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Acts 13.12-23
October 30th 2016
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So we left off with Paul causing a sorcerer to go blind. Standing with the sorcerer was the man who invited Paul and Barnabas to come and teach him, a governor of the people who went by the name of Sergius Paulus.
Let’s pick it up at verse 12 of chapter 13.
Acts 13:12 Then the deputy (Sergius Paulus), when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Let’s cover this verse before moving on at verse 13.
At the sight of the Sorcerer Elymas being brought to his proverbial knees it the Procurator appears to have simultaneously seen that he was an imposter (or a least a man of inferior powers) and it says when he witnessed what had just happened he believed.
But Luke adds a line, “being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.”
It’s an intriguing statement because Paul and Barnabas were the ones teaching him but Luke writes that he was astonished by the teaching (singular – didache) of the Lord.
I feel like we are missing something to the story here. In verse 7 we read (last week)
. . . Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.”
We aren’t told that they were able to teach anything to him in these passages.
After saying this Luke then tells us that Paul confronts the Sorcerer and curses him and then without any further information we read that Sergius Paulus , after witnessing “what he had seen believed, and was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
To me, either Paul and Barnabas had taught and it was during their teaching that Elymas the Sorcerer tried to twist things up (before being blinded) OR Luke is calling the act of blinding the man the teaching of the Lord and it was this alone that caused Sergius to believe.
I tend to think that we were not privy to what Paul and Barnabas had taught and I tend to believe that amidst whatever it was it included a warning or threat to the false prophet standing before them and when it came to pass that Paul was able to actually blind him Sergius was astonished and believed.
This brings us to a new focus from Luke regarding the travels of Paul and Barnabas as he says (in our text for the day)
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:
Okay back to verse 13.
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Now when Paul and his company were losed from Paphos.
In all probability this not only included Paul, Barnabas and as we will read John Mark, but it probably included any who had become disciples of Christ during their visit there as it was customary for people to follow those who converted them to some particular philosophy or belief to them follow them about – sort of like the deadheads who follow the Grateful Dead.
So when they were loosed from Paphos (departed from Paphos) they came to Perga and Pamphylia and it was at this point that John Mark chose to part ways with them.
Pamphylia was a province of Asia Minor, lying over against Cyprus, having Cilicia east, Lycia west, Pisidia north, and the Mediterranean south.
Perga was the metropolis of Pamphylia, and was situated, not on the sea coast, but on the river Cestus, at some distance from its mouth.
And it was in this place that on a mountain was the celebrated temple of Diana.
We don’t know why John departing from them. No idea.
But what we do know is that it was or a reason that seemed to be unacceptable to Paul – so much so that Paul refused to travel with him again.
We’ll talk more about this division later. (verse 14)
14 But when they (then) departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
Like a good movie script Luke has given us a establishing shot – they (Paul and Barnabas) left Perga, came to Antioch Pisidia, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
Antioch in Pisidia was called Antioch in Pisidia to differentiate it from Antioch in Syria, from where Paul and Barnabas had just traveled.
Once they got there they did what they always did in a new city – went to the Synagogue.
Love the writing style of Luke:
Big picture (in Perga)
Smaller picture (then to Antioch of Pisidia)
Then to the synagogue
Close shot (verse 15)
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.
And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, which was customary within the Jewish synagogue system, the rulers (or the persons in charge of the physical facilities, the meetings, and the governance of the believers including that of inviting others guests to speak or to even excommunicate) they – somehow seeing that Paul and Barnabas were Jews (they called them brothers) sent to them (sent word or asked) if they would like to address the gathering.
(verse 16)
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
And once again we see the wisdom of the Holy Spirit coursing through Paul’s veins. He could have hit them with a message of Jesus right off the bat. But being in the synagogue of his brethren his purpose was to gently introduce to them the teaching that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
And he appealed to the very Law and the Prophets from which they were studying earlier.
To do this he had to be acquainted with the law and the prophets. To do this he had to also be acquainted with the Messiah and his purpose seems to have been to reveal to them the Messiah – their promised Messiah – through the scripture they knew and loved.
