The First Recorded Pauline Sermon
Acts 13:13-41
13 Now
when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia:
and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they
departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the
synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15 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.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of
Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 17 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.
18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in
the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the
land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20 And after
that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years,
until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and
God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the
space of forty years. 22 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. 23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his
promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 24 When John had first
preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of
Israel. 25 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. 26 Men and brethren, children of the
stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of
this salvation sent. 27 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. 28
And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he
should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written
of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30
But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of
them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses
unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that
the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 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. 34 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. 35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou
shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 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: 37 But he, whom God
raised again, saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come
upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 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.
Introduction:
The 5th of 10
Significant Speeches/Sermons is found in recorded in this chapter
(3 by Peter, 1 by
Stephen, 6 by Paul - 3 during missionary journeys, and 3 during arrest and
trial = almost ¼ of the content of
Acts):
Acts 13:16-41 - Paul to the Jews at Pisidian Antioch
The 5th of 9 Major
Problems or Issues identified will occur in this chapter:
The dispute and breach between Paul and Barnabas over
John Mark (13:13; 15:36-40)
Outline:
I. The Setting
for the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:13-15)
II. The Content
of the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:16-41)
I. The Setting
for the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:13-15)
13 Now
when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia:
and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they
departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the
synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15 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.
1. The Changes
from Cyprus (13:13)
2. The Entrance to
the Synagogue (13:14)
3. The Invitation
to Speak (13:15)
1. The Changes from
Cyprus (13:13)
1) A Change of Location
Now when Paul and his company
loosed from Paphos,
they came to Perga in Pamphylia
Perga in Pamphylia - A city in the
region on the coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey).
Acts 14:24-26 - And after they had passed
throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the
word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And
thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of
God for the work which they fulfilled.
2) A Change of Personnel
and John departing from them
returned to Jerusalem
In this
account of John Mark’s return home no reason is given to explain why he did so.
This is stated here matter-of-factly,
but later will be the cause of a breach in the relationship between Paul and
Barnabas, or at least the basis for a dispute between them that results in a
divided effort. This occurred following
their return to Antioch from the meeting with the Jerusalem Church over the
Gentile converts being required by some to be circumcised during the planning
for a second missionary journey.
Acts 15:36-40 - And
some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren
in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how
they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from
Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp
between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas
took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
2. The Entrance
to the Synagogue (13:14) [1]
But when they departed from Perga, they
came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and
sat down.
Antioch
in Pisidia - distinct from Syrian Antioch, the sending church north of
Palestine. This Antioch is in a province
in what is now Turkey north of the coastal province of Pamphylia.
3. The
Invitation to Speak (13:15)
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.
Notice the emphasis in the synagogue worship services on
the reading of Scripture followed by exhortation.
It may be an understatement that the rulers of this
synagogue had no idea concerning what they were about to hear!
II. The Content
of the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:16-41)
16 Then
Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that
fear God, give audience. 17 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. 18 And about
the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19
And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided
their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them
judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the
prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto
them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty
years. 22 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. 23
Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a
Saviour, Jesus: 24 When John had first preached before his coming
the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 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. 26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and
whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27
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. 28 And though they found no cause
of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down
from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him
from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up
with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto
the fathers, 33 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. 34 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. 35
Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. 36 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: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no
corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren,
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that
come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 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.
This should be understood, first of all, as an example of
what had been done on Cyprus as intended by “they preached the word of God in
the synagogues of the Jews” (at Salamis, 13:5).
Secondly, this first recorded example of the preaching of
Paul should be compared to the earlier sermons recorded in Acts by Peter (Acts
2:14-40; 3:12-26; and 10:34-41), and especially that by Stephen (Acts
Acts 7:2-53).
1. The Introduction
of the Message - A Recitation of Israel’s History (13:16-22)
2. The Body
of the Message - The Exposition of God’s Fulfillment (13:23-37)
3. The Conclusion
of the Message - The Application to Paul’s Hearers (13:38-42)
1. The Introduction of the Message - A
Recitation of Israel’s History (13:16-22)
16 Then
Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that
fear God, give audience. 17 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. 18 And about
the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19
And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their
land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them judges
about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21
And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis,
a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 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.
