Paul in Acts: Antioch in Pisidia

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Jason

[For context, read Acts 13:13-52]

Having preached the gospel across the island of Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas set out for Perga in Pamphylia. At this point, for unspecified reasons, John Mark leaves the group and returns to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). This seemingly minor detail will be important later, as it will lead to a major rift between Paul and Barnabas. From Perga, the missionary effort focuses on Antioch in Pisidia.

This section is notable because it gives us a glimpse of Paul’s sermon content. Luke offers details that read like the account of an eyewitness. For example, he notes that Paul motions with his hands as he speaks (13:16). We might be reading too much into this, but this leads many scholars to believe that Luke joined with the missionary team at some point prior to this moment.

Paul’s sermon demonstrates his adept ability to interpret the Old Testament scriptures with an eye toward the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah. Preaching in the synagogue, Paul begins with God, with the story of Israel in the Exodus. That’s interesting. I might think he would begin with Abraham, the one who was justified by faith hundreds of years before the Law of Moses. But Paul begins with the Exodus, with slavery. From the exodus through the judges to the period of the kings, Paul deftly narrates Hebrew history as a movement from slavery to exalted status to yet another form of slavery. But the promise is that there is a King who emerges, One who follows in the footsteps of David as “a man after God’s own heart.” David is a proxy, a placeholder in our minds until this King — the True King — arrives.

And this is Paul’s bold thesis: Acts 13:23, Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.

With this, Paul finally mentions Abraham (13:26). God’s message of salvation has come to Abraham’s family, even though the leaders in Jerusalem could not recognize Him, nor the words of the prophets about Him. Another interesting detail: when Paul mentions the death of Jesus, he doesn’t say anything about the forgiveness of sin. This point will come out clearly in his later writings, but that doesn’t seem to be the focus of this particular sermon; Paul only mentions it briefly in v38. Instead, Paul stresses the faithfulness of God. In Jesus, God is doing what He had always promised to do, that which was always promised in texts like Psalm 2, Isaiah 55, and Psalm 16 (Paul’s references here).

13:38-39 shows why Paul begins his sermon with Exodus instead of Abraham: “Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Jesus liberates us, leading a New Exodus. This is what the original Exodus had been pointing toward all along.

Jesus is greater than David by the testimony of the resurrection. For all his greatness, David’s death ends in decay. By point of contrast, Christ’s death ends in glorious resurrection. How much greater, then, is the Kingdom of the One who defeated death? How much greater the One who frees us from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (13:39)! Justification through faith in Christ is at the heart of this early gospel proclamation.

Paul closes with a warning: don’t be like those scoffers in the day of Habakkuk who would not believe what God was doing even if someone explained it to them!

Jesus is the focal point of Paul’s preaching because Jesus is also the demonstration of God’s covenant faithfulness throughout the story.

When some of the Jews begin refuting their message the next week, Paul and Barnabas take up the charge given to Israel in Isaiah 49:6 to be a light to the Gentiles. And the Gentiles receive this word joyfully, understanding this to be the way to eternal life. But the Jews are hellbent on driving Paul and Barnabas away. In the words of Jesus, Paul and Barnabas simply shake the dust off their feet and move on.

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Paul in Acts: Cyprus, Part Two

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Jason

According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a native of Cyprus. He and Paul arrive in Salamis, formerly the capital, on the eastern coast. Here they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue, which is consistent with the earlier missionary activity described in 11:19. Perhaps the earlier evangelists to Cyprus had been to other areas on the island, prompting Paul and Barnabas to choose Salamis as the next logical and strategic location for this work. Going to the Jewish synagogue prefigures what Paul will practice throughout Acts and his teaching in Romans 1:16 that salvation is to the Jews first.

John Mark is mentioned by name in 13:5. Having come to Antioch with them from Jerusalem (12:25), he is now on hand to assist Paul and Barnabas in their work. Some scholars have surmised that John Mark gives eyewitness testimony to certain gospel events that neither Paul nor Barnabas could supply, thus “helping” in the proclamation of the gospel. This may be true, but the general sense of the term “helper” is probably the best understanding. John Mark helped Paul and Barnabas in a number of ways, in all likelihood.

