Atos 13
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 13
Guzik notes that "Only a few months after this Paul, wrote a letter to these churches in Galatia, dealing with these same themes of being justified by God’s grace, and not by keeping the law." (Acts 13 Commentary) Related Resources: Why is justification by faith such an important doctrine? What is justification? What does it mean to be justified? How do God’s mercy and justice work together in salvation? What is righteousness? Spurgeon's Morning and Evening - "All that believe are justified."— Acts 13:39 The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified now?-so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melodious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol's vine which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now-even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of his people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus. Acts 13:39 “I’m Justified!” By Henry G. Bosch By Him everyone who believes is justified from all things. —Acts 13:39 One day Bible teacher and evangelist R. A. Torrey spoke with a woman who lacked assurance that her sins were forgiven. He told her to read aloud Acts 13:39, “By Him everyone who believes is justified from all things.” Then Torrey inquired, “Who does God say is justified?” “Everyone who believes,” she replied. “Believe on whom?” he asked. “Believe on Christ,” she said. “Have you accepted Him as your Savior and Lord?” asked Torrey. “Yes,” replied the woman. “Then what does this verse promise?” he prodded. The doubting woman could not say, “I’m justified from all things.” So Torrey went over that Scripture again and again. At last the simple meaning of the words dawned on her. “Praise God!” she exclaimed. “I’m justified from all things!” She finally experienced the peace that comes from knowing complete forgiveness. Self-effort, religious ritual, or agonizing prayer cannot take away sin. But when we trust in Christ for salvation, we are justified—declared righteous by God. Then, as we lose our burden of guilt and experience total justification, we will have real peace. Acts 13:40 "Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: KJV Acts 13:40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; Therefore take heed Malachi 3:2; 4:1; Matthew 3:9-12; Hebrews 2:3; 3:12; 12:25 spoken of in the Prophets Isaiah 29:14; Habakkuk 1:5 Acts 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A SOLEMN WARNING This is the third and concluding section of Paul's sermon which closes with a Solemn Warning (Acts 13:40-41). Obviously the Gospel is good news to all who believe, but it is "bad news," very bad news to all who reject it! As Jack Arnold says "A basic part of proclaiming the gospel is to warn men of the certain judgment to come if one does not have a Savior. We have not really preached a full gospel until we have preached judgment." (Paul's First Recorded Sermon) Therefore - Term of conclusion. The offer of forgiveness of sins and justification calls for a "conclusion," or more specifically in this case a decision to either accept or reject. And so Paul issues a sobering warning to his listeners. Ger - Therefore, since Jesus is superior to and more powerful than the Torah, Paul encouraged the congregation to adjust their life perspectives accordingly. Take heed (991)(blepo) primarily refers to the sense of sight and thus means to see or to look at. In this passage blepo speaks of directing one's attention to something, and so to watch out, see to it or beware. In English beware means to be on one's guard; to be cautious or wary about; to be alert to. The present imperative is a command by Paul calling for his hearers keep on taking heed. They would be wise to not let what he has just explained go in one ear and out the other! Psalm 2 warned against rejecting the Good News of Jesus... Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (Ps 2:12) So that - Term of purpose. Paul gives the purpose the hearers need to take heed. The thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you - Paul does not quote a specific prophet. One prophet to whom he could have been referring is the prophet Malachi who gave strong warnings related to the coming Messiah. Malachi 3:1-2 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant (MESSIAH), in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His (MESSIAH'S) coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. Malachi 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” Acts 13:41 'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'" KJV Acts 13:41 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. You scoffers Proverbs 1:24-32; 5:12; Isaiah 5:24; 28:14-22; Luke 16:14; 23:35; Hebrews 10:28-30 For I am accomplishing Acts 13:47; 3:23; 6:14; 22:21; Isa 65:15; Dal 9:26,27; Mt 8:10,11; 21:41-44; Mt 22:7-10; 23:34-38; Lk 19:42-44; 21:20-26; Ro 11:7-14; Eph 3:3-8; Col 1:26,27; 1 Th 2:16; 1 Pe 4:17 Acts 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries HABAKKUK'S WARNING OF IMPENDING JUDGMENT Paul recalled a passage he had memorized from Habakkuk which was a warning to Judah of old that judgment was coming. He applies this warning to the Jews (and the Gentiles) in his day. The point is that if God judged Judah, He will also judge those who refuse and reject His offer of forgiveness through the work of Jesus. Ray Stedman on you will never believe - That is the incredibility of the gospel. I do not think those words were spoken in sharpness; I think they were spoken in sadness. The apostle is saying here that when you hear this incredible word of grace -- that God has found a way to love you, and love you unqualifiedly, by virtue of nothing that you have done, but by what Christ has done for you -- that is a moment of crisis in your life. You can either accept it and live in the glory of that love, or you can reject it and turn away. But, if you reject it and turn away, you will find yourself tremendously in danger: You are in danger of destroying yourself, and of being destroyed, because only God's love can rescue man! ILLUSTRATION - This was sharply underlined for me a few years ago. Sitting in my study one weekday morning I suddenly heard, out here in the auditorium, a woman's voice shouting and crying out. I came out to see what was wrong. I found a young married woman whom I recognized, for she had been in my study just a week before, walking up and down in front of our cross here. She was looking up at the cross and crying, "Yes, there is a God; yes, there is a God, and he will forgive me -- I know he will! I know he will!" She was in torment of spirit. I did not know what to make of it for a moment. I listened to her, and then I moved to speak to her. When she saw me she just crumpled and fell on her face to the floor. I picked her up and helped her to a pew, and we talked together. She told me what had happened. The previous week she had told me that, though she was married and though she professed to be a Christian, she was having an affair with an older man. She had justified it, thinking it was something that would contribute to her happiness. I had tried to help her gently and patiently and lovingly. I did not condemn her, but I tried to help her see what she was doing to herself. Then, this day, the man had called her and told her he was through. It shattered her, and she came, crushed with guilt, trying to find release. Suddenly it dawned on her what she had done to her family, what she had done to her husband, what she had done to herself, how she had hurt everyone. She came trying to find forgiveness, crying out to God. But I could see as I talked with her that she did not really believe the forgiveness that was offered. I went through the Scriptures with her, but she refused to accept it. She felt that somehow she must do something, she must atone. She would not believe what God had said -- that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, that he would freely forgive and wash it all away, and that then, in the strength of his healing, wholeness would follow. Finally she calmed down a bit. She called her husband and he came over. I talked with them, then he took her home. But she was still distressed, so her husband took her to the hospital. Two days later I got a phone call -- in her distress of mind she had thrown herself from the tenth floor of the hospital and her body was crushed on the pavement below. That is the awful pressure of guilt. If you do not find a way to relieve it, it will destroy you! And that is why this message hit with such power in this city. Paul laid out before them the fact that the only way, the only way, there is to be freed from guilt is by the acceptance of the work of Another on your behalf. God's love is unqualifiedly poured out on that basis, and that alone. (Acts 13:13-52 The Radical Word)
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Guzik says it well "You can’t really say “yes” to God’s call on your life until you can say “no” to things that will keep you from that call." (cf Mt 6:24+). God's most effective ministers of the Gospel are those men and women most separated from this godless world. Set apart (separate - aorist imperative - Do it now!) (873)(aphorizo from apó = off from, apart + horizo = mark out the limit) means to mark off the boundaries, to appoint, set one apart for some purpose. It is used of the final separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age (Mt 13:49; 25:32); of the separation of the disciples from the world in this present age (Lk 6:22 contrast James 4:4+); and here of the setting apart of these five men to special function (Acts 13:2). The central idea is “to limit by setting apart from the rest,” hence, to distinguish from others in some specific way. In the OT aphorizo (and the related word group) is used of setting apart to God the firstborn, of offering to God first fruits, of consecrating to God the Levites, and of separating Israel to God from other peoples. The basic