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with
his hand said
It must be asserted at this point in the face of most of what
passes as “scholarly” treatments of not only this sermon, but all of the
sermons in The Acts of the Ascended
Christ by His Holy Spirit through His Apostles, that there is a predominant
failure to approach the Scriptures as the authoritative revelation from God. If the literature on this subject is digested
it soon becomes obvious that the inspired Word of God is once again being
studied primarily - and it may fairly be extended to “entirely” - as the word
of man, as a human document, with Luke very much in the foreground. The inspiration of the words in this book by
the Holy Spirit of God is either being denied outright, ignored altogether, or
cavalierly dismissed in the mass of literature on this subject as is commonly
to be detected elsewhere in publications on the Scriptures (what I would refer
to as the “Satanic Sirens of Skeptical Scholarship”). The assumptions that drive the mass of
falsely so-called scholarship on the sermons place this document on a level
playing field with similar works in the first century culture and the preceding
eras. The operating presuppositions in
such publications are that the sermons are to be interpreted on the basis of
comparison with similar non-canonical accounts, and subjected to the scrutiny
of uninspired authorities. Such
approaches to the exegesis of the sermons in Acts do not begin and end with the
authority of the inspired Word of God interpreted by the divine Author through
comparison with other Scriptures.
Rather, the divine authorship becomes a non-issue, something not to be
factored into a consideration of the content of the sermons. The conclusions presented by such research
are not surprising when the sources in the unproven assumptions and proud
presuppositions that drive the “scholars” thinking are considered. [2]
Men of Israel, and ye that fear God,
give audience. [3]
This is the first of three direct addresses of the
listeners in the synagogue in this sermon (cp. 13:26, 38).
A distinction is made between Jews and God-fearers, or
Gentile converts. [4]
“It is instructive to compare Paul’s sermon in Pisidian
Antioch with the other speeches in Acts. It has much in common with Peter’s
speeches—the emphasis on the Jerusalem Jews’ responsibility for Jesus’ death,
the contrast between the death on the cross and the triumph of the
resurrection, the apostolic witness, the proofs from Scripture (even some of
the same texts), and the call to repentance. One would expect many of the same
emphases. This, as with most of Peter’s sermons, was a speech to Jews. Paul’s
sermons to Gentiles (chaps. 14; 17) would be radically different. This sermon
has a feature in common also with Stephen’s speech—namely, the long introductory
sketch of Jewish history. There is a radically different function for the
historical sketches in the two speeches, however. Stephen used Old Testament
history to depict the rebelliousness of the Jews toward their divinely
appointed leaders. Paul used it to show God’s faithfulness to his promises for
Israel, promises that were ultimately fulfilled in Christ.” [5]
“As Squires notes, in the historical survey, the syntax
itself emphasizes God’s role with Israel, with nine of ten indicative verbs
indicating God’s care for Israel.” [6]
“Throughout, God is seen to have kept his promises to
those who fear him. As Soards says,
Paul makes a “theologically saturated
survery of history, which ended in a christological claim.” [7]
1) The Election of
the Patriarchs, the Sojourn in Egypt and the Miracle of the Exodus (13:17)
2) The Generation in
the Wilderness (13:18)
3) The Conquest of
the Land (13:19)
4) The Time of the
Judges (13:20)
5) The Beginning of
the Monarchy (13:21-22b)
6) The Testimony
Concerning David (13:22c-g)
1) The Election of the Patriarchs, the Sojourn
in Egypt and the Miracle of the Exodus (13:17)
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.
Genesis 12 - Numbers 9 - God…chose…and exalted…and brought…them out
2) The Generation in the Wilderness (13:18)
And about the time of forty years
suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
Numbers 10 - Deuteronomy - God put up with them
3) The Conquest of the Land (13:19)
And when he had destroyed seven nations
in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
Joshua - God destroyed the Canannites and God gave the
land of Canaan to the Israelites
4) The Time of the Judges (13:20)
And after that he gave unto them judges
about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
Judges - God gave Israel judges
5) The Beginning of the Monarchy (13:21-22b)
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. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up
unto them David to be their king;
1 Samuel - 2 Samuel - God gave Israel Saul as a king, God removed
Saul, and God raised
up David as Israel’s king
6) The Testimony Concerning David (13:22c-g)
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.
1 Samuel - 2 Samuel - God testified concerning David
cp. 1 Sam. 16:13 and 2 Sam. 2:4 - David anointed by
Samuel, and then by the men of Judah
Ps. 89:20-21 - I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed
him:
With whom my hand
shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.
1 Sam. 13:14 - But
now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his
own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his
people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
This is the turning point in the sermon. The arrival at this moment in Israel’s
history with the focus on King David in this quotation signals a significant
shift in the proclamation by Paul.
