Acts 13

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Acts 13 is the beginning of the church's deliberate mission to the wider world. In Antioch the Holy Spirit sets apart Barnabas and Saul, and they sail to Cyprus, where a sorcerer is struck blind and a Roman proconsul believes. From there Saul, now called Paul, travels to Pisidian Antioch and preaches the chapter's centerpiece, a sermon in the synagogue that tells Israel's story from Egypt to David and then announces that God has raised Jesus, David's promised descendant, from the dead, so that forgiveness and justification are offered through him. The whole city gathers the next Sabbath; jealousy and opposition follow; and Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles.

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Acts 13 is where the church stops waiting for the world to come to it. In Antioch, during worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit tells the leaders to set apart Barnabas and Saul, and they go, first to Cyprus and then into the interior of Asia Minor. Cyprus gives the journey its first confrontation, a sorcerer named Elymas who tries to keep a Roman governor from the faith and is struck blind, and its first notable convert, the governor himself. Luke marks the moment by calling Saul "Paul" for the first time. Then comes the sermon that occupies the center of the chapter. Invited to speak in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch, Paul tells the story his hearers already knew, Egypt, the wilderness, the judges, Saul, David, and lands it on Jesus, David's promised descendant, whom Jerusalem did not recognize and God raised from the dead, never to see decay. Through him, Paul says, forgiveness is proclaimed and everyone who believes is justified from everything the law of Moses could not justify them from. The response is enormous and divided. The whole city gathers the next Sabbath; some believe, others contradict, and Paul and Barnabas announce that they will turn to the Gentiles, quoting Isaiah's promise of a light to the nations. They are driven out. They shake the dust off their feet. And the disciples, Luke says, were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Passages clés

Acts 13:1-3 Acts 13:26-39 Acts 13:46-48 Isaiah 49:6

Historical and literary context

Antioch in Syria was the first largely Gentile church and the base for the journeys that took the gospel across the Roman world. Cyprus was Barnabas's home island. Sergius Paulus was a genuine Roman governor, and his interest reflects the curiosity Judaism and its offshoots attracted among educated Romans. Pisidian Antioch, in the interior of Asia Minor, had a synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, the mixed audience Paul addresses. Luke marks the transition from "Saul" to "Paul" in this chapter, and John Mark's departure at Perga will later cause a rift between Paul and Barnabas.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 to 3 are the commissioning at Antioch by the Spirit, through fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands. Verses 4 to 12 are Cyprus: preaching in synagogues, the confrontation with Elymas, and the proconsul's faith. Verse 13 records John Mark leaving. Verses 14 to 41 are the sermon at Pisidian Antioch, recounting God's acts from the exodus through the judges, Saul, and David to Jesus, John the Baptist's witness, the crucifixion by those who did not recognize him, the resurrection with quotations from Psalm 2, Isaiah 55, and Psalm 16, and the offer of forgiveness with a warning from Habakkuk. Verses 42 to 52 tell of the crowds, the opposition, the turn to the Gentiles with Isaiah 49, the spread of the word, the expulsion, and the disciples' joy.

Why this chapter matters

Acts 13 records the first missionary journey and the sermon that shows how Paul preached to people who knew the Scriptures: as the completion of Israel's story in the resurrection of Jesus. Verse 39, "through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses," is the seed of the doctrine Paul will develop in Romans and Galatians. The turn to the Gentiles in verses 46 and 47, grounded in Isaiah's "light for the Gentiles," is a hinge of the whole book of Acts. The chapter also models mission as something the Spirit initiates and the church confirms through worship, fasting, and prayer.

Interpretive tension to watch

Verse 48 says that "all who were appointed for eternal life believed," while verse 46 says the opponents "do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life." The chapter places divine appointment and human refusal side by side without explaining how they relate, and Christian traditions have read that juxtaposition very differently. Luke seems content to let both stand.

