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Acts 13

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Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

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As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

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And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

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So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

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And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

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And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar–jesus:

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Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

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But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

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Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

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And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

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And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

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Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

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Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

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But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

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And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

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Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

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The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

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And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

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And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

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And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

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And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

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And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

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Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

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When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

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And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

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Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

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For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

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And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

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And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

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But God raised him from the dead:

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And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

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And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

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God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

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And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

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Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

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For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

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But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

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Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

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And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

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Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

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Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

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And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

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Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

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And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

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But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

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Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

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For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

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And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

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And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

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But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

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But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

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And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

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Acts 13

The Antioch church's commissioning of Barnabas and Saul by the Holy Spirit (the community is worshiping the Lord and fasting when the Spirit sets them apart) marks the beginning of the First Missionary Journey and establishes the pattern that the Spirit both guides the mission and authorizes the missionaries through the community's recognition. In Cyprus, Elymas the sorcerer opposes the gospel and is struck blind by Paul (the first instance of Paul's apostolic power exercised in judgment), and Sergius Paulus the proconsul believes—a Roman official becomes a believer, foreshadowing the gospel's advance through the empire. Paul's sermon at Pisidian Antioch is programmatic: he surveys Israel's history from the patriarchs to David, announces that from David's descendants God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, and declares that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to everyone—quoting Psalm 2, Isaiah 55, and Habakkuk 1 to show that the resurrection fulfills the prophetic word. The Gentiles' joy at hearing the gospel and the Jews' jealousy and rejection establish the pattern that will repeat throughout Acts: the gospel is offered first to the Jews, and when rejected there, it advances to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:1

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers — the Spirit-filled leadership from which the first missionary movement will launch. Luke establishes Antioch as a vibrant, diverse community: Barnabas (a Levite from Cyprus), Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (a courtier of Herod), and Saul. This cosmopolitan assembly represents the Spirit's work in the Diaspora, where Hellenistic Jews and converts from varied backgrounds worship together. The listing of names emphasizes that apostolic mission does not rest on a single apostle but on the corporate gifting of the local church.

Acts 13:2

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said — the church's liturgical life becomes the venue for divine call. The Holy Spirit's voice interrupts their worship with a missional summons, mirroring the pattern of prophetic disruption throughout Scripture. The pairing of worship (latreuo) and fasting signals intense spiritual seeking, creating space for the Spirit's voice to be heard above institutional routine. This is not ecstatic prophecy but deliberate, specific direction: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Acts 13:3

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off — the church formally commissions the apostles through prayer, fasting, and the laying on of hands (epitithemi ton cheiron), a gesture linking Old Testament priestly ordination with New Testament apostolic sending. The corporate act ratifies what the Spirit has already initiated, grounding missionary work in congregational discernment rather than individual ambition. This establishes the principle that the local church is the sending body, not independent wanderers.

Acts 13:4

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus — Luke traces the journey from Antioch northwestward to the port of Seleucia, then west to Cyprus (Barnabas's homeland, 4:36). The formula sent on their way by the Holy Spirit (ekpempo hupo tou Pneumatos) emphasizes that human commissioning and divine empowerment work in concert. Cyprus as the first stop recalls Barnabas's connection while establishing the strategy of beginning in Jewish communities before expanding to Gentiles.

Acts 13:5

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues — the missionaries follow the established pattern: seek out the synagogue, the center of Jewish communal and spiritual life. Salamis, the major port city of Cyprus, would have had a substantial Jewish population. The plural synagogues suggests multiple communities where Paul and Barnabas find receptive audiences. John Mark's role as helper (hyperetes) recalls his function as an attendant, perhaps managing logistics or leading prayers.

Acts 13:6

They traveled through the entire island until they reached Paphos — the western tip of Cyprus, approximately 100 miles from Salamis, representing the geographical scope of their first-phase ministry. At Paphos they encounter Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer (goes magos) and false prophet. Luke's narrative structure moves from receptive synagogue audiences to opposition from a figure who traffics in divination and control rather than truth.

Acts 13:7

He was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence — the proconsul (anthypatos) represents Roman administrative authority and legitimate power. Sergius Paulus's intelligence (sunetos) suggests he seeks genuine understanding, making him spiritually sensitive despite his pagan station. Bar-Jesus's proximity to the proconsul indicates how sorcery positioned itself as a counselor to the powerful, offering mystical authority to political rulers.

Acts 13:8

Bar-Jesus opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith — the sorcerer's opposition stems from the threat Paul and Barnabas pose to his influence and livelihood. The verb to turn away (diastrepho) connotes not merely disagreement but active distortion, suggesting Bar-Jesus sought to corrupt the proconsul's understanding of Christian truth. This conflict represents the first major confrontation between apostolic witness and occult power, prefiguring the spiritual warfare motif.