“in the interpretation of the significance of these
events one sees that God is still the overarching, controlling figure whose own
divine purposes were accomplished through Jesus.” [8]
2. The Body of the Message - The
Exposition of God’s Fulfillment (13:23-37)
23 Of
this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour,
Jesus: 24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism
of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 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. 26
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you
feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27 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. 28 And though they found no cause
of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down
from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him
from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up
with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto
the fathers, 33 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. 34 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. 35
Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. 36 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: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no
corruption.
1) The Preaching
of Repentance - Prophesied by John the Baptist (13:23-25)
2) The Word of Salvation - Rejected by the Jews
(13:26-31)
3) The Gospel of Resurrection - Fulfilled in Jesus
(13:32-37)
1) The Preaching of Repentance - Prophesied
by John the Baptist (13:23-25)
23 Of
this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour,
Jesus: 24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism
of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 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.
God raised up Jesus as a Savior to Israel
There is an emphasis on fulfillment in the repetition
found in each of the points in the body of this sermon.
John the Baptist fulfilled his ministry.
2) The Word of
Salvation - Rejected by the Jews (13:26-31)
26
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth
God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27 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. 28 And though they found no cause of death
in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when
they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the
tree, [9] and
laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead: 31
And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to
Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
This is introduced by the second of the three direct
forms of address in this sermon (cp. 13:16, 38). [10]
The three failures of Israel:
(1) they failed to recognize Jesus for Who He is (13:27c),
(2) they failed to understand the prophets (13:27d), and
(3) they failed to find fault with Jesus (13:28).
Again we hear of fulfillment:
Israel fulfilled all of the words of the prophets
when they condemned Jesus (13:27e, 29a).
3) The Gospel of Resurrection
- Fulfilled in Jesus (13:32-37) [11]
32
And we [12]
declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the
fathers, 33 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. 34 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. 35
Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. 36 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: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no
corruption.
Now the emphasis
on fulfillment comes to a climax:
God fulfilled
His promise to the Fathers to their children…God raised up Jesus from the dead
The difference
between Jesus and David: Jesus is not
just another like David - there is a connection, but here is also a very great
difference. There is continuity, but
there is also a mighty discontinuity between David and Jesus!
Psalm 2:7 - Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
thee.
Isaiah 55:3 - I will give you the sure mercies of David
Psalm 16:10 - Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption
“The quotations emphasize that the covenant of David is
fulfilled in Jesus, already suggested in vv. 32-33.” [13]
3. The Conclusion of the Message - The
Application to Paul’s Hearers (13:38-42)
38 Be it
known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are
justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of
Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken
of in the prophets; 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.
1) The Blessing of
Forgiveness through Christ (13:38-39a)
2) The Impossibility
of Justification through Moses (13:39b)
3) The Warning
against Unbelief from the Prophets (13:40-41)
1) The Blessing of Forgiveness through Christ
(13:38-39a)
Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
This is the third and final direct address in the sermon
marking the conclusion (cp. 13:16, 26).
Acts 5:29-32 - 29 Then Peter and
the other apostles answered and said,
We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32
And
we are his witnesses of these things; and so
is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Acts 26:14-20 - 14 And when we were
all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the
Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15
And
I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16
But
rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose,
to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast
seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17
Delivering
thee from the people, and from the
Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their
eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me. 19
Whereupon,
O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first
unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of
Judaea, and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Through Him forgiveness is preached!
By Him believers are justified! This is the only
occurrence of this verb in the book of Acts! [14]
2) The Impossibility of Justification through
Moses (13:39b)
from which ye could not be justified by the
law of Moses.
Not by the Law!
3) The Warning against Unbelief from the
Prophets (13:40-41)
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you,
which is spoken of in the prophets; 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.
Hab. 1:5 (LXX) - Behold
ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will
work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
Would you call this the preaching of the Gospel, or have
you been so influenced by what passes as such in our day that you do not
recognize the true preaching of the Gospel when you hear it and read it? Would such confrontational words from the
Scriptures as we find in this sermon, and equally provocative words in the
earlier sermons of Peter and Stephen be foreign to the ears of evangelicals in
modern America? Would such preaching be
thought rude or judgmental or unloving in our day? Will we judge the preaching of the Gospel
like we judge worship music - if it sounds good to us or makes us feel good it
must be good? Or will we submit to the
Word of God, and measure our ministries by the standard of the Scriptures?
