rampant. Mark might not have liked this route, as he preferred to return home. 4) It is assumed that the young man simply missed home and his widowed mother very much (12:12). But whatever the reason for Mark's departure, Paul considered his action to be desertion (15:38).

2) Speech on the first Saturday (13:14-41).

Acts 13:14. This Antioch was located in the territory of Phrygia, but was known as Antioch of Pisidia because it was next to Pisidia. Like other cities, such as Lystra, Troas, Philippi and Corinth, it was a Roman colony. Paul visited all these cities because they were important strategic points.

Acts 13:16-25. Paul took the opportunity to show how the Old Testament hopes for the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. On the pages of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke gives several “samples of preaching” of Paul (14:15-17; 17:22-31; 20:18-35). This, the first and most fully presented, reflects the nature of Paul's speech addressed to an audience well acquainted with the Old Testament.

The apostle’s speech can be conditionally divided into three parts - according to Paul’s thrice repeated appeal to his listeners (13:16,26,38) and according to a strict plan: 1) anticipation of the coming of the Messiah and preparation for it, which was determined by the very course of historical events ( verses 16-25), 2) the rejection and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and His resurrection (verses 26-37), and 3) practical conclusions from this and a call to the hearers (verses 38-41). So, the apostle begins with the address: men of Israel and those who fear God (by “those who fear God” were meant the Gentiles). Perhaps these pagans were only partial converts to Judaism. One way or another, although they worshiped Jehovah, they did not have the New Testament salvation.

In reviewing the history of Israel, Paul mentions all the key events and peoples involved: the sojourn in the land of Egypt (verse 17), the exodus from it (verse 17), the forty years in the wilderness (verse 18), the conquest of Palestine (verse 19); the seven nations in the land of Canaan that God destroyed are listed in Deut. 7:1; the time of the judges (verse 20) and the monarchical rule under kings Saul and David (verses 21-22). From the mention of David it was natural to make the transition to the Savior Jesus (verse 23) and to His forerunner John the Baptist (verses 24-25). (Compare this speech by Paul with Stephen's speech in 7:2-47.)

The approximately four hundred and fifty years (13:20) include 400 years of Egyptian slavery, 40 years of wilderness life, and approximately 10 years of the conquest of Canaan under Joshua.

Acts 13:26-37. Paul, like Peter (2:33,36; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:39) and Stephen 7:52), directly accuses the Jews of killing Jesus (verse 28). Evidence of His resurrection, often spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles by His followers, continued for many days. Here for the fifth time on the pages of the book of Acts the apostles declare that they were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39-41; 13:30-31).

In support of the fact that Jesus had to rise from the dead, Paul refers to Ps. 2:7 (verse 33), which speaks of the Sonship of God of the Messiah, which logically presupposes His resurrection, as well as the prophet Isaiah (Is. 55:3) and Ps. 15:10 (Acts 13:34-35). Previously on Ps. 15:10 Peter referred to (interpretation of Acts 2:25-32).

Acts 13:38-39. In the book of Acts, the apostles often mention the forgiveness of sins (2:38; 5:31; 26:18). 13:39 states Paul's main thesis in Galatians, which was probably written shortly after his first missionary journey and before the Council of Jerusalem took place (Acts 15). (Table "Paul's Epistles Written During His Travels and Imprisonment").

EPISTLES OF PAUL WRITTEN DURING HIS TRAVELS AND IMPRISONMENT:

Message

Quantity

Time of writing

After 1st missionary journey

1 THE THESSALONIANS
2 THESSALONIANS

During the 2nd missionary journey

Acts 13:42-43. Some of those listening to Paul, including, apparently, the leaders of the synagogue, became interested in his words and expressed the wish that he would continue this topic next Saturday. Many were disposed to accept the Good News, and Paul and Barnabas, talking with them, convinced them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 13:44-45. However, the next Saturday... The Jews (here, apparently, the leaders of the Jewish community) were filled with envy at the sight of a huge crowd of people who gathered in the synagogue to listen to Paul; and they began, slandering, contradicting him and in every possible way preventing him from speaking.

Acts 13:46. Then Paul and Barnabas boldly (that is, boldly) declared to the Jews: you should have been the first to preach the word of God, but... The Jews should have been the first for a number of reasons. First, the advent of Christ's earthly Kingdom depended on Israel's response to the coming of the Messiah (Matt. 23:39). Secondly, only after the rejection of the Gospel by Israel could Paul devote himself to the Gentiles.

And thirdly, the very message about Jesus is of “Jewish origin,” in the sense that the Old Testament and the Messiah and the promises were all given to the Jews. (Concerning the "primacy of the Jews" Acts 3:26; Rom. 1:16.) So it is in Antohni of Pisidia that Paul addresses the Gentiles, And this principle he will maintain in every city until he reaches Rome (Acts 13:50 -51; 14:2-6; 17:5,13-15; 18:6; 19:8-9). In Rome, for the last time in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul would tell the Jews that the Gentiles would be given preference over them (28:23-28).

Acts 13:47. In this "appeal to the Gentiles" Paul and Barnabas saw the fulfillment of the prophetic words in Isa. 49:6: I have made You a light to the Gentiles. Several verses of this prophecy apply to Israel (Isaiah 49:3), to Christ (Isaiah 49:5-6; compare Luke 2:29-32), and to Paul himself, the apostle of the Gentiles.

Acts 13:48. The pagans... rejoiced at this turn of events, and those of them who were predestined (destined, predestined, pre-elected) to eternal life... believed. And here one cannot help but see the teaching about the “pre-election” of God. Luke shows that God's "principle of selectivity" also applies to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:49-51. And the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole country (meaning the city and its surroundings); compare with 6:7; 12:24; 19:20. But the Jews, who had connections in the highest strata of society, took advantage of them to antagonize the powerful people in the city against Paul and Barnabas, and the apostles were expelled from Antioch. They, in accordance with the command given by the Lord (Matt. 10:14), shook the dust of this city from their feet as a sign of protest.

Acts 13:52. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Comments on Chapter 13

INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

PRECIOUS BOOK

In a sense, the Acts of the Holy Apostles the most important book of the New Testament. Without this book, we would know nothing about the development of the early Church, except for the information extracted from the letters of the Apostle Paul.

Historiography knows two methods. One of them tries to trace the course of events day by day, week by week, and the other, as it were, opens a series of windows on important moments and great personalities of a particular time. It is this second method that was used in writing the Acts of the Apostles .

We call it the Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. In fact, the book does not pretend to give an exhaustive account of the acts of the Apostles. Besides Paul, only three apostles are mentioned in it. IN Acts 12.2 it is said in one short sentence that James, the brother of John, was executed by Herod. John is mentioned, but he does not say a word. The book gives certain information only about Peter, but soon he, as an outstanding person, leaves the stage. The title of the book in Greek reads: "The Acts of the Apostles." It is obvious that the author sought to capture in it some typical acts of the heroic and courageous leaders of the early Christian Church.