Salamis is large enough to have multiple Jewish synagogues throughout the city. From here, the team traverses across the breadth of the island, eventually arriving at Paphos in the west, the new capital city. Here they are opposed by Bar-Jesus who is also known as Elymas, a Jewish false prophet and magician. This is at once striking, given the condemnation of sorcery and occult practices in Deuteronomy 18:10, 2 Kings 17:17, Jeremiah 27:9, Ezekiel 12:24. With the Aramaic name “Bar-Jesus” (son of Joshua / Jesus), he appears as a dark alternative to the true Savior. He attends to the proconsul as a court astrologer / magician.

And yet, the proconsul is intrigued by the gospel message. Luke emphasizes that he was an intelligent man, which indicates that the efficacy of the gospel goes far beyond tent revival emotionalism. No, the Good News here is presented as a reasonable, rational message with a coherent worldview. The implication here is that this Good News also undercuts the dark power of the occult as characterized by Bar-Jesus. Feeling threatened, this shadowy figure tries to use his influence to dissuade the proconsul from believing.

The Greek word here for “magician” is magos, the same word to describe Simon of Samaria in Acts 8:9. Just as Simon Peter confronts this dark magic in Samaria, so does Paul confront it in Cyprus.

And this is where we see more of Paul’s trademark zeal. He denounces the magician as a child of the devil rather than a son / follower of Jesus as his name would indicate. Paul calls down divine judgment upon him in the form of temporary blindness. And there is no irony here. Paul understands better than anyone that the darkening of the eyes can lead the mind and soul to be restored to the light.

When it says that Elymas stumbles about seeking someone to lead him by the hand (Acts 13:11), we are reminded of Paul (Saul) in a similar condition on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:8). Does Elymas — like Paul before him — conclude that Jesus is the true Messiah? Does he abandon his devotion to the dark arts and live up to his namesake by becoming a follower of Jesus? We’re left to wonder; the text doesn’t say.

Whereas the fate of Elymas remains a mystery, Luke would have his readers know this: the proconsul believed the Good News about Jesus (Acts 13:12).

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Paul in Acts: Cyprus

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Jason

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Acts 13:4-12

Barnabas and Saul were sent by the Holy Spirit – Luke makes this quite clear.

What might the Holy Spirit be sending me to do? I think this is one of the important questions we should ask ourselves as we read Acts.

Their strategy is also clear: they will go to the synagogues to proclaim the word of God. Why? The simple answer is that their fellow Jews have the context for understanding Jesus as the fulfillment of the Messianic promises of the scriptures. Paul and Barnabas leveraged their training as interpreters of the Hebrew scriptures — as well as their own unique giftings through the Spirit — to show that Jesus was God’s long-awaited Anointed One.

But just because we are sent by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean we will be unopposed. Paul and Barnabas face a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. The fact that he dabbles in such dark arts immediately puts him in conflict with Torah and earns him the reputation as one who is “false.” At a narrative level, we note some striking parallels between Saul and the other dominant figure in the book of Acts, Simon Peter. Just as Simon Peter opposed the magician in Acts 8, here Paul faces the same challenge.

Paul’s speech to Elymas Bar-Jesus is indeed a bold one: “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness…” The name Bar-Jesus indicates that this false prophet is literally the son of one named “Jesus” (Yeshua in Hebrew, a common name among the Jews). But in this case, the name provides a contrast to the reality. Rather than being a son of the TRUE Jesus, Elymas is called “son of the devil.” Paul may have seen the light of Christ’s grace, but he is still a man of great zeal.

We might also see a bit of a parallel with Paulus, the proconsul who is referenced as a man of great intelligence. Our Apostle will also be revealed to be a man of striking intellect, and yet he will not be regarded with esteem moving forward. Indeed, as the story progresses, we will find Paul in chains, suffering greatly for responding to the call of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, he will see all of this through the eyes of faith, saying what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ (Phil. 1:12-13).

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Paul in Acts: Set Apart

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Jason

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13:1-3

In addition to being led by faithful elders as mentioned in Acts 11:30, the church at Antioch was guided by a cadre of prophets and teachers. And in the midst of a time of worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit speaks to this dynamic congregation of believers.