Acts 13:9

Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas — Luke's naming shift from Saul to Paul marks a turning point: the apostle to the Gentiles emerges. The filling with the Holy Spirit (plethō tou Pneumatos) provides the spiritual resource for confrontation, not pride or personal vendetta. Elymas (the Aramaic name matching the Greek magos) now stands identified for judgment; Paul's gaze signifies apostolic authority in spiritual discernment.

Acts 13:10

You are a child of the devil and an enemy of all that is right — Paul's indictment echoes Jesus' words to the Pharisees (John 8:44), cutting to the spiritual genealogy rather than mere moral failure. Full of deceit and trickery (dolos kai pantourgias), Elymas represents the father of lies and his methods. The phrase enemy of all righteousness (echthros pasēs dikaiosynēs) places him in cosmic opposition to God's order, not merely human dissent.

Acts 13:11

Now the Lord's hand is against you. You are going to be blind, for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun — Paul pronounces judgment with apostolic authority (the Lord's hand is against you), striking blindness upon Elymas as a sign of spiritual judgment. The darkness that envelops the magician mirrors Paul's own experience of blindness at his conversion (9:8-9), suggesting that physical blindness may precede spiritual sight. This is the first miracle attributed to Paul in Acts, marking him as an instrument of God's justice.

Acts 13:12

When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord — Sergius Paulus's belief (episteusen) follows witnessing the judgment upon Elymas, demonstrating that apostolic sign-working serves to authenticate the message. His amazement (existēmi, to be astonished) at the teaching (didachē) indicates that the doctrine itself, now confirmed by divine action, persuades him. This is Luke's first recorded conversion of a Roman official, foreshadowing the eventual reach of the gospel into the empire's governing structures.

Acts 13:13

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem — the journey now turns northeastward across the Mediterranean to the mainland. Perga's location in Pamphylia (southern coast of Asia Minor) places the missionaries at a significant crossroads. John Mark's departure here becomes the source of tension later (15:37-39); Luke offers no explanation, leaving readers to wonder if fear, homesickness, or theological disagreement motivated his return.

Acts 13:14

From Perga they went up to Pisidian Antioch — the missionaries travel inland northward to Antioch in Pisidia, approximately 100 miles from the coast. The elevation and terrain make this an arduous journey, yet Paul presses toward Jewish communities. Pisidian Antioch was a significant Roman city with a Jewish population, making it a natural hub for missionary strategy.

Acts 13:15

On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down — the familiar Jewish setting provides the context for Paul's longest recorded sermon. The sitting posture (kathizō) was typical for a teacher preparing to address the assembly. Luke's narrative rhythm slows here, signaling the theological significance of what follows.

Acts 13:16

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders asked them, 'Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement (paraklēsis) for the people, please speak' — the synagogue service followed its standard pattern: Torah reading, Haftarah (Prophets), then invitation for commentary. The phrase word of encouragement (logos paraklēseōs) is ironic: they invite exhortation but will receive proclamation of Jesus as Messiah. Paul's response transforms this invitation into a apostolic teaching moment.

Acts 13:17

The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in Egypt — Paul begins his sermon grounding Christian history in Israel's covenantal narrative. The emphasis on God's choice (haireomai) echoes Deuteronomic theology, establishing that what follows is continuous with God's redemptive story, not a replacement. By saying our ancestors, Paul positions himself and his Jewish hearers within the salvation-historical continuum.

Acts 13:18

For about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness — the forty years in the desert represents God's patience (anechomai, to bear with) despite Israel's unfaithfulness. Paul's reference mirrors Psalm 95 and Numbers 14, invoking the wilderness period as a canonical memory of God's sustained care even amid rebellion. The forty-year figure becomes a type for testing and preparation before entering the promised land.

Acts 13:19

He overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance — Paul summarizes the conquest narratives (Joshua), emphasizing God's gift (doreomai) of the land as inheritance. The seven nations represent the pagan opposition cleared by divine action, establishing the principle that God's purpose for his people supersedes human resistance. This scriptural review anchors Christian claims in proven divine action.

Acts 13:20

All this took about four hundred and fifty years — Paul collapses the period from Joshua through the judges into a summary figure (cf. 1 Kings 6:1), using numerical symbolism common in Jewish homiletics. The round number emphasizes the vastness of God's patience and provision rather than precise chronology.

Acts 13:21

Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years — the turn to the monarchy introduces a shift in God's governance (1 Samuel 8-10). Paul's naming of Saul parallels his own pre-conversion identity, perhaps intentionally recalling his former self under the shadow of the old kingdom. The forty-year reign (debated by scholars; most texts indicate forty is formulaic) represents another season of God's patience.