AUTHORITY OF THE BOOK

Although the book does not say anything about this, Luke has long been considered its author. We know very little about Luke himself; in the New Testament his name is mentioned three times: - Col. 4.14; Phil. 23; 2 Tim. 4.19. From these we can conclude two things with certainty: firstly, Luke was a doctor and, secondly, he was one of Paul's most valuable assistants and his most faithful friend, because he was with him even during his last imprisonment . We can conclude that he was a Gentile. Col. 4.11 ends the list of names and greetings from the circumcised, that is, from the Jews; Verse 12 begins a new list that gives the names of the Gentiles. From this we come to the interesting conclusion that Luke is the only writer in the New Testament who comes from a Gentile background.

The fact that Luke was a doctor can be guessed by the fact that he instinctively uses medical terms. IN OK. 4.35, talking about a man who had an unclean spirit, he used the exact medical term “convulsions” with the expression “and casting him down in the middle of the synagogue.” IN OK. 9.38, drawing a portrait of a man who asked Jesus: “I beg You to look at my son,” he uses a typical word for a doctor visiting a sick person. The most interesting example is given in the statement about the camel and the eye of a needle. All three authors - weather forecasters cite it (Matt. 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). Matthew and Mark use the Greek word rafis, a common word for a tailor's or housewife's needle. Only Luke uses the Greek word Belone, denoting a surgeon's needle. Luke was a doctor and the medical vocabulary came quite naturally from his pen.

WHO WAS THE BOOK FOR?

And his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles Luke wrote for Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). We can only guess who Theophilus was. IN OK. 1.3 he calls him "Venerable Theophilus," which actually means "Your Excellency" and denotes a person high in the service of the Roman Empire. There are several possible explanations for this name.

1) Maybe Theophilus is not the name of a real person at all. In those days, being a Christian was dangerous. The name Theophilus is made up of two Greek words: Teos - that is God And filen - to love. Perhaps Luke was writing to a God-loving man, and for safety reasons he did not mention his real name.

2) If Theophilus was a real person, then he must have been a high-ranking official. Luke probably wrote to him to show that Christianity is a wonderful religion, and Christians are pious people. It is possible that he wanted to convince the government official not to persecute Christians.

3) The third theory, more romantic than the previous ones, is based on the fact that Luke was a doctor, and in ancient times doctors were mostly slaves. It was conjectured that Luke was the doctor of the seriously ill Theophilus, to whom Luke’s medical skill and care restored him to health, and as a sign of gratitude he gave Luke his freedom. And, perhaps, as a token of gratitude for this, Luke wrote down the most precious thing to his benefactor - the story of Jesus.

LUKE'S PURPOSE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

A person writing a book has some kind of goal and, perhaps, more than one. Let's think about why Luke wrote Acts .

1) His one goal is to recommend Christianity to the Roman government. Luke shows more than once how courteous the Roman judges were to Paul. IN Acts 13.12 Sergius Paulus, governor of Cyprus, believed in Christ. IN Acts 18.12 Proconsul Gallio in Corinth remained completely indifferent to the demands of the Jews to punish Paul. IN Acts 16.35 and further, the judges at Philippi, realizing their mistake, made a public apology to Paul. IN Acts 19.31 The leaders in Ephesus were careful that no harm would come to Paul. Luke pointed out that in the past the Roman government often showed decent disposition towards Christians and was always fair to them.

Luke is trying to show that Christians are pious and faithful citizens and that they have always been considered that way. IN Acts 18.14 Gallio states that Paul has no thought of offense or malice. IN Acts 19.37 An Ephesian official gives the Christians a commendable description. IN Acts 23.29 Claudius Lysias declares that he has nothing against Paul. IN Acts 25.25 Festus says that Paul did nothing to deserve death, and in the same chapter Festus and Agrippa agree that Paul could have been released if he had not turned to Caesar.

Luke wrote his book at a time when Christians were hated and persecuted, and he put it in such a way as to show that the Roman judges were always fair to Christians and never looked upon them as evil people. There has even been a very interesting suggestion made that Acts - an anthology compiled for the defense of Paul in the imperial court of Rome.

2) Another intention of Luke was to show that Christianity is a creed for all people of all countries.

It was this idea that the Jews could not accept. They believed that they were God's chosen people and that God did not need any other people. Luke wants to prove something else. It shows Philip preaching to the Samaritans; Stephen, who made Christianity universal and died for it; and Peter, who converted Cornelius to Christianity. It shows Christians preaching to the pagans in Antioch and Paul traveling around the ancient world convincing people to accept Christ; V Acts 15 it shows that the Church has come to an important decision to accept pagans on equal rights with Jews.

H) But these were not his main intentions. The main purpose of the Acts Luke captured in the words of the risen Christ in Acts 1.8: "You... will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth." He intended to show the spread of Christianity as a religion that originated in a small corner of Palestine and which reached Rome in less than thirty years.

S. H. Turner points out that Acts our parts fall apart, each of which ends with a short summary

a) B 1,1-6,7 tells about the Jerusalem church and Peter's preaching, and ends with the following summary: “And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem; and of the priests very many submitted to the faith.”

b) B 6,8-9,31 describes the spread of Christianity throughout Palestine, the martyrdom of Stephen and the preaching in Samaria. This part ends with a summary:

“The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria were at rest, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and being encouraged by the Holy Spirit, they increased in number.”

c) B 9,32-12,24 includes Paul's conversation, the spread of the Church to Antioch and the acceptance of Cornelius. It ends with the words: “The Word of God grew and spread.”

d) B 12,25-16,5 tells about the spread of the Christian Church in Asia Minor and about preaching in Galatia. It ends: “And the churches were established by faith and increased daily in number.”

e) B 16,21-19,20 tells about the spread of the Church to Europe and about Paul's asceticism in large pagan cities like Corinth and Ephesus. It ends with this summary: “With such power the word of God grew and became powerful.”

e) B 19,21-28,31 tells about Paul's arrival in Rome and his stay in prison. The end shows Paul "Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness without restraint."

This is the plan of Acts already answers the most difficult question: Why Acts end precisely with the story of Paul's stay in prison awaiting trial. We would so much like to know what happened to him next; but the end is shrouded in mystery. Luke ends his story here because he has completed his task: he has shown how Christianity began in Jerusalem and how it spread throughout the world and finally reached Rome. One major New Testament scholar has said that Acts could be called: “How the good news reached from Jerusalem to Rome.”

