Acts Chapter 13 1~~Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger {a Black businessman}, and Lucius of Cyrene, {these three were the prophets} and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul {these two were the teachers}. {Note: Manaen was quite famous. He was the adopted son of Herod and grew up in the Royal house.} 2~~As they ministered {all five} to the Lord, and fasted {studied instead of eating}, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Me Now Barnabas and Saul because of the work whereunto I have face to face called them." {Note: First two missionaries are chosen by the Holy Spirit as are ALL missionaries.} 3~~And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them {recognition principal}, they sent them away from the ultimate source of themselves. 4~~So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed unto Seleucia {sea port 16 miles away from Antioch} and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5~~And when they {Barnabas, Paul} were at Salamis, they kept on announcing from an absolute standard the word of God {means to communicate dogmatically} in the synagogues of the Jews and they had also John {John Mark} to their ministry. {Note: This is John Mark who later wrote Mark. He was the son of Mary of Jerusalem and related to Barnabas . . . nephew or cousin. Here he was like an assistant and ministered to their needs, cooked, carried, type of thing.} 6-7~~And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos {a seaport on the far side of Cyprus}, they found a certain sorcerer {here means demon possessed}, a false prophet {prophet of the devil}, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus {son of Joshua - a Jew with an Arabic name} 7~~who was always with the Pro-consul of the country, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired {indicates positive volition at the point of God consciousness} to hear the word of God. {Note: Pro-consuls ruled the provinces of the Roman Empire. This makes him one of the top 17 rulers of the Roman Empire. And the sorcerer was his constant advisor! Sergius Paulus was in the same aristocratic Roman Family into which Saul's family was adopted. Saul's name is actually Saul Paulus.} 8~~But Elymas {Arab for wise man or counselor} the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) heckled them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9~~Then Saul, (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, stared him down! {Note: Paul is FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT and is able to still stare him down. This is NOT a sin to do!} 10~~And said, "YOU RAT! YOU CLUCK! YOU SON of the DEVIL, YOU ENEMY OF ALL RIGHEOUSNESS, YOU WILL STOP PERVERTING THE RIGHT WAYS OF THE LORD . . . NOW!" 11~~"And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!" And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness and he went about keeping on seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12~~ Then the Pro-consul, when he saw what was done, believed . . . being constantly astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. {Note: it was DOCTRINE that impressed the Pro-consul not the miracle.} 13~~ Now when Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia and John {John Mark} deserted them from the ultimate source of his own thinking {fear} returned to Jerusalem. {Note: Pamphylia was a hill country filled with wild mountain people. Perga was a center for Pirates. It was well known to Alexander and to the Romans that even an army was not safe here. John Mark was a young man and was filled with fear for his safety. He deserts the mission at this point not being sufficiently filled with Bible doctrine. Paul and Barnabas later argue about taking John on the second mission. Paul judges him for his failure - a lapse in Grace to which Paul admits later as his own failure. Through the Grace of God, John Mark grows and becomes one of the greatest believers in the first century and the human author of the Book of Mark.} 14~~ But when they {Paul and Barnabas} departed from Perga, they came to 'Antioch of Pisidia', and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. {Note: Because of the grace of God, the mountain crossing was so uneventful, the danger was not needed to be mentioned.} 15~~And after the analyzing a portion of the Old Testament {reading of the law of the prophets and commenting on it - comes to mean exegeses}, the rulers of the synagogue, sent unto them, saying, "You men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation face to face with the people, and you do, let's here it." {Note: it was the Jewish custom to ask new outsiders to speak to the people AFTER the Old Testament message was read and discussed.} 16~~Then Paul stood up, and, beckoning with his hand {Jewish custom. Typical motion of the hands to indicate I am ready to speak, quiet please and puts them at ease}, said, "Men of Israel {fellow Jews}, and you that fear God {men with positive volition at the point of God consciousness}, LISTEN CAREFULLY." 17~~"The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers {Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob}, and exalted the people when they temporarily lived as strangers {slaves} in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm He brought them out of it." {Note: Similar to Stephen's speech in Jerusalem, Paul started with historical references and it took a while for the Jews to realize Paul was stating that Jesus Christ IS Jehovah . . . the 'God of this people'. Paul held the clothes of the men who stoned Stephen to death. Paul now gives a very similar speech fully knowing what the result could be! And, with No fear!} 18~~"And about the time of forty years He put up with their manners in the wilderness." {Note: If you add up the years Paul mentions here you total 573 where the same period of time in I Kings says is 480 year. Here Paul is addressing Jews in apostasy and includes their years of apostasy. God forgave the Jews their years of apostasy (which total 93 if you count them in the Old Testament) and the 480 does not include these years. No inconsistency.} 19~~"And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, He divided their land to them by lot." 20~~"And after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet." 21~~"And afterward they desired a king and God acquiesced unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years." {Side-note: Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was also from the tribe of Benjamin and very well could have descended from King Saul, or been named after him.} 22~~"And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them, to their advantage, The David to be their king. To whom {David} also He gave testimony, and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a noble man {a man of the noble variety . . . doctrine in his frontal lobe} according to the norm or standard of Mine own thinking {heart}, who shall do all My will. ' " 23~~"Of this man's seed {Jesus was descended from David} has The God according to the norm or standard of his promise has brought unto Israel a Savior . . . Jesus. " 24~~"When John {the Baptist} had first preached {used for a herald announcing the coming of a King} before His coming {foretelling} 'the baptism characterized by repentance' to all the people of Israel. " {Note: This is a unique period of time in history where many of the people that John the Baptist was evangelizing were Jewish, legalistic, and very religious. Many would actually know the humanity of Christ. Salvation is always faith alone in Christ alone. Having a change of mind about Christ is to believe -synonymous terms.