Acts 13:22

After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart' — the transition from Saul to David (1 Samuel 16) marks God's election of a king aligned with the divine heart (kardia). The quotation (Psalm 89:20; 1 Samuel 13:14) emphasizes that David's kingship rests on God's initiative and David's spiritual consonance with God's will, not military prowess alone.

Acts 13:23

From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised — the promise (epaggelia) of a Davidic deliverer moves from the historical dynasty to its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. From this man's descendants (ek tou spermatos, from his seed) connects Jesus genealogically to David, grounding messianic claims in the dynastic promise (2 Samuel 7). The term Savior (sōtēr) applies to Jesus titles previously belonging to God, establishing his identity as God's saving action in person.

Acts 13:24

Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel — John the Baptist (3:24; Luke 1:76) serves as forerunner and herald, preparing Israel through the baptism of repentance (metanoia, turning around). John's ministry inaugurates the gospel age, removing the barriers of ceremonial Judaism to make way for faith in Jesus.

Acts 13:25

As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are looking for. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie' — John's self-effacing testimony (John 1:26-27) clarifies the hierarchy of redemptive roles. The sandal-loosing image, a servant's task, emphasizes John's absolute subordination to the coming one, making him a model of humble witness.

Acts 13:26

Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles — Paul addresses both Jews (children of Abraham, tekna Abraam) and Gentile proselytes/God-fearers (sebomenoi ton Theon), indicating a mixed congregation. This dual address prefigures the letter's ultimate theme: the gospel transcends Jewish identity.

Acts 13:27

The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath — Paul shifts from promise to rejection, from David to the crucifixion. The Jerusalem leadership's failure to recognize (ginōskō) Jesus despite their knowledge of Scripture reveals spiritual blindness despite textual familiarity. Yet even this rejection fulfills prophecy (pleōo, to fill), suggesting divine sovereignty overrides human resistance.

Acts 13:28

Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed — the Roman trial narrative is compressed here to emphasize the Jerusalem council's agency in seeking Jesus' death, while acknowledging Pilate's formal role. The phrase no proper ground (aitia thanatou) highlights the injustice of the crucifixion, even as Luke notes the fulfillment of God's purpose.

Acts 13:29

When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb — the burial narrative recalls the prophetic type of Jonah (Matthew 12:40) and Isaiah 53:9 (burial with the rich). The phrase all that was written (panta ta gegrammenā) emphasizes Scripture's comprehensiveness in foretelling redemption's events.

Acts 13:30

But God raised him from the dead — the resurrection (anistēmi) stands as God's reversal of human judgment, the pivotal moment in Paul's kerygma. After dwelling on the cross's shame and injustice, Paul now announces divine vindication, establishing resurrection as the foundation of Christian hope.

Acts 13:31

For a number of days he was seen by those of us who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people — the appearance tradition grounds resurrection claims in eyewitness testimony. Paul's phrase those of us who had come up with him creates a sense of corporate testimony; the witnesses are not isolated individuals but a group validated by their proximity to Jesus during ministry.

Acts 13:32

We tell you the good news: What God promised to our ancestors — the proclamation (eusangelizō, to announce good news) now shifts to the forward-looking fulfillment in Jesus. The promise (epaggelia) has moved from David's dynasty to resurrection-vindication, connecting Old and New covenants.

Acts 13:33

he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father' — Psalm 2:7 receives a christological reading: the Davidic psalm's You are my Son applies to Jesus' resurrection, not his birth or anointing. The word raised up (anistēmi) carries double resonance—both biological resurrection and exaltation. Luke's hermeneutic reads the psalm's today as the resurrection moment when God publicly acknowledges Jesus as son.

Acts 13:34

The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated thus: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David' — Isaiah 55:3 is quoted to establish that Jesus fulfills the Davidic covenant (diathēkē). The phrase never to decay (to diaphthorēn) emphasizes resurrection's permanence, contrasting Jesus' imperishability with David's mortal remains, grounding eternal hope in the risen Christ.

Acts 13:35

So it is also stated elsewhere: 'You will not let your holy one see decay' — Psalm 16:10 is applied to Jesus, a text suggesting that the righteous one does not experience corruption in death. Paul's hermeneutic assumes a double reference: the psalm applies typologically to David's descendant (Jesus) in a way that transcends David's own mortality.

Acts 13:36

'Now when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed — the contrast between David (who died and decayed) and Jesus (who rose and did not decay) establishes Jesus as the fulfillment of what the Davidic psalm prefigured. The phrase served God's purpose (hypēretaō tēi tou Theou boulēi) dignifies David's reign even as Paul marks its temporal limit.

Acts 13:37

But the one whom God raised up did not see decay — the return to Jesus after the David contrast emphasizes the uniqueness of the resurrection, making Jesus' imperishability the sign of his messianic status and exaltation.