SOURCES

Luke was a historian, and therefore it is important what sources he used. Where did Luke get his facts from? In this regard, Acts breaks down into two parts:

1) The first part consists of fifteen chapters, which Luke did not witness, and information about which he received second-hand. In all likelihood, he had access to two sources.

a) Memories were preserved in local churches. They may never have been written down, but church communities kept the memory alive. This part depicts facts from three churches: the history of the Jerusalem church, covering Acts 1-5 and 15-16; history of the church community in Caesarea, covering Acts 8, 26-40 and 9, 31-10, 48, and finally, a history of the church community in Antioch, covering Acts 11, 19-30 and 12, 25-14, 28.

b) There were probably cycles of stories consisting of the Acts of Paul, the Acts of John, the Acts of Philip and the Acts of Stephen. Friendship with Paul undoubtedly helped Luke to get acquainted with all the major figures of the then churches and, therefore, he could have all the events and histories of these churches.

2) But most of what is stated in the chapters 16-28 Luka knew him personally, as a participant in the events. If you read Acts carefully , then you can notice a strange thing: Luke tells most of his story in the 3rd person plural, and certain passages are told in the 1st person plural and instead of “they” Luke uses “we”. The following passages are stated in the 1st plural: Acts 16.10-17; 20, 5-16; 21, 1-18; 27, 1-28, 16. Luke must have been a participant in these events. He probably kept a diary and recorded eyewitness accounts. As for what he was not a witness to, he apparently learned from Paul, With for whom he spent a long time in prison. There could not be a major church figure whom Luke did not know personally, and, in any case, he could receive the necessary information from people who witnessed this or that event.

Reading Acts , we may be confident that no historian ever had better sources, and no one used them more carefully than Luke.

MESSENGERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 13:1-3)

The Christian Church stood at an extremely important point. Having carefully considered their step, Christians decided to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. At the moment of making this decision, they were guided by the Holy Spirit. The first Christians always did the will of God, and did not do it according to their own desire.

Prophets And teachers performed various tasks in the early Church. Prophets were traveling preachers. Their whole life was devoted to one thing: to know the will of God and proclaim it to their brothers and their people. Teachers in every local church taught new believers.

It has already been pointed out that the names of these prophets are associated with the idea that the Gospel belongs to all the peoples of the earth. Barnabas was a Jew from the island of Cyprus, Lucius came from Cyrene in North Africa. Simeon was also a Jew, but his middle name - Niger - is of Roman origin and indicates that he lived at one time in Rome; Manael came from an aristocratic family, and Paul was a Jew, originally from Tarsus in Cilicia and an educated rabbi. This small group already clearly demonstrates the unifying power of Christianity. People from different countries, with different backgrounds and from different classes realized the mystery of community and brotherhood because they came to know Christ.

One very interesting guess was made. It is possible that Simeon came from Africa, because Niger is an African name. It was suggested that he was the same Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross of Christ to Golgotha ( OK. 23.26). After all, it would be wonderful if the man who first met Jesus on the road to Calvary and carried His Cross (and this at first caused him indignation) was one of those who began to proclaim the story of the crucifixion to people all over the world.

SUCCESS IN CYPRUS (Acts 13:4-12)

The ruler of Cyprus was the proconsul Sergius Paulus. It was a very superstitious time and all noble people, even such an intelligent man as Sergius Paul, had their own clairvoyants and fortune tellers who practiced magic and spells. Variisus, or in Arabic Elyma, which means skillful, understood that if the proconsul converted to Christianity, his days would be numbered; Paul very convincingly demonstrated to him the power of God.

From that moment on, Saul began to be called Paul. In those days, almost all Jews had two names. One of THEM is Jewish - by which he was known in a narrow circle, and the other is Greek, by which he was known in wide circles. Sometimes the Greek name was translated from the Hebrew. Thus, Cephas and Peter actually mean Thomas in Hebrew, and Didymos in Greek. Sometimes the Greek name imitated the Hebrew sound. Thus, the Jewish Eliakim was transformed into the Greek Alkim, and the Jewish Joshua became Jesus in the Greek.

So Saul became Paul. It is quite possible that by this time he had become so comfortable with his mission as an apostle to the pagans that he began to use only his pagan name. If this is so, then from that moment he took the path intended for him by the Holy Spirit and, from that moment, there could be no turning back for him.

JOHN'S SEPARATION (Acts 13:13)

Even without mentioning his name, Barnabas is given the most worthy recognition. Until now, Barnabas and Saul have always been named in this sequence (Acts 13:2). Barnabas was the leader of this mission. And now Paul took over the leadership of the mission, and Barnabas did not object; This is precisely what characterizes Barnabas from the best side. He was willing to yield the leadership to another if only the Word of God would spread.

But the main interest in this verse is a fragment from the biography of John, called Mark, because the John mentioned here - better known to us as Mark - left Paul and Barnabas and returned to Jerusalem.

Mark was still young. The Jerusalem Church apparently met in his mother's house ( Acts 12.12) and he, therefore, was at the spring of faith. Paul and Barnabas took him with them as a helper because he was related to Barnabas; but he returned home. Why? Perhaps he did not like the fact that the leadership of the mission passed from Barnabas to Paul; perhaps he was afraid of the planned journey to the plateau where Antioch of Pisidia was located, because it was one of the most dangerous roads in the world at that time; perhaps he, as a resident of Jerusalem, had doubts about the advisability of preaching the Gospel to the pagans; Perhaps at that time he was one of those who prefer to take on something new than to finish what has already been started; maybe, as Chrysostom said, the boy wanted to see his mother. Be that as it may, he left them.

For some time Paul could not forgive him for this. When he set out on his second missionary journey, Barnabas again wanted to take Mark with him, but Paul refused to take with him the former straggler. (Acts 15:38), and because of this Paul separated from Barnabas forever. And Mark is not mentioned for a while, although, according to legend, he went to Alexandria and Egypt and founded a church there. Appearing again 20 years later, he was already a different person. Paul, writing to the Colossians from a Roman prison, tells them to accept Mark if he comes to them. And just before his death, he writes to Timothy: “Take Mark and bring him with you, for I need him for ministry” (2 Tim. 4.11). As Forsdick puts it: “No one should remain what he is.” By the grace of God, Mark, who was once a deserter, became the author of the Gospel. And it was precisely this man that Paul desired to have near him at the end.

A DANGEROUS JOURNEY FOR A SICK PERSON (Acts 13:14-15)

Striking in Acts also the heroism of people, expressed in one verse. Antioch of Pisidia is located at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level. To get to the city, Paul and Barnabas had to cross the Taurus Range along a road considered one of the most difficult in Asia Minor and which was also notorious for robbers and bandits.

But why did they preach the Gospel in Pamphylia? Why did they leave the coast of the island without proclaiming the Word of God and take this difficult and dangerous road? Soon after this, Paul wrote a letter to the brothers in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, known as the Epistle to the Galatians, since these cities were in the Roman province of Galatia. In it he writes: "You know what Although I preached the gospel for the first time in the weakness of the flesh." (Gal. 4:13). That is, he was sick, for there was a thorn in Paul’s flesh, which, despite numerous prayers, did not leave him ( 2 Cor. 12.7-8). Numerous guesses have been made about what this should mean. sting, or count, How is this word translated? According to the oldest and most generally accepted version, Paul suffered from terrible headaches. It is most likely that he suffered from viral relapsing fever, widespread in the low-lying coastal regions of Asia Minor. One traveler compares the headache accompanying this fever to a red-hot iron rod piercing the head, another compares it to drilling into a person's temple with a dental drill. Perhaps this relapsing fever tormented Paul while he was in lowland Pamphylia, and he had to go to the plateau to get rid of it. Notice that Paul never returned there. Even when his body was overcome by illness, he moved forward and was ready to risk his life for the cause of Christ.