Luke writes this as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Reading this today, I don’t know what impresses me more: the fact that the Holy Spirit spoke to these believers or the fact that they were able to hear His voice. No doubt their fasting and worship created conditions more conducive to discerning the Spirit’s voice.

The Holy Spirit speaks!

The voice of the eternal God!

How incredible!

And the Spirit directs the church there to set apart Barnabas and Saul. It seems that the Spirit has something else planned for these two. One scholar writes, “It is perhaps worth noticing that the two men who were to be released for what would nowadays be called missionary service overseas were the two most eminent and gifted leaders in the church.” Simeon, Lucius, and Manaean will continue to feed and nurture the flock in Antioch. But this is one of those Kingdom moves of multiplication through division.

How do we listen to the Holy Spirit in our assemblies today?

Is this limited to those with special gifts of prophecy?

Or is this something available to all believers?

It’s worth noting that fasting is mentioned twice here in this passage. Might this be one of the ways for us to hear the Spirit’s voice?

The rest of the narrative is impacted by this activity of the Spirit. Needless to say, Paul’s life was never the same after this commissioning. He readily steps into the adventure to which the Spirit calls him.

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Paul in Acts: Relief for the Saints

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Jason

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 11:27-30

Yet again, we see that adversity becomes an opportunity for acts of cruciformity. In 11:19, the scattering led to gospel proclamation elsewhere; the Kingdom grows. Here, the believers in Antioch determine to send relief to their brethren in Judea, entrusting the transport of these funds to Barnabas and Saul. The root word for “relief” here is diakonos, “service.” Brothers and sisters in Christ serve one another when there is a need.

The reign of Claudius was marked by a long series of crop failures throughout the empire, including Judea. The famine there seems to have coincided with the procuratorship of Tiberius Alexander (AD 46-48). Egyptian records speak of a major famine there in AD 45-46, which helps us date the events of Acts 11 to approximately AD 46. Note the early mention of elders in the life of the church here. Within a few years of the church’s founding, we see Antioch under the leadership of a plurality of elders (presbyteros), a governance model that still holds.

This must have been a formative experience for Paul, for the relief for the saints in Jerusalem will never be far from his heart. The epistles are full of references to this same work years later.

The story is interrupted by a final episode involving Simon Peter. But then Luke returns to the thread of Paul and Barnabas, noting at Acts 12:25 that they returned from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them. Were they in Jerusalem when Herod killed James and arrested Simon Peter? Did they join in the prayer meeting described in Acts 12:5? Were they at Mary’s place when Rhoda heard Peter at the door?

It’s possible.

All we know for sure is that Paul and Barnabas made it to Jerusalem to deliver the financial gift. And they connected with John Mark while they served there.

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FHU 2025 vs. Loyola

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Jason

Second career collegiate outing for Joshua.

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Paul in Acts: A Holy Opportunity

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Jason

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Acts 11:19-26

Prior to Stephen’s death in Acts 7, the followers of Jesus were primarily concentrated in Jerusalem. But after his death, many of these believers fled in fear, going to different places throughout the Roman Empire. At first, that might have seemed like a bad thing. And the persecution that arose was a nightmare, without a doubt. But in the hands of our God, even tragedy can become a holy opportunity leading to something redemptive. Because in this great scattering, these believers take the gospel message to all of these new places and people.

Luke tells us about how this played out in Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman Empire at the time. Antioch had an estimated population north of 500,000 and it was notorious as a place of immorality and emperor worship. You wouldn’t expect a religious revival to break out in Antioch. But this just goes to show that if the gospel can change lives in a place like Antioch, it can change lives anywhere in the world. And we’ve seen this now for two thousand years.

There was a large Jewish population in Antioch and soon the believers were sharing the good news about Israel’s Messiah with them. But they didn’t stop there. They also had an opportunity to tell their non-Jewish neighbors about Christ — and that’s exactly what some of them did.

