Sunday, December 5, 2021
Acts 13:1-12
“Pneumatic Preparation”
Service Overview: Why did these early missionaries go where they did? Quite simply, the Holy Spirit led them there. And the Holy Spirit didn’t lead them there without first preparing them as a team to do so. God doesn’t call everyone to go everywhere, but wherever he has us or calls us, he wants us to band with others to live out and proclaim the good news of Jesus.
Memory Verse for the Week: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)
Background Information:
- Luke uses the occasion of describing the ministry in Paphos, a port on the island of Cyprus, to introduce Saul’s name as a Roman citizen. Being born and raised in Tarsus during the Roman occupation there gave him that crucial credential. Paul was his Latin or Roman name, Saul his Jewish name; Greek culture was his conditioning, Hebraism his training, and life in Christ his purpose and passion. A man for all nations and all seasons. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 208)
- (vv. 6–8) From Salamis the two missionaries traversed the island from east to west until they reached Paphos, the seat of the provincial government, on the southwest coast. This was the Greek settlement of New Paphos, so called to distinguish it from the Phoenician settlement of Old Paphos, which lay about seven miles to the southeast. Both cities were noted, among other things, for the cult of the goddess called “the Paphian,” a divinity of Syrian origin identified with the Greek Aphrodite. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 270)
- Simeon Niger (a Lat. loan word meaning “black”) may have been from Mrica. He was possibly the Simon from Cyrene of Luke 23:26, whose sons Alexander and Rufus were later known to be among the Christians at Rome (cf. Mark 15:21; also possibly Rom 16:13). If he was made to carry Jesus’ cross on the way to Golgotha, what a story he would have had to tell! Lucius of Cyrene was frequently identified in the postapostolic period with Luke the evangelist and author of Acts (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 416)
- The word for “set apart” is aphorizo. It is used to describe three important events in Paul’s life: (1) his birth (Galatians 1:15); (2) his conversion (Romans 1:1); and (3) here, his sending to the Gentile mission field. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 214)
- We expect participation in the occult from mystery religions of the east, but this man, known as Bar-Jesus, is identified as a Jew. Jews who cast fortunes—soothsayers and fortune-tellers—came under the wrath of God. In the Old Testament the practice of this kind of sorcery was an abomination to God and, according to the Law of Moses, subject to the death penalty. But this man, Bar-Jesus, had no scruples whatsoever about making his living by offering future predictions for leaders looking for investments and for military generals wondering about the outcome of battles. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 190)
The question to be answered is…
What is Luke revealing to his audience throughout this text?
Answer…
How the central and crucial element to the health and success of the church was, and is, the Holy Spirit himself.
The word of the day is… pneuma
What is Luke trying to get across to his readers regarding the Spirit’s activity in the early church from this text?
- How concerted seeking preceded hearing.
(v. 2 | Deut. 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13; Joel 2:12; Ezra 8:23; Matthew 4:4; 6:16-18; Luke 4:2)
When a believer fasts, it means that he or she is willing to forego the normal comforts and necessities of life in order to concentrate on prayer. Fasting is a symbolic expression of a person’s inner hunger for God. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 169)
Luke wants us to see that the gospel was reaching into all classes of society. The church at Antioch was integrated, united in its worship and service, well taught in the Word, and responsive to the Holy Spirit. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 5339-5340)
- How their posture toward obedience enabled and resulted in empowerment.
(v. 3-4 | Ps. 119:60; Isaiah 1:19; John 11:28; 14:15, 31; Acts 5:29; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 John 3:24)
The Antioch church was also made up of obedient Christians. When God spoke, they heard and obeyed. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
God had already called Paul to minister to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 21:17–21), and now He summoned Barnabas to labor with him. The church confirmed their calling, commissioned the men, and sent them forth. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, working through the local church, to equip and enlist believers to go forth and serve. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 365)
- How the Spirit’s filling equipped them for both the mission and inevitable confrontation.
(v. 5, 7, 9-10 | Is. 41:10; John 14:1, 26; 16:33; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 6:18)
(vv. 9–10). Obviously the Apostle had not taken time to read Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People. He lashed into this man and gave him what for, and we are told that he spoke in this manner while filled with the Holy Spirit. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 192)
In Aramaic the name Bar-Jesus means “son of Jesus,” so Paul played on that name to confront him (in the presence of the listening Sergius Paulus) with the accusation that Bar-Jesus was actually a child (literally, “son”) of the devil (Greek diabolos) and an enemy of everything that is right (literally, “righteousness”). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 217)
Conclusion… How might this text serve to inspire, challenge, and help grow your faith? Ask yourself…
A. Is your faith-life and practice such that you could hear if spoken to?
(Proverbs 22:17; Isaiah 55:1-3; John 9:31; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:15)
Many people sit and wait for God to lead them in a dramatic way, and they wonder why they don’t hear God speaking. It’s probably because God rarely calls people who are sitting and waiting. He usually calls people who are busy exercising their spiritual gifts right where they are. That’s how He called Barnabas and Saul. These men were not off on some retreat when they heard the Spirit speak. They had their sleeves rolled up and were actively serving God and others. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 169)
Without silence there is no solitude. Though silence sometimes involves the absence of speech, it always involves the act of listening. Simply to refrain from talking, without a heart listening to God, is not silence. (Dallas Willard, Celebration of Discipline, 98)