PAUL'S SERMON (Acts 13:16-41)

This passage is of especially great importance because it alone preserves the only complete description of the sermon of St. Pavel. If it is carefully compared with Peter's sermon in Chapter 2, then we will see that in the main points they are the same.

1) Paul states that the appearance of Christ represents the completion of history. He reminds his listeners of the whole history of Israel and proves that the appearance of Christ is its culmination. The Stoics believed that history constantly repeats itself. One of the cynical theories of our days reduces the history of mankind to a chronicle of sins, mistakes and reckless actions. But Christians look at history optimistically. They believe that history unfolds in accordance with God's purposes and purposes.

2) Paul states that people did not understand that God completed the plan of salvation when Jesus Christ appeared. Robert Browning said: "Love the highest by apprehending it." But a person who chooses his own path and rejects the path of the Lord loses his prudence and loses his perception of the Almighty. This use of free will and choice does not lead to freedom, but to self-destruction.

3) Although people, blinded by recklessness, rejected and crucified Jesus, God could not be defeated, and the resurrection of Jesus is proof of the indestructibility of God's plans and power. It is said that one day in stormy weather a child said to his father in awe, “God must have lost control of his winds tonight.” The resurrection of Jesus is proof that God is never out of power.

4) Paul goes on to present a purely Jewish argument. The resurrection is the fulfillment of prophecies because promises were made to David that obviously were not fulfilled for him personally, but were fulfilled in Christ. Again, however we look at this argument taken from prophecy, one thing remains clear: history cannot be viewed as either a cyclical or an aimless process; she follows God's plan.

5) The coming of Christ is good news for humanity. Hitherto they have striven to live according to the law, but no one can ever fulfill it perfectly, and therefore every sane person has been haunted by the consciousness of his failure and guilt. And in Jesus Christ, people find forgiveness, which frees them from the coming curse and allows them to establish a truly close relationship with God.

6) But good news for some will be bad news for others. Witnesses of the coming of Jesus Christ who refuse to believe and obey Him will face even greater condemnation. Justification may be given to one who has never had the opportunity to know of Christ, but there can be no justification to one who has seen the light of God's noble offer and refused to accept it.

TROUBLES IN ANTIOCH (Acts 13:42-52)

There was frequent unrest in Antioch of Pisidia. This city, variegated in population, was founded by one of the heirs of Alexander the Great AROUND 300 BC. The Jews very often flooded new cities in order to establish business there on favorable terms. Since the roads converged in Antioch, it became a Roman colony in 6 BC. Its population consisted of Greeks, Jews, Romans and a considerable number of indigenous inhabitants - Phrygians, emotional and unbalanced people. In such a population, any spark could start a fire.

What infuriated the Jews above all else was that God's privileges could be extended to uncircumcised Gentiles. And they began to act. At that time, Judaism was especially attractive to women. The morality of the ancient world was extremely loose. The foundations of family life were disintegrating before our eyes, and women suffered the most from this. Judaism preached purity and loyalty to traditions. Many women gathered around the synagogues, many of whom belonged to the upper strata of society, who found in Judaism what they lacked. Many of these women became proselytes: many more worshiped God. The Jews encouraged them to act through their spouses, often in influential positions, against Christian preachers. This inevitably led to persecution. Paul and Barnabas began to face danger in Antioch of Pisidia and they had to leave it.

The Jews were determined to maintain their privileges for themselves. Christians, from the very beginning, shared them with other people. As the saying goes: “The Jews looked upon the Gentiles as straw to be burned; but Jesus looked upon them as ears of corn to be gathered for God.” And the Church of Christ must also look at the world as the Lord’s field, ripe for harvest.

Commentary (introduction) to the entire book of Acts

Comments on Chapter 13

Christ is the foundation, the Church is the means, and the Holy Spirit is the power. W. Graham Scroggie

Introduction

I. SPECIAL POSITION IN THE CANON

The Acts of the Apostles is the only inspired by God Church history; it's the same first and the only major history of the Church covering the beginnings of Christianity. All other authors build on Luke's work, adding some traditional ideas (and a lot of speculation!). Without this book we would be faced with a serious difficulty: the abrupt transition from the life of our Lord described in the Gospels straight to the Epistles. Who were the communities to whom the messages were addressed, and how did they arise? Acts answers these and many other questions. It is a bridge not only between the life of Christ and the life in Christ taught in the epistles, but also a bridge between Judaism and Christianity, between law and grace. This is one of the great difficulties in the interpretation of Acts - the gradual expansion of the horizon from a small Jewish movement centered in Jerusalem to a world faith that penetrated into the very capital of the empire.

Author Ev. from Luke and the Acts of the Apostles - one and the same person; Almost everyone is unanimous on this. If the third Gospel was written by Luke, then Acts also belongs to him, and vice versa (see “Introduction” to the commentaries on the Gospel of Luke).

External evidence that Luke wrote Acts is compelling, widespread, and early in Church history. The anti-Marcionist Prologue to the Gospel of Luke (c. 160-180), the Muratori Canon (c. 170-200), and the early Church Fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen all agree that Luke - author of Acts. Almost everyone who follows them in church history is of the same opinion, including such authorities as Eusebius and Jerome.

In the text of Acts itself there are three internal evidence, proving the authorship of Luke. At the beginning of Acts the author specifically mentions an earlier work also dedicated to Theophilus. From the Gospel of Luke (1:1-4) it is clear that the third Gospel is meant here. Style, expressiveness, vocabulary, emphasis on apologetics, and many smaller details link the two works. If it were not for the desire to place the Gospel of Luke together with the other three Gospels, no doubt these two works would have entered the New Testament together, such as 1 and 2 Corinthians.

Further, it is clear from the text of Acts that the author was a companion of Paul on his travels. This is evidenced by the use of the pronoun “we” in some verses (16.10-17; 20.5 - 21.18; 27.1 - 28.16); that is, the author is directly present at the events he reports. Attempts by skeptics to explain these features as a purely artistic device are unconvincing. If they were added only to give the work greater authenticity, then why are they introduced like this? rarely And unobtrusively and why does the person included in this “we” not called by name?

Finally, if we exclude other companions of Paul mentioned by the author in the third person, as well as those of his companions who are known to be Not were with Paul during the events described in these passages (with "we"), then the only real candidate is Luke.

III. WRITING TIME

While establishing the exact time of writing of some of the other books of the NT is not as important, it is of great importance for the Acts of the Apostles, a book that is primarily history Church, and also the first history.