instruction was that there was to be no intermingling of the chosen people with the Gentile nations or of the sacred with the profane and ordinary. Paul used aphorizo to describe his call in Ro 1:1 ("set apart for the gospel of God,") and Gal 1:15+ ("God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb"). Every saint (hagios) has (1) been positionally set apart (hagios means "set apart ones") but (2) we have also been called to practical (daily) separation. In Second Corinthians (Corinth was a city filled with sin tempting the saints to indulge themselves), Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:11, like a commanding officer issuing three "staccato like" commands - “Therefore (see 2 Cor 6:16), COME OUT (aorist imperative) FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE, (aphorizo in aorist imperative)” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH (present imperative with a negative) WHAT IS UNCLEAN; AND I will welcome (receive graciously into God's presence) you." (2 Cor 6:17) THOUGHT - Have you separated from this increasingly godless world? Yes we are still IN it of course (Jn 17:11), but are not to be not OF it (Jn 17:14)? Or are you still "touching" the unclean things of this sin saturated world forgetting the high calling of the Holy One on your life? Beloved, refrain from the temptation to "touch" for every touch blunts the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in your life. And the paradox is that the only way we can obey Paul's 3 commands is by continual dependence upon the enabling power of the Spirit. Aphorizo - 10x in 10v - Mt. 13:49; 25:32; Lk 6:22; Acts 13:2; 19:9; Ro 1:1; 2 Co. 6:17; Gal. 1:15; 2:12) Herschel Ford said, “Before the Spirit separates us unto service, there must be in our own lives a separation from the world. There are many things that a Christian can do which will not hurt him physically or morally but they will hurt his spiritual power. Therefore, if we are to have spiritual power for service, we must be separated from the world.” Barnabas and Saul had (VOLITIONAL CHOICE) set apart themselves apart from the world and were diligently serving the Lord Jesus. Now they were to be set apart (DIVINE CHOICE) from the church for a special service. Merida on sending their "first team" Barnabas and Saul - This means the Antioch church is stepping out in an act of faith and making a sacrifice. They are willing to give away key leaders in obedience to God and for the good of others. Jesus loves churches that think beyond themselves. These two high-capacity leaders are set aside for this work, even though the nature of the “work” isn’t described here. Theirs was somewhat like Abraham’s calling in that what they were commissioned to do was vague (Gen 12:1). While the calling itself is clear, the work and its location aren’t. This chapter reminds us that we must continue to send high-capacity leaders and to support their work. That’s what missionary churches do.And as we follow this pattern, we will reflect—albeit dimly—the missionary heart of the Father, who sent heaven’s best, Jesus Christ, for the good of the nations (Azurdia, “The Antioch Paradigm”)! “God had only one Son, and He was a missionary,” said David Livingstone. The Father sent that Son that we may be saved, and now he sends us that others may be saved (John 20:21). Let’s imitate our missionary Father and his missionary Son by sending out others for the advancement of the gospel. (Exalting Jesus in Acts) For - For is the preposition "eis" means unto and in this context indicates the purpose - in order to, with a view to, for the purpose of Recall that approximately 13 years earlier Jesus had alluded to the work to which He called them when He encouraged Ananias to "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel." (Acts 9:15+) Warren
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Guzik write that "Being intentionally sent by the church in Antioch, many regard this as the first real known missionary effort of the church. “The word ‘missionary’ has to do with sending. The Latin word mitto, mittere, means ‘to send’; ‘mission’ and ‘missionary’ come from the forms missi and missum.” (Boice) They seem to have done this without a committee report, without a demographic analysis, without a marketing survey, without what is sometimes called “spiritual mapping.” Barnabas and Saul went out without any of these things, only with the call and power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13 Commentary) ONLINE ETYMOLOGY DICTIONARY note on "mission" - 1590s, "a sending abroad," originally of Jesuits, from Latin missionem (nominative missio) "act of sending, a dispatching; a release, a setting at liberty; discharge from service, dismissal," noun of action from past participle stem of mittere "to release, let go; send, throw," Dick Hillis of Overseas Crusades Mission said, “Missionaries are those who never get accustomed to the thought of Christless feet on the way to a godless eternity.” Tony Merida comments