Conclusion:
I. The Setting
for the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:13-15)
1. The Changes from Cyprus (13:13)
2. The Entrance to the Synagogue (13:14)
3. The Invitation to Speak (13:15)
II. The Content
of the First Recorded Pauline Sermon (13:16-41)
1. The Introduction of the Message - A
Recitation of Israel’s History (13:16-22)
1) The Election of the Patriarchs, the Sojourn
in Egypt and the Miracle of the Exodus (13:17)
2) The Generation in the Wilderness (13:18)
3) The Conquest of the Land (13:19)
4) The Time of the Judges (13:20)
5) The Beginning of the Monarchy (13:21-22b)
6) The Testimony Concerning David (13:22c-g)
2. The Body of the Message - The
Exposition of God’s Fulfillment (13:23-37)
1) The Preaching of Repentance - Prophesied by John the Baptist (13:23-25)
2) The Word of Salvation -
Rejected by the Jews (13:26-31)
3) The Gospel of Resurrection -
Fulfilled in Jesus (13:32-37)
3. The Conclusion of the Message - The
Application to Paul’s Hearers (13:38-42)
1) The Blessing of Forgiveness through Christ
(13:38-39a)
2) The Impossibility of Justification through
Moses (13:39b)
3) The Warning against Unbelief from the
Prophets (13:40-41)
[Sermon preached 25
MAY 2014 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
Resources on Acts:
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old
Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.
Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity: The First
Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005).
Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W.
Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007).
F. F. Bruce, The
Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd
ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And
Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, The Pillar New Testament Commentaries,
gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John B. Polhill, Acts, Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary, gen. ed.
David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers, 1992).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012).
William H. Willimon, Acts, in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching,
series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed. Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville,
KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).
Resources on the Sermons in Acts:
F. F. Bruce, The Speeches in the Acts of the Apostles
(London: The Tyndale Press, 1942).
Note: This was delivered as The Tyndale New Testament Lecture 19 DEC 1942 at a Conference of
graduate and theological student members of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship in
Wadham College, Oxford. Available as a
free PDF on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/speeches_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].
F. F. Bruce, “The Speeches In Acts―Thirty Years After,” Robert Banks, ed., Reconciliation and
Hope. New Testament Essays on Atonement and Eschatology Presented to
L.L. Morris on his 60th
Birthday (Carlisle: The Paternoster Press, 1974), pp. 53-68; PDF on
Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rh/acts_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].
William L. Lane, "The
Speeches of the Book of Acts", in Jerusalem and Athens: Critical
Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, ed. E.
R. Geehan (Phillipsburg, NJ:
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 260-272, Ch. XIII,
notes on pp. 473-477.
Resources on Paul:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through
Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove,
IL: IVP Academic, 2011).
F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977).
D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity
Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 496-501.
W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and
Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged American ed. (New York: E. B.
Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books
at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious
History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson (New York: Harper Torchbooks,
n.d.).
F. W. Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (New
York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul:
Life and Letters”, in The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent
Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R. Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.
Richard B.Gaffin, Jr.,
"Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center
on Westminster Theological Seminary
at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].
Frank J. Goodwin, A Harmony of the Life of the St.
Paul According to the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles (New
York: American Tract Society, 1895); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Richard N. Longenecker, The Ministry And Message Of
Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).
Richard N. Longenecker, Paul, Apostle Of Liberty
(New York: Harper & Row, 1964).
Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus :
The Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life, Thought, And Ministry (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
Richard N. Longenecker, Studies In Paul, Exegetical
And Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2004).
J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul's Religion: The
James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925).
Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955).
John Pollock, The Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed.
(Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969, 2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York:
Doubleday, 1969).
Stanley E. Porter, Paul in Acts, in Library of Pauline Studies, gen. ed.
Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999; 2001
reprint of The Paul of Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and
Theology, in Wissenschaftliche
Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).
W. M. Ramsay, The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence
on his Life and Thought (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder
and Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books
at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, Pauline and Other Studies in Early
Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman
Citizen, 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library
(CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, The Teaching of Paul in terms of The
Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York University (London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive
at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Paul: A Study
of Development in Paul's Character (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The Missionary: Realities, Strategies And
Methods (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008).
Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology,
trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben und Denken, Berlin: Walter
de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).
Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in
Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2001).
James Stalker, The Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh:
T. & T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.);
on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 7 FEB 2013].
James Ironside Still, St. Paul on Trial (London:
Student Christian Movement, 1923).
[1] For other occasions and locations when Paul is recorded as
visiting synagogues see Adolf Deissmann, Paul:
A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson
(New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.), pg. 238, note 2.
[2] F. F. Bruce, The Speeches in the Acts of the
Apostles (London: The Tyndale Press, 1942), delivered as The Tyndale New Testament Lecture 19 DEC
1942 at a Conference of graduate and theological student members of the
Inter-Varsity Fellowship in Wadham College, Oxford, and available as a free PDF
on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/speeches_bruce.pdf [accessed 8 FEB 2013]; F.