Three dates have been proposed for Acts, two of which agree with Luke's authorship and one of which denies it:

1. Dating of this book to the 2nd century. AD, of course, makes it impossible to recognize Luke as the author: it is unlikely that he could have lived longer than 80 or, at the latest, 85 AD. Some liberal scholars believe that the author used Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93 AD), but the parallels they cite when considering Acts 5:36 (about Theudas) are inconsistent and there is not much similarity between the events described.

2. The generally accepted view is that Luke wrote both the Gospel and Acts between 70-80 AD. Luke could then have used the Gospel of Mark, which probably existed since the 60s, to compose his Good News.

3. It can be reasonably assumed that Luke finished writing Acts shortly after the events that close the book took place: that is, during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. It is possible that Luke planned to write a third volume (but this apparently was not God's will) and therefore does not mention the persecution that befell Christians between 63 and 67. However, there is no mention of events such as the severe persecution of Christians by Nero in Italy after fire in Rome (64), the war of the Jews with Rome (66-70), the martyrdom of Peter and Paul (second half of the 60s) and the most tragic thing for Jews and Jewish Christians - the destruction of Jerusalem, indicate more early dating. So, it is most likely that Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles while Paul was in prison in Rome - in 62 or 63 AD.

IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND TOPIC

The acts of the Apostles are full of life and action. In them we see how the Holy Spirit works, shaping the Church, strengthening it and spreading its influence. This is an amazing story about how the Spirit of the Lord, using the most incredible means, overcoming the most insurmountable obstacles and following the most non-trivial paths, achieves amazing results.

Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off, then briefly and dramatically introduces us to the early, turbulent years of the young Church. Acts tells of the great transitional period when the New Testament Church was freed from the shackles of Judaism and declared itself as a new, completely different community in which Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ. For this reason, Acts can be called the story of the "weaning of Isaac." When we read this book, we experience a kind of spiritual pleasure in seeing how the Lord creates. At the same time, we also feel tension as we watch how sin and Satan oppose and try to hinder the work of God. In the first twelve chapters, the Apostle Peter takes center stage, courageously preaching to the people of Israel. From the thirteenth chapter onwards, the Apostle Paul comes to the fore as a zealous, an inspired and tireless educator of the pagans. The Acts cover an approximately 33-year period. J. B. Phillips observed that at no other comparable period in human history has “a small number of ordinary people been able to influence the world so much that their enemies, with tears of rage in their eyes, said that these people “turned the world upside down”.” . (J. V. Pmllips, The Young Church in Action,

Vvi.)Plan

I. THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM (Ch. 1 - 7)

A. The Risen Lord promises the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1:1-5)

B. The Ascended Lord gives the Apostles a command (1:6-11)

C. The prayerful disciples wait in Jerusalem (1:12-26)

D. Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church (2:1-47)

D. Healing the lame man and calling the people of Israel to repentance (3:1-26)

E. Persecution and Church Growth (4:1-7:60)

II. CHURCH IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA (8:1-9:31)

And the Ministry of Philip in Samaria (8:1-25)

B. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (8.26-40)

B. Conversion of Saul from Tarsus (9:1-31)

III. CHURCH TO THE END OF THE EARTH (9.32-28.31)

And Peter preaches the Gospel to the pagans (9.32 - 11.18)

B. Foundation of the church in Antioch (11:19-30)

B. Herod’s persecution of Christians and his death (12:1-23)

D. Paul's first missionary journey: Galatia (12.24 - 14.28)

D. Conference in Jerusalem (15:1-35)

E. Paul's Second Missionary Journey: Asia Minor and Greece (15:36-18:22)

G. Paul's Third Missionary Journey: Asia Minor and Greece (18:23-21:26)

3. Arrest of Paul and his trials (21:27-26:32)

I. Paul's journey to Rome and shipwreck (27.1-28.16)

K. Paul's house arrest and his testimony to the Jews in Rome (28:17-31)

13,1 From Chapter 11 we know that in Antioch was formed church. Instead of one person being appointed to be a minister or shepherd, the church had many people filled with gifts. To be precise, there were at least five prophets and teachers. As already mentioned, a prophet is a person specially gifted by the Holy Spirit, able to receive revelations directly from God and preach them to others. In a sense, they were the mouthpieces of God and could often predict upcoming events. Teachers - men to whom the Holy Spirit has given the ability to simply and clearly present and explain the Word of God.

Names prophets and teachers are given in this order:

1. Barnabas. We are already familiar with this wonderful servant of God and faithful companion of Paul. Here he is mentioned first, perhaps because he believed in Christ earlier than others or served Christ the longest.

2. Simeon, called Niger. Judging by his name, he was a Jew by birth, possibly descended from the African Jewish community. Or maybe he adopted a name Niger(black or dark) to make it more convenient to work with pagans. Of course, it is quite possible that he was black, which was reflected in his nickname. Nothing more is known about him.

3. Lucius of Cyrene. He was probably one of the Cyreneans who first came to Antioch, preaching Christianity (11.20).

4. Manail(the Old Testament form of this name is Menaim). It is said about him that he was co-pupil of Herod the tetrarch. The very fact is interesting that a man who knew the dissolute man so closely Herod Antipas, one of the first to convert to the Christian faith. Title "tetrarch"(Greek "tetrarch") indicates that Herod ruled one-fourth of his father's kingdom.

5. Saul. Although Saul's name is mentioned last in this list, he was destined to become the living embodiment of the truth: "The last shall be first."

These five people testify that the early Christian Church was united and united and did not discriminate between people based on skin color. It had a new evaluation criterion: “Do not Who you and whose".

13,2 One day these prophets and teachers gathered for prayer and fasting, perhaps along with all the believers. It is clear from the context that the expression "they serve the Lord" means that they spent time in worship and prayer for the Church. While fasting, they humbled their bodies so that nothing would distract them from prayer.

Why did they all gather for prayer? Do we have any reason to believe that they came to this meeting aware of the weight of their responsibility for the evangelization of the world? There is no indication in the text that this prayer meeting lasted all night, but no doubt this verse implies that it was more serious and lengthy than ordinary prayer meetings now.

When they prayed. Holy Spirit very definitely indicated to them separate Barnabas and Saul for the cause, which He has prepared for them. This, by the way, is very clear evidence of the personal nature Holy Spirit. If He were only "power", it is impossible to imagine that such words could be used. How Holy Spirit announced this to the prophets and teachers? Although there is no definite answer to this question, He probably spoke through one of the prophets - Simeon, Lucius or Manael.

First mentioned here Barnabas, A Saul - second. But when they returned to Antioch, their names were in a different order.

This verse is of great practical importance because it emphasizes the role Soul of the Saint in the leadership of the early Church and the receptivity of the disciples to His leading.