that "While these missionary journeys throughout Acts have particular relevance for international missionaries, people who cross the street to bear witness to Jesus can also find much instruction and inspiration in these moving narratives." (Ibid) Gangel - One can hardly overemphasize the significance of lay leaders, congregational involvement, and ministry teams throughout Acts. The church is not, and never has been, buildings, programs, and property. God’s church consists of people, and the emphasis always falls on them in Luke’s record. Criswell tells an interesting story emphasizing this tone of Acts: Some years ago a famous radio entertainer delivered his version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. His presentation was so different that he was deluged with mail after he delivered the address. You see, the entertainer did some research and found that when Lincoln delivered that address, he put an emphasis upon one word in that dedication. We always say: “The government of the people, by the people, and for the people should not perish from the earth.” The entertainer discovered that when Lincoln delivered his speech he said, “That government of the people, by the people, and for the people should not perish from the earth.” Lincoln emphasized not a preposition, but the people. He was moved by the people. That is the emphasis that ought to be in our work and in our assignments. Our work concerns people. It concerns human souls (Criswell, 400). John G. Paton, the great missionary to the New Hebrides, had a subjective calling to the ministry of missions. A synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland was looking for a missionary to join the Rev. John Inglis in New Hebrides. They took a poll of the synod in the hope that the votes of the members would reveal one who should go. When the votes were counted, it was seen that the action was inconclusive. And as the vote tabulation came in, a cloud of sadness appeared to fall over all the synod. Then the Lord began to speak to John Paton in his inner conscience, “Since none better qualified can be gotten, rise and offer yourself.” Paton says there was an overpowering impulse to answer aloud, “Here am I, send me.” He went on to say, “I was dreadfully afraid . . . and yet I felt a growing assurance that this was the call of God to His servant and . . . the voice within me sounded like the voice of God.” Gotquestions answers the question - Question: "Laying on of hands - what does the Bible say?" Answer: "Laying on of hands" is a biblical action; however, there is no biblical mandate requiring the physical laying on of hands for a particular spiritual ministry. Jesus certainly laid His hands on many of those He healed; however, He also healed without laying His hands on people. In fact, there were times when He was nowhere in the vicinity of those He healed. Matthew 8:8 describes Jesus healing the servant of the centurion without going near the centurion’s house. Here are two instances to consider: in one case the Holy Spirit bestows the gift of speaking in tongues with the act of an apostle's laying on of hands, and in the other case He does so without the laying on of hands, but simply through the apostle's preaching. "Paul said, ‘John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:4-6). "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God" (Acts 10:44-46). First Timothy 5:22 says, "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." The thought here is not so much in cautioning the physical action of laying on of hands but to urge care in bestowing the responsibility of spiritual leadership (however it is done). It is not to be done "suddenly" or without due consideration. Undoubtedly, the laying on of hands in the early church was a means of connecting the message with the messenger, or the spiritual gift with the gifted giver. It provided a "sign" authenticating him through whom the physical manifestation of a spiritual gift was bestowed. We need to understand very carefully that there are no magical biblical formulas for the ministry of the church. Laying on of hands has no power in itself. Laying on of hands is only used by God when it is done in agreement with God's Word. Here is the summary of laying on of hands by Bob