} 25~~ "And as John kept on fulfilling his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am NOT! But behold, there comes one after me . . . Whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose.' " {Sudden departure from the herald to the King} 26~~ "Men {gentiles in the crowd} and brethren {racial Jews}, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God {any with positive volition at the point of God Consciousness}, to YOU is the word of this salvation sent!" {Note: Strong Doctrinal Point made here. God is Fair. God is perfect. God is omniscient! It is God's responsibility to see that the gospel is presented to ALL people that reach the point of God Consciousness. No matter the linguistical or geographical barriers! } 27~~"For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not {negative volition . . . they rejected Him}, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him." {Note: A warning about negative volition at the point of God Consciousness. Shadow Christology is taught over and over in the Old Testament, but legalistic Jews reject it and in doing so, they fulfilled what was taught would happen!} 28~~ "And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet they demanded of Pilate that He should be slain." 29~~ "And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him in the past with results that last forever, they took Him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre." 30~~"But, in contrast, The God raised {raised at a point in time, perpetuated forever and ever} Him from the dead." 31~~"And He was seen many days by them which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people. " 32-33~~"And we communicate good news to you and glad tidings . . . how that the promise which was made unto the fathers . . . 33~~ The God has fulfilled the same {the promise of a savior} unto us, their children, to our advantage, that He has brought on the scene . . . Jesus. As it is also written, in the past with results that last forever, in the second psalm {Psalm 2:7}, 'Thou art {absolute status quo . . . always has been, always will be} My Son, this day {the day of the virgin birth, the incarnation of Christ} have I begotten Thee.' " 34~~"And as concerning that He brought Him on the scene . . . up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption {not subject to physical death - corruption of the body is physical death}, He said on this wise {Isaiah 55:3}, I will give YOU the sure mercies of David." {Note: Sure mercies is the 'Certain and secure Grace of David'. Mercy is grace in action. All the doctrines and promises given to David. Includes the Davidic Covenant that David's seed (Jesus) would rule forever. The YOU included the believers of David's day and all humans ever born.} 35~~"Wherefore He said also in another psalm {Psalm 16:10}, 'Thou shall not suffer Your Holy One to see corruption.' " {Note: Corruption is the dissolving of the physical body.} 36~~"For David, after he had served his own generation by the will {plan} of God, fell on sleep {physical death}, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption." {Note: David's service was being a believer with doctrine in his frontal lobe!} 37~~" But He, Whom God raised again, saw no corruption." 38~~"Keep on understanding this {conclusion} therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man we keep on preaching unto you the forgiveness of sins." 39~~"And by Him all that believe receive vindication {justification} from the ultimate source of all things, from which you could not be justified {vindicated} by the law of Moses." 40-41~~"BEWARE therefore, less that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets {part of the Jewish Canon (section sounds like Na-vee-em) 'the prophets' here is Habakkuk 1:5} . . . 41~~ 'Behold, you despisers {negative volition in regard to Christ and salvation}, and you will be shocked {be shocked by the Fifth Cycle of Discipline}, and receive death . . . for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no way believe, though a man declare it unto you.' " {Note: Double reference here. Habakkuk warned the Jews of his day. Paul is warning these Jews of the Fifth Cycle of Discipline coming again and some just will not believe it!} 42~~ And when they (Barnabas and Paul) were going out of the synagogue, they {the Jews and the Gentiles} kept on begging that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. {Note: What a message! They wanted to hear it again!} 43~~Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes {gentiles who converted to Judaism and were circumcised} followed Paul and Barnabas who, speaking to them, persuaded {perfect tense -a continual, habitual activity} them to continue in the grace of God. {Note: Almost the entire city came to hear the message. Paul and Barnabas probably spent the week teaching and teaching. The word spread. Everyone wanted to hear.} 44~~And the next Sabbath day came almost the entire city together to hear the word of God. 45~~But when the Jews {unbelievers with negative volition} saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and they kept on speaking against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and kept on blaspheming. {Note: Religion can not tolerate the Truth - same today.} 46~~Then Paul and Barnabas spoke dogmatically with confidence, and said, " It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you {the Jews} but seeing you thrust it from the ultimate source of yourself {negative volition}, even {mechanical explanation coming} judging yourselves unworthy {means the Jews are making human good the issue for salvation and all human good is unworthy} of everlasting life . . . because you have . . . we turn to the Gentiles." {Note: 'To put it from you' is an idiom for negative volition.} 47~~For so has the Lord commanded us in the past with results that stand written forever, {Isaiah 49-6} saying, "I have appointed, in the past with the result that the appoint stands forever, you to be a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." {Note: Paul is using Isaiah 49-6 to tell them that Jews were instructed by God to minister to the Gentiles (and they have failed).} 48~~And when the Gentiles heard this, they kept on rejoicing, and glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as kept on being assigned in the past {being under orders . . . part of God's plan} to eternal life {God's plan is also eternal} . . . believed. 49~~And the word of the Lord was published throughout the entire region. 50~~ But the Jews stirred up the religious {devout} and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51~~But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52~~ And the disciples {the new believers left behind} were filled with joy {inner happiness}, and with the Holy Spirit. ************************************************** This page is sponsored by Ken Sidley, CPA and Moxxor4PainFreeLiving.