13,3 After the Holy Spirit had thus revealed His will, these men continued to fast and pray. Then three of them (Simeon, Lucius and Manael) laid hands on Barnabas and Saul. This was not a formal "ordination" as practiced in modern Christianity, where a higher ecclesiastical rank bestows holy orders on a lower one. It was a simple expression of fraternal solidarity with these two men in the work to which the Holy Spirit had called them. The concept of ordination as a rite that gives the initiate the right to perform the sacraments and perform other church duties is unknown in the New Testament. Burnhouse comments:

“Our great practical mistake is that we expect to find in one person all the talents necessary for leadership. Thus, a church may have several hundred parishioners, but only one pastor. He must be able to preach, console, and much more. In reality Of the eight gifts mentioned in our text (Rom. 12:6-8), seven are usually considered the prerogative of the ordained priest, and the eighth belongs to ordinary members of the Church. What gift is left to the community? Paying bills! Something is clearly wrong here. Some may ask, Am I suggesting that preaching should be entrusted to the laity? Without a doubt, if a layman has grasped the Holy Scriptures, he should develop his gift and preach whenever possible. There has been a significant increase in activity among the lay members of the Church, and this is a step in the right direction - back to the practice of the New Testament."(Donald Gray Bamhouse, The Measure of Your Faith, Book 69,

It must be remembered that at this point Barnabas and Saul had already been working in God's field for eight years. They were not new to serving Christ. They have already gone through the “laying on of pierced hands.” Now their brothers in Antioch only expressed their unity with them in their special mission to bring the Good News to the Gentiles. Then Barnabas and Saul set off (literally: "they let them go") let's hit the road.

13,4 This verse begins what is commonly known as Paul's first missionary journey. The diary of the first trip ends at 14.26. During this period, the preaching of the Gospel covered mainly Asia Minor. The second missionary journey brought the Good News to Greece. On his third missionary journey, Paul visited churches in Asia Minor and Greece a second time, but his main goal was Asia and the city of Ephesus. Paul's missionary activity lasted for about fifteen years.

(Tracing the path of Paul, we will highlight the places he visited in capital letters where in the course of the description of each specific journey it occurs for the first time.)

From Antioch in Syria, two undaunted servants of Christ first came to SELEVKIA, a seaport located approximately twenty-five kilometers from Antioch. From there they set sail to the island CYPRUS.

13,5 After landing in SALAMIN, on the eastern coast of Cyprus, they visited various synagogues and there preached the Word of God. According to custom, every Jewish man had the opportunity to read and interpret the Scriptures. John Mark served as their assistant at the time (and was not himself a minister, as translated in the King James Version). By going first to the synagogue, Barnabas and Saul were fulfilling the Divine command that the Good News should first be preached to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

13,6 From Salamis they went through the whole island from east to west and arrived in PAF on the west coast. Salamis was the main trading city of the island. Pow was the capital.

13,7-8 There they encountered the Jewish false prophet And sorcerer, called Varijesus(which means "son of Jesus") Somehow this sorcerer managed to become close Sergius Paul, Roman proconsul, the official who headed the executive branch of the island. (Luke shows an exact knowledge of the names of institutions and positions accepted at that time in the Roman Empire. Thus, he calls officials in Philippi strategoi in Greek, praetors in Latin (16.20), and officials rhabdouchoi(lat. lictors). He correctly names the rulers of Thessalonica politarchs(17.6), while his colleagues in Ephesus are called asiarchs(19.31). "All of them exercised local authority in various cities, while above them stood a Roman governor (or proconsul), who ruled the entire province. Thus, Luke, giving the exact name of the position of each of them in each city, shows that he knows well what he's talking about. Such accuracy increases his credibility as a conscientious chronicler." - S. E. Stuart, Tracings from the Acts of the Apostles,

This person is described as reasonable husband. When this one called Barnabas and Saul to yourself to hear the Word of God, this sorcerer tried to intervene: perhaps Satan inspired him to prevent the spread of the Good News. In verse 8 he is called Elyma, which means "sage". Of course, this name did not suit him at all.

13,9-10 Realizing that Sergius Paul sincerely strives for the truth, and the sorcerer is the enemy of this truth, Saul openly and mercilessly denounces him. So that no one might think that Saul led by carnal enthusiasm, the text clearly states that at that moment he filled with the Holy Spirit. Directing look at the sorcerer, Saul accused him of being filled with every tricks and any crime. Saul the name Bar-Jesus did not deceive; he tore off this mask and called him son of the devil. This sorcerer was enemy of all truth, tirelessly trying to pervert God's truth.

13,11 Then, as an apostle invested with the authority to administer disciplinary measures, Saul declared that Elymas would be smitten with blindness until time. Because he tried to keep others, such as the proconsul, in spiritual darkness, he is punished with physical blindness. And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon him, and he groped, trying to find counselor.

Elymas can be considered a personification of the people of Israel, who not only did not want to accept the Lord Jesus, but also tried to prevent others from doing so. As a result, Israel was blinded by God as punishment, but only until time. Eventually the remnant of the people will repent, believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and be converted.

13,12 On proconsul, obviously impressed by God's judgment, but he was even more impressed teaching, stated to him by Barnabas and Saul. He became a true believer in the Lord Jesus, the first "trophy" of grace in the first missionary journey.

Notice that in Luke's account of this event, instead of the Jewish name Saul, he begins to use the pagan version of this name - Paul (v. 9), Use of the name Paul indicates the increasing spread of the Good News among the pagans.

13,13 Words "Paul and those who were with him" indicate that now the main role is beginning to play Paul. From Pafa they sailed to the northwest, to PERGIA in PAMPHYLIA. Pamphylia - Roman province located on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Perga was its capital and was located about twelve kilometers from the coast, on the Kestros River.

It was at that moment when they reached Pergii, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Perhaps he was not enthusiastic about the idea of evangelizing the Gentiles. Paul considered Mark's leaving during his ministry such a serious offense that he refused to take him with him on his second missionary journey. This led to a gap between Pavel and Barnabas, as a result of which their paths in further Christian service diverged (cf. 15:36-39). Over time, Mark regained the trust of the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 4:11).

About staying in Perga nothing more is said.

13,14-15 Next stop was at ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA, approximately one hundred and sixty kilometers north of Perga. And again two messengers of the cross came to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. After the Scriptures have been read, synagogue leaders recognized Jews in their guests and invited them to speak, If they have there is a word of instruction to the people. Such free preaching of the Gospel in synagogues could not last long.

13,16 Never missing an opportunity to preach the Gospel, Pavel stood up and addressed the crowd. The general plan of his speech was as follows: first a reminder of the foundations of Jewish history, leading his listeners to an account of the events connected with the life and ministry of Christ, then a convincing testimony of the resurrection of Christ, the message of the forgiveness of sins granted by the Savior, and a warning of the death of those who reject His.

13,17 The sermon begins with the Lord's election people Israelites as His people. Paul quickly moves on to the period when the Jews were in the land of Egypt, and praises the mercy of God that He has shown, with the ascended muscle freeing them from the oppression of Pharaoh.