Questions pour ce chapitre

The mission begins while the church is worshiping and fasting. What does that setting suggest about how the church discerns its calling?
Paul preaches the resurrection by walking through Israel's history. Why might telling the whole story matter more than stating the conclusion?
When opposed, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles and quote Isaiah. How does rejection become an opening in this chapter?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

Ajouter aux notes

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon who was named Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, a relation of Herod the king, and Saul. 2 And while they were doing the Lord's work, and going without food, the Holy Spirit said, Let Barnabas and Saul be given to me for the special work for which they have been marked out by me. 3 Then, after prayer and going without food they put their hands on them, and sent them away. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they went by ship to Cyprus. 5 And at Salamis they were preaching the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews: and John was with them, helping them. 6 And when they had gone through all the island to Paphos, they came across a certain wonder-worker and false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus; 7 Who was with the ruler, Sergius Paulus, an able man. This man sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to have knowledge of the word of God. 8 But Elymas, the wonder-worker (for that is the sense of his name), put himself against them, with the purpose of turning the ruler from the faith. 9 But Saul, whose other name is Paul, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking hard at him, said, 10 O you, who are full of false tricks and evil ways, a son of the Evil One, hating all righteousness, will you for ever be turning people from the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, see, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind and not able to see the sun for a time. And straight away a dark mist came down on him; and he went about looking for a guide. 12 Then the ruler, when he saw what was done, had faith, being full of wonder at the teaching of the Lord. 13 Then Paul and those who were with him went by ship from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia: and there John went away from them and came back to Jerusalem. 14 But they, going through from Perga, came to Antioch in Pisidia; and they went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and were seated. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the Synagogue sent to them, saying, Brothers, if you have a word of comfort for the people, say on. 16 And Paul, getting up and making a sign with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you who have the fear of God, give ear. 17 The God of this people Israel made selection of our fathers, lifting the people up from their low condition when they were living in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm took them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with their ways in the waste land. 19 And having put to destruction seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them the land for their heritage for about four hundred and fifty years. 20 And after these things he gave them judges, till the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then at their request for a king, God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the family of Benjamin, who was their king for forty years. 22 And having put him on one side, he made David their king, to whom he gave witness, saying, I have taken David, the son of Jesse, a man dear to my heart, who will do all my pleasure. 23 From this man's seed has God given to Israel a Saviour, even Jesus, as he gave his word; 24 For whose coming John made ready the way by preaching to all the people of Israel the baptism which goes with a change of heart. 25 And when John was completing his work, he said, What do I seem to you to be? I am not he; but one is coming after me, whose shoes I am not good enough to undo. 26 My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those among you who have the fear of God, to us the word of this salvation is sent. 27 For the men of Jerusalem and their rulers, having no knowledge of him, or of the sayings of the prophets which come to their ears every Sabbath day, gave effect to them by judging him. 28 And though no cause of death was seen in him, they made a request to Pilate that he might be put to death. 29 And when they had done all the things said in the Writings about him, they took him down from the tree, and put him in the place of the dead. 30 But God gave him back from the dead: 31 And for a number of days he was seen by those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses before the people. 32 And we are giving you the good news of the undertaking made to the fathers, 33 Which God has now put into effect for our children, by sending Jesus; as it says in the second Psalm, You are my Son; this day I have given you being. 34 And about his coming back from the dead, never again to go to destruction, he has said these words, I will give you the holy and certain mercies of David. 35 Because he says in another Psalm, You will not let your Holy One see destruction. 36 Now David, having done God's work for his generation, went to sleep, and was put with his fathers, and his body came to destruction: 37 But he, who was lifted up by God, did not see destruction. 38 And so, let it be clear to you, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is offered to you: 39 And through him everyone who has faith is made free from all those things, from which the law of Moses was not able to make you free. 40 So take care that these words of the prophets do not come true for you; 41 See, you doubters, have wonder and come to your end; for I will do a thing in your days to which you will not give belief, even if it is made clear to you. 42 And when they went out, they made a request that these words might be said to them again on the Sabbath after. 43 Now when the meeting was ended, a number of the Jews and of the God-fearing Gentiles who had become Jews, went after Paul and Barnabas: who put before them how important it was to keep on in the grace of God. 44 And on the Sabbath after, almost all the town came together to give hearing to the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw such a great number of people, they were full of envy and said evil words against Paul's preaching. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas without fear said, It was necessary for the word of God to be given to you first; but because you will have nothing to do with it, and have no desire for eternal life, it will now be offered to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has given us orders, saying, I have given you for a light to the Gentiles so that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth. 48 And the Gentiles, hearing this, were glad and gave glory to the word of God: and those marked out by God for eternal life had faith. 49 And the word of the Lord went through all the country. 50 But the Jews, working up the feelings of the God-fearing women of high position and of the chief men of the town, got an attack started against Paul and Barnabas, driving them out of those parts. 51 But they, shaking off the dust of that place from their feet, came to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.

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