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Guzik adds an important caveat - "Any group of Christians can send someone, but if the Spirit doesn’t send them, it won’t amount to eternally effective ministry." (Acts 13 Commentary) This description by Luke of the Spirit sending the missionaries reminds me of Peter's description of the Spirit's giving the writers of the NT the "winds" of inspiration = "no (ou = absolute negation) prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved ("divine passive") by the Holy Spirit spoke (NOTE THIS INDICATES MEN'S PART - THEY STILL HAD TO WRITE, BUT THEY WROTE INSPIRED IN VOCABULARY WITH WHICH THEY WERE FAMILIAR) from God." (2 Peter 1:21+). Sent out (1599)(ekpempo from ek = out + pempo = to send) means to send forth (cause someone to go away for a purpose) and is used only here and Acts 17:10. Seven uses in the Septuagint - Gen. 24:54; Gen. 24:56; Gen. 24:59; 1 Sam. 20:20; 1 Sam. 24:19; 2 Sam. 19:31; Prov. 17:11. Tony Merida notes that "We must recognize the absolute necessity of living by the Spirit when living out Jesus’s mission (Acts 1:8)." I would add the corollary is that no dependence on the Spirit equated with no spiritual power! Woe! The Holy Spirit - Notice on the diagram above (click) that when Jesus ascended, He sent men the "Helper" Who would function much like a "COO" or Chief Operating Officer in human terms. And yet His names clearly show His intimate relationship with Jesus Who is the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ - and so He is name "Spirit of Jesus" (Acts 16:7+), "Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Php 1:19+), and "Spirit of Christ" (Ro 8:9+, 1 Pe 1:11+). Gangel observes that "Though Luke does not tell us, we can safely assume that the Antioch congregation continued to pray for the missionaries and to thank God for selecting them, even though they had lost the two most prominent members of their pastoral staff. As we leave the Antioch church along with Barnabas and Saul, let’s take a quick glance ahead 350 years. After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Antioch became the world center of Christianity. By A.D. 400, one hundred thousand Christians lived in that city." (Ibid) Ray
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Guzik - Jesus does not only forgive us, but we are also justified by Him. Forgiveness takes care of the debt of sin, but justification puts a positive credit on our account before God. (Acts 13 Commentary) Larkin - The law could never “justify from”—that is, acquit of sin—since it could not produce perfect obedience in the one who observed it (compare Acts 7:53; Jer 31:32–34; Lk 18:14; Acts 15:7–11; Gal 2:16; 3:11). Do we know this liberation? (IVP Commentary - Acts 13:1--21:16 Paul's Missionary Journeys) Spurgeon said, “We are now - even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.’ (Ro 8:1) There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people.” Freed (1344)(dikaioo) in this context speaks of being justified and refers to Christ's imputed righteousness, so that this person is declared righteous before God because they are now IN CHRIST ("through Christ") the Righteous One, "Who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor 1:30+) for the Father made the Son "Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (IN CHRIST)." (2 Cor 5:21+) Justification is a legal term that implies full acquittal. And once you are acquitted before God, you do not to be acquitted again. Your record is wiped clean, even of the sins you will commit today! Amazing grace indeed! Dikaioo describes the act by which a man is brought into a right state of relationship to God. Dikaioo is a legal term having to do with the law and the the courtroom, where it represented the legally binding verdict of the judge. This is the sense in which Paul uses dikaioo in this section of his sermon as he does in Romans (Ro 3:21-5:11) in which he unfolds the doctrine of justification. Jack Arnold - Christ not only negatively removes sin, but positively imparts perfect righteousness to all who believe. He forgives sin and grants perfect righteousness to all who accept, by faith, Christ as Lord. What this is saying is that God has solved the problem of guilt which plagues every human being. Christ will not only remove guilt, He will make one perfectly righteous in the sight of God. (Paul's First Recorded Sermon) John Phillips on the Law of Moses - “The law could not justify the guilty person. The law could corner him, convict him, condemn him, but it could never cancel his sin.” Ray Stedman on Paul's statement from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses - That was a shattering statement (TO THE JEWISH HEARERS). Here were men who honored the Law of Moses, who thought the Ten Commandments were the greatest word that God had ever given to men. They were trying their best to live up to them, in one way or another, and many of them realized that they were failing. But they still thought that the way to God was to obey the Ten Commandments -- to do good, in other words, to try their best to be good. But now Paul comes to declare to them that they will never make it on those terms. They will never find acceptance by God in that way. You cannot be accepted by God on the basis of trying to be good. The Ten Commandments will not help you a bit; they will condemn you, because you will not fulfill them -- no matter how hard you try! Rather, Paul tells them, God has found a way to accept mankind even though man cannot be good enough in himself, and that way is through this Man, Jesus Christ. Now, we are accustomed to hearing that. That does not shake us. But you can imagine how it shook these (JEWISH) people. They had never heard anything