13,18 Fourty years God nourished people of Israel in a desert. The verb "to nourish" in the original Greek means "to take care of someone's needs." Without a doubt, the Lord did this to the people of Israel, despite their grumbling.

13,19-22 Mentioned by Paul four hundred and fifty years probably take us back to the times of the patriarchs and therefore cover the entire period of history up to the judges. (See Kelly, Acts pp. 185, which deals with chronological and textual issues.)

After the Israelites entered Canaan, God gave to the people judges up to times Prophet Samuel. When they asked the king like all other nations, God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin; he ruled them forty years old. For disobedience Saul was rejected from the throne, and in his place God put David. God speaks highly of Davide, calling him a man after my own heart To his own who will fulfill all desires His. Verse 22 combines quotations from Psalm 88:21 and 1 Samuel 13:14.

13,23 The mention of David allowed Paul to move quickly and easily to Jesus, descendant of David. As someone wittily noted: “All the paths in Paul’s preaching led to Christ.” It may be difficult for us to appreciate the courage that was required to announce to the people of Israel that Jesus was Savior whom God sent them according to His promise. They are used to looking at Jesus in a completely different light!

13,24 After briefly introducing Jesus, Paul returned to his ministry Joanna Baptist. Before phenomenon Christ (that is, the beginning of His ministry) John preached a baptism of repentance to the entire people of Israel. This means that he announced phenomenon Messiah and called people repent in preparation for this phenomenon. Baptism in the Jordan River was supposed to symbolize their repentance.

13,25 Not for one minute John did not allow the thought that he could be the Messiah. Until the very the end of his service, he never tired of repeating that he not the one Whom the prophets spoke about. He even considered himself unworthy to untie the shoes from the One whose coming he announced.

13,26 Addressing your listeners as brothers And children of Abraham's family, Paul reminded them that the word of this salvation at first it was sent to the people of Israel. Jesus came specifically to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And the disciples were commanded to preach the gospel to them first.

13,27-28 But the people in Jerusalem and their leaders They did not recognize Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. They did not understand that He was the One about whom the prophets wrote. When they heard the predictions about the Messiah that Every Saturday were read from Scripture, they did not connect them with Jesus of Nazareth. Without knowing it, they became the instrument for the implementation of these passages of Scripture, condemning Him. And, not finding in Him any guilt worthy of death, they gave it away Pilate, to kill him.

13,29 The first part of the verse refers to the Jews who fulfilled the prophecies by rejecting the Messiah. The second part talks about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who lovingly buried the body of the Lord Jesus.

13,30-31 The fact of the resurrection of Christ from the dead was reliably confirmed. Those who came out with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, were still alive, and their evidence was irrefutable.

13,32-33 The apostle then declared that promise about the Messiah, given to the fathers in the OT, Lord performed in Jesus. First it turned at His birth in Bethlehem. Paul considered the birth of Christ to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 2:7, where God says: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You." These words do not mean that Christ became the Son of God when he was born in Bethlehem. He was the Son of the Lord from eternity, but appeared to the world as the Son of God through His incarnation. Psalm 2:7 cannot be used to deny the eternal sonship of Christ.

13,34 Verse 34 deals with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. God raised Him from the dead, so that He would no longer turn into corruption. Paul then quoted Isaiah (55:3): “I will give you the mercies promised to David, surely.” This quote seems somewhat complex to the untrained reader. What connection could there be between this verse in Isaiah and the resurrection of Christ? What does God's covenant with the Savior have to do with the resurrection? David?

God promised David eternal throne and kingdom, predicting that his family would be on this throne forever. Meanwhile David died and his body turned to dust. His kingdom lasted only a short time, and then Israel had no king for more than four centuries. Rod David continued for many years - until Jesus of Nazareth. He inherited legal rights to the throne David through Joseph. Although Joseph was not the real father of Jesus, legally he was. Jesus' mother Mary, and through her He, also came from David in a straight line.

Paul emphasizes that the unfailing mercies (Isa. 55:3) promised David, fulfilled in Christ. He is a descendant David, Who will one day sit on the throne of David. Since Christ has risen from the dead and lives forever. He is the guarantee of the eternity of God's covenant with David.

13,35 This is emphasized even more strongly in verse 35, where the apostle quotes Psalm 15:10: "Thou shalt not allow Thy Holy One to see corruption." In other words, since the Lord rose from the dead, death no longer has power over Him. He will never die again, and His body will never will see decay.

13,36-37 Although the words of Psalm 15 belong David, he could not talk about himself. Having served the will of God in due time, he died, venerated his fathers, and his body turned to dust But the Lord Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day, before His body could be exposed decay.

13,38 The resurrection of Christ became a confirmation of Divine approval of all His redemptive activities. And so Paul could now talk about forgiveness sins as a fait accompli. Pay attention to his words: "...for His sake the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you."

13,39 Moreover, Paul could now also proclaim complete and free justification in everything. I could never offer this Law of Moses.

Justification is the mercy of God, recognizing or declaring righteous those ungodly sinners who by faith accepted His Son as Lord and Savior. This mercy, coming from God, removes all charges from the sinner. God can justify a guilty sinner and still remain just, since the Lord Jesus Christ fully took upon himself the punishment for his sins on the cross.

When you read this passage for the first time, it seems that law of Moses could justify some of a person's actions, but through Christ he can be completely justified. But this is not true at all. Law He could never justify anyone, he could only condemn. What Paul really means here is that by believing in Christ, any person can be justified, regardless of the gravity of the charge brought against him, and this will be the complete justification that could never be given Law of Moses.

13,40-41 The apostle then concludes his sermon with a dire warning to those who might be tempted not to accept God's great gift of salvation. He quotes from Habakkuk (1:5) (possibly partly from Isaiah 29:14 and Proverbs 1:24-31), where God warns despisers His words, that He would be angry with them and His anger would be so terrible that they would never believed if only He had told them about it in advance. In Paul's time this may have referred to the destruction of Jerusalem (in 70 AD), but it is also a warning of eternal damnation for those who reject His Son.

13,42-43 When is the service in synagogue it's over many Jews and worshipers of God, converts to Judaism from the pagans, extremely interested, followed Paul and Barnabas. The Lord's servants urged them with all their hearts abide in the grace of God.

13,44 A week later, Paul and Barnabas returned to the synagogue to pick up where they had left off. Almost the whole city came there listen to the Word of God. The ministry of these two fiery preachers made a lasting impression on many people.

13,45 However, the popularity of this “alien teaching” filled the Jews with envy and anger. They started openly contradict Paul's sermons, using inordinately strong language against him.