Acts 13:38

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you — the therefore (dio) marks the sermon's application: the scriptural logic of resurrection leads to soteriological benefit. Forgiveness of sins (aphesis hamartiōn) is the gospel's core promise, offered universally to all who believe. The term proclaimed (katangelō) suggests this is not a whispered secret but a public, official announcement.

Acts 13:39

Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a righteousness that you could not obtain under the law of Moses — the dichotomy between faith-righteousness and law-righteousness echoes Pauline theology throughout Romans and Galatians. Set free (dikaiōō, to justify, to acquit) indicates judicial vindication before God, impossible under the law because the law diagnoses sin without providing remedy. The comprehensive phrase every sin and everyone who believes extends justification beyond Jewish boundaries.

Acts 13:40

Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you — Paul concludes with a warning formula (horate, look out, beware) recalling prophetic judgment passages. The rhetorical move parallels Old Testament prophetic warnings to presumptuous listeners who hear God's word but reject it.

Acts 13:41

'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you' — Habakkuk 1:5 (LXX) is applied as an eschatological warning, threatening those who reject the proclaimed salvation. The quotation emphasizes God's astonishing work in raising Jesus—a deed so extraordinary that skeptics cannot fathom it even in explanation.

Acts 13:42

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath — the positive response to Paul's sermon promises future engagement, indicating receptivity among some hearers. The return invitation suggests the sermon provoked genuine theological interest rather than mere polite attention.

Acts 13:43

When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God — the term devout converts (sebomenoi, God-fearers) indicates Gentile sympathizers with Judaism who now respond to Christian proclamation. Paul's encouragement to perseverance in God's grace (epimeno tēi chariti tou Theou) emphasizes that continued faith depends on grace, not works.

Acts 13:44

On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord — the unprecedented turnout (schedon pasa he polis) suggests the apostles' reputation spread rapidly through Antioch, drawing both Jews and curious Gentiles. The phrase word of the Lord (logos kyriou) emphasizes the authoritative divine utterance, not merely human opinion.

Acts 13:45

When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him — jealousy (zēlos) reveals the apostles' competitive threat to established Jewish authority in the city. The transition from welcome to hostility illustrates the pattern of Jewish rejection that will recur throughout Acts: initial openness yields to institutional opposition when Christian claims appear to undermine Jewish prestige.

Acts 13:46

Then Paul and Barnabas answered boldly: 'We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles — the turning point formula (now we turn to the Gentiles) marks a crucial shift in missional strategy and fulfills Isaiah 49:6 (a light to the Gentiles). Paul invokes divine necessity (edei, it was necessary) and the Jews' self-judgment (ouk axios, not worthy) to justify the pivotal move. This does not inaugurate gentile mission (already present in Acts 10) but rather formalizes the pattern of proclaiming to Jews first, then turning to Gentile receptivity when Jewish resistance hardens.

Acts 13:47

'For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth' — Isaiah 49:6 (LXX) underwrites the gentile mission as prophetically ordained, not accidental. The term light (phōs) recalls creation's first light and Isaiah's servant imagery, positioning the apostles in continuity with Scripture's redemptive vision. Salvation to the ends of the earth (sōtēria heōs eschaton tēs gēs) envisages a cosmic scope transcending Jewish ethnic boundaries.

Acts 13:48

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed — the Gentiles' joy (chairo) and honor of the word contrast with Jewish rejection, illustrating the reversal theme. The phrase appointed for eternal life (tasso epi zōēn aiōnion) raises the question of divine election: those whose names were written in the book of life (using Lukan language consistent with divine foreknowledge) embrace faith, suggesting that reception of the gospel flows from prior divine inclination.

Acts 13:49

The word of the Lord spread through the whole region — Luke notes the gospel's geographic expansion as a natural consequence of the proclamation, anticipating the second journey and the mission's ripple effects across Asia Minor.

Acts 13:50

But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region — the Jewish antagonists employ social manipulation, appealing to Gentile women of prominence and city officials to oust the missionaries. This strategy weaponizes Paul's own success: the respectability converts he attracted become political pawns. The expulsion (ekballo) parallels Jesus' treatment in his hometown (Luke 4:29), establishing a christological pattern of rejection.

Acts 13:51

So they shook the dust off their feet as a sign of protest against them and went to Iconium — the dust-shaking gesture (ektinasso choun) follows Jesus' instruction (Luke 9:5) and marks prophetic disassociation from those who reject the gospel. Far from being a timid retreat, it is a symbolic judgment: the missionaries declare the city covenant-breakers, forfeiting Israel's privilege.

Acts 13:52

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit — despite expulsion and hostility, the nascent community experiences joy (chara) and Spirit-filling (plethō tou Pneumatos), suggesting that persecution does not diminish spiritual vitality but rather intensifies it. This internal experience of joy amid external hardship establishes a leitmotif: the gospel community's resilience does not depend on social acceptance.