Acts 11:19-20 is the first biblical account we have of evangelism being done by someone other than the apostles and the prophets of the early church. As you read through Acts, the previous examples of evangelism come from leaders like Simon Peter or Stephen or Phillip. But here, in Antioch of all places, these believers don’t have any of these titles or prestige. These are just men and women who believe in Jesus and when the opportunity presents itself, they step up and use their gifts for the sake of the Kingdom — because the work of bearing witness to the lordship of Jesus falls to each believer.

And Luke summarizes this work succinctly in verse 21, noting that the hand of the Lord was with them.

When you step forward to seize a holy opportunity, you can be confident that the hand of the Lord will be with you. I hope that gives you confidence as you consider some of the holy opportunities for you to use your particular spiritual gifts: when you take a risk and start up that spiritual conversation with your friend; when you sign up to serve in a way that is far outside of your comfort zone; when you give sacrificially — giving until it hurts — for the sake of the Kingdom. When you do these things, you can be sure that the hand of the Lord will be with you, just as He was with our earliest brothers and sisters in Christ.

So you have a situation in Antioch where some Gentiles have turned to the Lord. When the Jerusalem church hears about this, they send Barnabas to Antioch. As we noted in our previous post, Barnabas was a Levite whose given name was Joseph (Acts 4:36-37), but the apostles had taken to calling him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” This same word is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe the Holy Spirit as an encourager, an advocate, a helper. And Barnabas is hailed as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 11:24). This Greek root word is also connected to the word “calling,” which is fitting because there’s a sense in which this kind of godly encouragement helps us to discover our calling.

Acts 11:23 says that when he arrived in Antioch, Barnabas “exhorted” the believers. We might miss this in our English translations, but “exhort” is once again the same word translated elsewhere as “encourage.” When the son of encouragement arrives, he encourages the people. He uses his gift to bless others. And many people come to the Lord as a result.

But this godly encouragement creates yet another holy opportunity. The believers in Antioch begin to ask, “How are we going to disciple these new Gentile believers?” At this point, Barnabas departs and heads off to Tarsus to retrieve Paul in Acts 11:25. Why?

The answer is found in the story of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. As we have already noted, Barnabas played a key role in Paul being accepted by the brethren in Jerusalem. After Barnabas vouches for him before the apostles, Paul is given permission to continue the same bold preaching ministry he began in Damascus.

So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.

Acts 9:28-29

Note that a primary focus of Paul’s ministry in Jerusalem was to dispute the worldview of the Hellenists. In Acts 9, these Hellenists were likely Greek-speaking and Greek-thinking Jews. Paul, well steeped in Israel’s scriptures and zealous for his new Lord Jesus, steps into the fray and boldly confronts some of the erroneous aspects of this prevailing worldview. Of course, the Jewish powers in Jerusalem seek to have Paul killed — which will become a prevailing theme in Luke’s record of Paul’s ministry. But now, possibly as many as ten years later, as the disciples in Antioch are wondering how to disciple the Gentile Hellenist converts in their midst, Barnabas remembers Paul and his skillful handling of the scriptures.

Barnabas goes to Tarsus because he sees this as a holy opportunity for someone like Paul to use his gifts. Barnabas knows that Paul has a tremendous mind and that he’s a bold preacher. He knows Paul won’t back down when he’s confronted with some of the prevailing worldviews of the Greek world. He is perfectly suited to help disciple these Hellenists in the way of Jesus — that assignment seems tailor-made for someone like Paul. So Barnabas goes to recruit his old friend to help with this work.

And this holy opportunity launches Paul into a world of ministry and service.

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Paul in Acts: Boldness

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Jason

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Acts 9:20

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

Acts 9:27-28

Boldness is one of the hallmarks of the disciples of Christ as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts. When the opportunity arises for Simon Peter to preach repentance — first on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), then in Solomon’s Portico (Acts 3) — he steps forward with Spirit-filled boldness. As opposition to the Christian message mounts, the disciples pray, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,” (Acts 4:29). After being imprisoned and interrogated by the high priest, Peter and the apostles refuse to mute their gospel proclamation, saying, “We must obey God rather than men,” (Acts 5:29). And Stephen, surely sensing the malevolent desires of the crowd, continues to preach boldly in the name of Christ right up to the last.