F. Bruce, “The Speeches In Acts―Thirty Years After,” Robert Banks, ed., Reconciliation and Hope. New Testament Essays on Atonement and
Eschatology Presented to L.L. Morris on his 60th Birthday (Carlisle: The Paternoster Press, 1974), pp. 53-68; PDF on Biblical
Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rh/acts_bruce.pdf [accessed 8 FEB 2013]; and Udo Schnelle, Apostle
Paul: His Life and Theology, trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben
und Denken, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.), pp.
119-120. Contrast the treatment
presented by William L. Lane, "The
Speeches of the Book of Acts", in Jerusalem and Athens: Critical
Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, ed. E.
R. Geehan (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian
and Reformed Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 260-264. Lane offers his essay “…to Prof. Van Til as
an example of the auxiliary task assumed by the Biblical scholar who is
committed to the presupposition that the Scriptures are the inspired and authoritative
Word of God.” Lane, op. cit., note 1, pg. 473.
[3] “In Paul’s firt major
speech, he is seen to be creating a bridge in his person, and in his audience,
between the Jewish origins and original Jewish audience of the Gospel and the
subsequent presentation of the gospel to Gentiles by the Apostle to the
Gentiles.” Porter, ibid.
[4] Schnelle, op. cit., pg. 130; and Stanley E. Porter, Paul
in Acts, in Library of Pauline
Studies, gen. ed. Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,
Inc., 1999; 2001 reprint of The Paul of Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism,
Rhetoric and Theology, in Wissenschaftliche
Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen), pg.
133. “We have only one account in Acts in which Paul proclaims the gospel to
Jews and Gentiles familiar with the Old Testament (cf. Acts 13:16-41).” Thomas
R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology
(Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2001), pg. 77.
[5] Polhill, J. B. (1995). Vol. 26: Acts. The New
American Commentary (299). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. For example, Carson wrote, regarding Paul’s
sermon on Mars Hill in Athens, “Paul’s approach, preaching to these people who
had never heard the Old Testament and had never heard of Moses, was radically
different from his approach in, say, the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch (Acts
13:13ff.), where the burden of his preaching is that Jesus really did fulfill
the Old Testament prophecies, rightly understood, and that failure to bow to
him would bring down Old Testament promises of judgment. Clearly, such an approach would mean nothing
to those who had never heard of the Hebrew Bible, much less read it.” D. A.
Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pg. 497.
Porter also notes that, “Next to Paul’s speech in Athens, this is
probably the most widely discussed Pauline speech in Acts, the two major topics
of discussion being the use of the Old Testament quotations and its
relationship to other speeches, in particular Peter’s and Stephen’s.” Porter, op. cit., pg. 131. Interestingly, one
of the six sources cited by Porter in a footnote at this point “…compares the
speech with Jesus’ initial speech in Luke 4:16-30.” Porter, ibid., note 17,
citing G. Lüdemann, Early Christianity according to the
Traditions in Acts: A Commentary, trans. J. Bowden (Minneapolis: Fortress
Press, 1987), pg. 153. “…within the structure of Luke’s two-volume work, it
corresponds to Jesus’ inaugural sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30).” Schnelle,
op. cit., pg. 119.
[6] Porter, op. cit., pg. 134;
citing John T. Squires, The Plan of God in Luke-Acts, Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series
76 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), pg. 70.
[7] Porter, ibid.; citing Marion
L. Soards, The Speeches in Acts: Their Content, Context, and Concerns
(Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994), pg. 83.
[8] Soards, op. cit., pg. 84;
cited by Porter, op. cit., pg. 135.
[9] “Paul’s reference to the
Deuteronomic tree” (Gal. 3:13; Acts 13:29) is likewise Petrine in origin (Acts
5:30; 10:39; 1 Pet. 2:24).” Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity: The
First Twenty Years, After Jesus,
Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005), pg. 77.
[10] Concerning the use of the first part of this form of
address in Acts 2, McClain remarks, “In verse 29 it is “Men and brethren,” a
cusomary form of address to Israelites (cf. 13:26; 23:1).” Alva J. McClain, The
Greatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive Study of the Kingdom of God (Winona
Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1959), pg. 398.
[11] On this point see F. F. Bruce, The Defense of the
Gospel in the New Testament, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1959, 1977), pp. 16-18.
See also Barmett’s comparison of these verses to Rom. 1:1-4 in Paul
Barnett, op. cit., pp. 92-93.
[12] “…the explicitly
grammaticalized subject…” Porter, ibid.
[13] Porter, op. cit., pg.
136.
[14] On this subject see Leon Morris, The Apostolic
Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1955), pp. 244-274, and especially pp. 259-260.
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