B. How is your current bent towards obedience when called to respond?
(Exodus 23:22; Isaiah 1:19; Luke 6:46; John 14:15; Acts 5:29; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 John 5:3)
Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God. (Oswald Chambers, Bringing Sons into Glory and Making All Things New, 56)
The Holy Spirit is not a power for us to use. He is a Person, the Third Person of the Trinity. So rather than thinking of the Holy Spirit being a power that we are somehow to seize and use, we are to think of him as a person whose job it is to use us. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 229)
C. How are you linking up with others who seek to follow Jesus?
(Matthew 18:20; Acts 20:28; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 2:20-22; Hebrews 10:14-25)
We all need trusted friends whose authentic relationship with the Lord prepares them to be channels of the Spirit to confirm in us what we are to do. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 206)
Does the Spirit still speak to people today? Of course. Should we listen to every person who claims that the Spirit has spoken to him or her? Probably not. We certainly need to be careful. The ancient Antioch situation, described here in Acts 13, offers two significant hints to recognizing the truth of such claims. First, the Spirit spoke simultaneously to several individuals. The Antioch church might have had, and believers today still have, more reason to doubt the validity of “a word from God” if only one person heard it. Second, among those who heard this message were at least some of the church leaders. Those who have known God for longer periods of time are more likely to recognize when He is speaking. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Gospel Application…
Jesus saves, and has called those saved to join his mission in saving others.
(Psalm 96:3; Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 13:47; Romans 10:13-15)
The mission of the church is the sending of people by the church at the leading of the Holy Spirit into areas of the world where the name of Christ is not known and God is not worshiped. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 226)
While loving actions are a wonderfully helpful (and necessary) aid in evangelism, Christians must use words if they wish to communicate the content of the gospel effectively. The gospel cannot be smelled, tasted, felt with the hands, or grasped by intuition. In order to receive the gospel, inquirers must hear it proclaimed via written or spoken words. From experience, Paul knew the only answers to the questions he later asked the Roman church: “How can they believe what they have not heard? How can they hear without a preacher [“preacher” meaning, in the broadest sense of the word, one who verbally communicates the good news from God, about God]?” (Rom. 10:14, paraphrase). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Is your faith-life and practice such that you could hear if spoken to? What habits or rhythms might you work on in order to better-posture yourself toward being able to better hear from God?
- How are you regularly linking up with others who are seeking to follow Jesus? What aspects of Christian community are you involved in?
- How is your current bent towards obedience? Do you find yourself constantly questioning matters of obedience?
- How are you on mission in fulfilling Jesus’ mission for you as his follower?
Quotes to note…
We don’t know the extent of our days. We do not know how long God will be patient with us. He is long-suffering, desiring to give us an opportunity to take advantage of the grace given in Christ; but what happens, according to the Scriptures, is that the longer God delays, the more arrogant we become. The bolder we are in our defiance against Him, the more we get rid of any notion of judgment, saying, “Our God is a God of love.” However, a god who loves and never punishes sin would not be very loving. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 193)
The social, geographic, and racial variety of these people shows that the Spirit of God had been moving rapidly and over a broad geographic area. Not only had the Good News spread to these areas, but the Spirit of God used cosmopolitan Antioch to put together a diverse team for the next “phase” of kingdom expansion. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 213)
Luke notes at this point also that Saul had another name, a Roman name, Paul (“ the little one”). Gentiles probably preferred it to his Hebrew name. This is significant because in the rest of the Book of Acts he is always called Paul. In his epistles also, he always calls himself Paul. The use of his Roman name draws attention to his Roman citizenship and, of course, fits in with his divine call to minister to the Gentiles. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 5406-5409)
From the beginning, the Church had been characterized by a missionary impulse and activity, but we are justified in saying that this is the first instance of a deliberate, planned movement to select and send out missionaries to the Gentile world. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 141)
A church that is floundering is inadequate even for its own needs, and it certainly is not alert to the needs of others. A church that does not know where it is coming from, why it is here, or where it is going is not likely to be of use in the missionary enterprise. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 226)
(vv. 2–3). The laying on of hands, still practiced in the church today, is a symbol; there is no actual power in those hands that conveys anything from one to another. The laying on of hands represents the blessing of God, the anointing of God’s power. The rite dates back to the earliest times in the Christian community. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 187)
Why were Barnabas and Paul sent? Because they were the ones selected by the Spirit. One need not be a genius to see why the Spirit chose them. Note their traits mentioned above. Note the perfect matching of Barnabas, an experienced “pastor” with the gift of encouragement (see 4:36), and Paul, the bold action-taker. Also, both men had roots in the areas targeted for ministry: Barnabas on the island of Cyprus; and Paul in Tarsus, near Galatia. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
“Fasting” means going without food for a specified period of time in order to focus on the Lord. People who are fasting can set aside the time of preparing and eating meals and use it to worship and pray. Also, their hunger pangs will remind them of their complete dependence upon God (see also 2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:23; Esther 4:16; Matthew 6:16-18). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 214)
Barnabas was one of that special breed who are willing to “play second fiddle” if only the work of God prospers and moves on. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 145)