13,46-47 But it turned out that intimidation Paul and Barnabas not easy. They explained that their first responsibility was to bring the Good News to the Jews. But since they rejected her and thus recognized themselves unworthy of eternal life, the preachers declared that from now on they would preach the gospel to the pagans. If for such a break with Jewish tradition they needed the support of Holy Scripture, it was the words from Isaiah (49:6). In fact, in this verse God speaks to the Messiah: “I have made You a light to the Gentiles, so that You may be a source of salvation to the ends of the earth.” But the Spirit of God allows the servants of the Messiah to apply these words to themselves, since through them He brought light And the rescue pagan peoples.

13,48 If among the Juzes the words about the proclamation of salvation to the pagans caused rage, then among pagans Great joy reigned among those present there. They glorified the word of the Lord, what they heard. All who were predestined to eternal life believed. This verse simply states the doctrine of the sovereignty of God's predestination. It must be unconditionally accepted and believed in. The Bible definitely teaches that God chose some in Christ before the foundation of the world. It also clearly states that man is given freedom of choice and that if he believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he will be saved. Both divine predestination and human responsibility are biblical truths, and neither should be emphasized at the expense of the other. If it seems to us that they contradict each other, this contradiction exists only in the human mind, but not in the Divine mind.

People deserved condemnation themselves, by their own choice, and not by the will of God. If all of humanity got what it deserved, everyone would die. But God, in His mercy, condescends to people and saves some of them. Does He have the right to do this? Of course. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God's predestination is a doctrine that places God in His rightful place as the Sovereign of the universe, who can do His will without it being unjust or cruel. This topic is very complex, but many difficulties could be resolved by remembering the words of Erdman:

“God’s omnipotence is infinite, but it does not manifest itself in condemning people who need to be saved, but rather in saving people who deserve to be destroyed.”(Charles R. Erdman, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans,

13,49-50 Despite the opposition of the Jews, the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole country, surrounding Antioch of Pisidia. This caused even greater irritation and resistance among the opponents. The Jews incited some pious women converts to Judaism who occupied honorary place in the community, stir up the people and direct them against the apostles. In addition, to fulfill their sinful plans they used the first people in the city. They erected such a storm of persecution that Paul and Barnabas were forcibly expelled from this area.

13,51-52 According to the command of the Lord (Luke 9.5; 10.11), they shook off the dust from their feet and moved on, to ICONIUM. However, the Christians did not take this incident as a defeat or retreat, for we read that they filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Iconium, located southeast of Antioch, in Asia Minor, today called Konya.

13:1 prophets and teachers. See Eph. 4.11. Here the words “prophets” and “teachers” appear to be synonymous.

Barnabas. See com. to 4.36.

Simeon, called Niger."Niger" (lat.) - black. A dark man, possibly of African descent. This could be Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26), whose sons Alexander and Rufus were members of the Christian community in Rome (Mark 15:21; cf. Rom. 16:13).

Lucius of Cyrene. Cyrene is the capital of the Roman province of Cyrenaica (in the territory of modern Libya).

13:3 laying hands on them. Recognizing that the Holy Spirit had singled out Barnabas and Saul, hands were formally laid on them, outwardly confirming what the Holy Spirit had already done (v. 2) and what He intended to do in sending them to preach (v. 4; cf. 14:23 ; 1 Tim. 4:14).

13:4 to Seleucia. A port located twenty-five kilometers west of Antioch and seven kilometers north of the mouth of the Orontes River.

Cyprus. Island in the Mediterranean Sea.

13:5 When he was at Salamis. They sailed southwest about two hundred kilometers from Seleucia to Salamis (eastern coast of Cyprus) - one of the important centers of the island. The administrative capital of the island was Paphos on the western shore, one hundred and forty kilometers from Salamis.

13:6 a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew. The Greek word "magos" means "sage" (Matthew 2:1), "magician", "sorcerer". Although magic was prohibited in Judaism, it still existed. Barijesus (“son of Yeshua”) was a false prophet.

13:7 with the proconsul Sergius Paulus. Perhaps it was Lucius Sergius Paulus - an official during the reign of Claudius; he then became proconsul (head of the senatorial province) at Paphos in Cyprus (cf. 18:12). Palestine, by contrast, was an imperial province, headed by a procurator who reported directly to the emperor rather than to the senate.

13:8 Elymas. Variesus's middle name.

13:9 Saul, also known as Paul. Saul is a Hebrew name, Paul is a Roman name for an apostle. As a Roman citizen, Paul had two, perhaps three names. He used his Roman name even before the conversion of Sergius Paulus. Subsequently, Luke no longer says “Barnabas and Saul,” but “Paul and Barnabas,” with the exception of the place where he speaks of the return of these preachers to the Jerusalem church; in this case, the leading role was given to Barnabas (14.14).

13:13 We arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia. On the southern coast of Asia Minor, northwest of Cyprus, was Pamphylia, an economically poor Roman province. The city of Pergia was located nineteen kilometers east of the seaport of Attalia.

13:14 to Antioch of Pisidia. This Antioch, located one hundred and sixty kilometers north of Perga, near the border of Phrygia with Pisidia, was usually called Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from another Antioch, Syrian.

13:15 After reading the law and the prophets. Synagogue worship at that time included a confession of faith (Deut. 6:4), the Eighteen Blessings prayer, reading of the law, reading from the prophetic books, interpretation, exhortation (Luke 4:16-30) and a final blessing.

13:20 about four hundred and fifty years. About four hundred years, to which are added forty years of wandering in the desert and the period of conquest under the leadership of Joshua (see 7:6).

13:33 written. Paul emphasizes the resurrection of Jesus - the main thing in the testimony of the apostles (1:22). He cites three passages from the Old Testament Scriptures (Ps. 2:7; 15:10; Isa. 55:3), containing prophecies about Christ.

You are My Son: today I have begotten You. Those. Now, having raised You from the dead, I have clearly shown that You are My Son, and I am Your Father.

13:39 The law directs the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24), for “a person is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). "To be justified" means to receive justification from God (Rom. 3:21-22) and therefore forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7).

13:46 The word of God was to be preached to you first. Since the Messiah Jesus came from the Jews (Gen. 12:3), Paul accordingly applies the principle of “first to the Jew, then to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). He admits that God's providence also extends to the pagans (Is. 49:6), with which the Jews who lived in Pisidian Antioch did not want to agree.

13:48 All who were ordained to eternal life believed. God's sovereign election was manifested in the fact that people realized their sinfulness and came to repentance (11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25) and faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8). Luke uses the passive form (“ordained”) and thus indicates that the active force is God. Only God gives eternal life (Matt. 25:46; John 10:28; 17:2). The word "ordained" indicates that the action has already taken place in the past, but its results are manifested in the present. In the past, God predetermined the salvation of the pagans (Gen. 12:1-3; Isa. 42:6; 49:6).

13:51 having shaken off... the dust from his feet. According to Jewish custom, it is a sign of disapproval and disagreement (Matthew 10:14).

went to Iconium. Paul and Barnabas traveled about one hundred and thirty kilometers southeast from Antioch of Pisidia to Iconium.

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