Luke is signaling to the reader that Paul’s conversion and subsequent baptism and reception of the Spirit have empowered him to participate in bold gospel proclamation alongside the other apostles.

What might that same boldness look like in our day?

In Acts 9:27-28, Paul’s preaching is carried out “in the name of Jesus.” Given that the leaders in Jerusalem were responsible for executing Jesus, to preach His crucifixion and resurrection would indeed require unfathomable boldness. Not only would the message of the cross be an indictment on these leaders — especially given the “kangaroo court” nature of the sham trial the Sanhedrin carried out against Jesus in the middle of the night — but more importantly, the message of His resurrection vindicated Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:20). This would stand as an act of judgment by God against Jerusalem’s leaders, calling into question their standing as trusted interpreters of God’s Word and “the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3).

The picture of Paul that emerges in these early chapters is of a bold and zealous man, fearless and argumentative and uncompromising in his convictions. Paul is not a man of half measures. His commitments define him. He declares the name of the Lord with as much passionate intensity as he possessed when he carried out death threats against His followers. This doesn’t always play well, particularly among the Jewish traditionalists; twice in a span of six verses (Acts 9:24-29) these opponents try to kill Paul. What was it about him that rubbed people the wrong way? Clearly it is this mixture of zeal and boldness, combined with the conviction that Israel’s Messiah was a crucified and resurrected Nazarene.

After his dispute with the Hellenists in Jerusalem (Acts 9:29), the disciples sneak him out of town, first to Caesarea and then back home to Tarsus. And this is where Luke will park Paul for the next few chapters. He must tell the all important story of Cornelius, which involves Simon Peter once more. But on the heels of this monumental event, Luke will return to the story of Paul. Scholars speculate that as many as ten years could have passed between the events of Acts 9 and the events of Acts 11. What was Paul doing in these critical years?

Well, if Acts 9 is any indication, I’m sure he was about the work of teaching and preaching, boldly arguing from the Hebrew scriptures that God had always intended for His anointed one to die an atoning death for sin, ruffling feathers with his zealous proclamation in the name of Jesus, the Son of God.

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College Pitcher

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Jason

Last night was a big night for this young man. Joshua has dreamed of playing college baseball for a long, long time. And last night, this dream became a reality.

From the very beginning, Joshua was obsessed with baseball. I’m thinking he was probably around two years old when we started rolling the ball back and forth on the living room floor. Sunny didn’t love it when he would pick up the ball and throw it overhand in the house — and we’ve had plenty of bruises and broken glass along the way. But I can remember holding my breath when I saw that he kept throwing with his left hand. And that’s where it all started.

I’m not setting out to write a sappy retrospective on how much this game has meant to him — and to me. But on a night like last night, you can’t help but look back. I thought of all the coaches he’s had along the way, men who have believed in him and poured into him and challenged him to be better, as a player and as a young man. And my heart was filled with gratitude for them. I also couldn’t help but think about all the hard work that’s gone into this — the countless hours of throwing and running and throwing some more. The long tossing. The videos about pitch grips. The hundreds of times he’d say, “Dad, do you want to throw?”

I guess this is getting sappy despite my best efforts.

All of this to say, I’m proud of Joshua. People say stuff like, “It’s just a game.” And to you, maybe. But not to him. Not to me. He’s poured too much of himself into this game for us to say, “It’s just a game.” This game has been one of the greatest teachers in his life. It’s hard and it’ll test your mental fortitude in unique ways. But I’m proud to say that Joshua has learned these lessons — and he’s still standing.

And the game isn’t through with him yet.

That day will come — it always does.

But not today.

Last night, his dream became reality: a clean inning of relief with one strikeout and two ground outs on 12 pitches. Also of note, he set new velocity PRs (personal records) on his fastball and slider.

And just like that, he’s a college pitcher.

Here he is coming out of the bullpen for the first time:

This is the first batter he faced and his first collegiate strikeout:

Filthy slider:

And a great play by his shortstop to end the inning:

He wore #32 in middle school and high school. Might take me a while to get used to seeing #33 instead!

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How Is This Comfortable?

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Jason
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