like this before -- this amazing news that God would accept them! Unfortunately our version somewhat diminishes its impact because it uses the term "freed" where Paul said "justified"; he really says, "Every one that believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." This is the first occasion that we have recorded of Paul's using that great word which is so frequent in the book of Romans, "justification by faith." (Acts 13:13-52 The Radical Word) Steven Ger gives an interesting insight on things from which they would not be freed through the Law of Moses - Paul revealed that forgiveness of sins is now available through Messiah, even those sins for which the Torah made no provision (Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Specifically, Jewish law, as contained in the Mishnah, lists thirty-six transgressions for which, if executed intentionally and defiantly, i.e., "with a high hand" (Num. 15:30), the Torah provides no means of forgiveness; for example, bestiality, incest, idolatry, blasphemy, violating Sabbath, Passover, the Day of Atonement, etc. As repeatedly emphasized in the gospel accounts, the only one with the authority to forgive sin is God himself (Matt 9:5-6; Mark 2:7-10; Luke 5:21-24; 7:49), yet every condemnation in the Law of Moses can now be forgiven through the Messiah. This assertion in Acts 13:39 is Paul's unambiguous affirmation that the Messiah shares the very authority of God. Paul explains freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses in Romans 3 By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified ("freed") in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Read Jesus' words - "it is these that testify about Me" = Jn 5:39, 40), even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction (Ro 3:20-22+) John
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Guzik comments that "On one Sabbath Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogue and there was a wonderful response. The following Sabbath there was a mixed response, some very hostile and some very receptive. They took the receptive ones and started a church that was lasted for hundreds of years and through that church." (Acts 13 Commentary) Antioch was no small village but a substantial city, so this was quite a gathering! James M
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Guzik comments that "It seems strange that these religious people who waited so long for their Messiah would now reject Him when Jesus was presented to them. One great reason was they wanted to keep the division between Jew and Gentile, and if Jesus was to be the Messiah of all men, they wanted no part of Him. “They simply could not accept a teaching that opened such floodgates. For themselves and their adherents they could accept a message as God-sent and tolerate some change in their teaching and practice, but they could not endure that the Gentiles should be made equal with God’s ancient people.” (Williams) “The Jews could not endure that the Gentiles should be equal to them, being as much concerned against the Gentiles being exalted, as against their own being depressed.” (Poole) Some people end up rejecting Jesus because of the way He changes our relationship with other people. Some would rather hold on to their bitterness and animosity towards others than turn to Jesus and be reconciled. (Acts 13 Commentary) Contradicting (speak against, oppose) (483)(antilego from anti = opposite, idea of "face to face" + lego = speak) means literally to say against or to speak against and so to contradict (take issue with, implying open or flat denial), to speak in opposition to or to oppose, to refute (to deny the truth or accuracy of). In secular Greek antilego was used to mean "reject a writing as spurious". In Acts 28:22 the Jews in Rome desired "to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere. And were blaspheming (present tense - continually)(987)(blasphemeo) means literally speaking injurious and harmful things, seeking to bring into Paul and Banabas and their words about Jesus into ill repute. These jealous Jews were blaspheming saying that Paul's assertion that Jesus was the Messiah was not true! All Luke's uses of blasphemeo - Lk. 12:10; Lk. 22:65; Lk. 23:39; Acts 13:45; Acts 18:6; Acts 19:37; Acts 26:11;
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Guzik - The Gentiles responded to Paul’s invitation with enthusiastic belief, learning with joy that God does not hate Gentiles, but offered them salvation in Jesus. Paul showed wisdom in not spending all his time trying to persuade hardened hearts. We know that even after he made Gentiles the focus of his evangelistic efforts, he still prayed earnestly for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1), but he spent his missionary time ministering to more open hearts. (Acts 13 Commentary) They began rejoicing - The imperfect tense pictures the Gentiles as continuing to express joy, over and over, again and again. You can picture the joyful tumult! Steven