So he addresses them respectfully and engagingly (using gesturing) and says:
“Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.”
You men of Israel (Jews) AND ye that fear God (who were probably proselytes of the gate who had not yet been circumcised but who had renounced idolatry and were accustomed to worshipping with them in their synagogues).
Give audience – hear what I have to say. (verse 17)
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.
God who had chose our Fathers, and exalted (raised them up from out of a lowly state of bondage when “they dwelt as strangers in Egypt.”
As a model and type of believers today in THIS world, the Nation or Children of Israel, while they were held in Egyptian captivity, were always considered, and always considered themselves, as foreigners or strangers in a strange land.
It was not their home any more than this present world is ours. They didn’t belong to the Egyptian government and did not embrace their laws and customs.
God kept them – and they kept themselves – apart from that world. This is what Paul is preaching there in the synagogue – they were strangers in a strange land but God exalted them during this time, “and with an high arm,” (meaning with His mighty arm of power and strength) He delivered them, (or as Deuteronomy 26:8 or Exodus 6:1 or 6:6 says, “With a strong hand,” or “arm extended.”
Moving out from there, Paul continues and referring to their wandering in the wilderness says:
18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
So for forty years God, while the COI buffeted and complained and whined, and wanted to go back to their bondage in Egypt Paul says that God “suffered their manners in the wilderness.
The word used can mean He tolerated their juvenile antics and / or He also nourished them while they were in the wilderness. Both definitions are used, depending on the translation.
And again, so it is with us. God delivers us out of the bondage of sin (as He did with the COI from Egypt) but He does not expect perfection but instead knows that we are still children and are strong in our flesh and weak in the spirit – so while babes he suffers us, tolerates us, and nourishes us. And even thereafter, where He goes before us, and protects us, as He did with the COI (as Paul points out in verse 19)
19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
All through this story of the Nation of Israel there are parallels to the Christian walk.
Here, once the Nation entered the Promised Land (the land promised to them) God went before them and subdued the nations that had made residence therein.
The King James says that God destroyed the Seven Nations but this is not true – God did NOT kill all the people of all the Seven Nations. Instead He went before the Nation of Israel and subdued the nations of the earth that threatened them.
This is an important distinction because this is how it is with us was well in our Christian walk. God does NOT enter our lives and completely destroy the enemies to our faith (namely, our flesh).
He allows the enemies to remain but subdues them by the spirit in us.
See the parallels?
In the case of the Nation of Israel the pagan nations living in the promised land were allowed to remain but they were, as a whole, broken up and overcome.
By the way these seven nations were the the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites (according to Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10; Nehemiah 9:8).
In the land of Chanaan. The promised land was known by the name of just one of the Seven Nations that were overcome, Canaan.
And Paul reminds his audience that God then divided Canaan (among the tribes) by lot – a system of determining God’s will in ancient Israel.
Jumping over huge amounts of information Paul then says (verse 20)
20 And after that he gave unto them judges (men who were allowed to Govern the affairs of the Nation – here we go . . .) about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
Let’s first run through judges here before we address the difficulty of this passage.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament is called so because it contains the history of the deliverance and government of Israel by the men who bore the title of the “judges.”
Interestingly, the book of Ruth was originally formed part of this book but about A.D. 450 it was taken out and placed in the Hebrew scriptures immediately after the Song of Solomon.
The book contains, (1.) An introduction (1-3:6), connecting it with the previous narrative in Joshua, as a “link in the chain of books.”
(2.) The history of the thirteen judges (3:7-16:31) in the following order:
OTHNIEL
EHUD’S
SHAMGAR
DEBORAH
BARAK
GIDEON
TOLA
JAIR
JEPHTHAH
IBZAN
ELON
ABDON
SAMSON
In all 410 Samson’s exploits probably synchronize with the period immediately preceding the national repentance and reformation under Samuel (1Sa 7:2-6).
After Samson came Eli (a fourteenth judge), who was both high priest and judge. He directed the civil and religious affairs of the people for forty years, at the close of which the Philistines again invaded the land and oppressed it for twenty years.
Samuel the fifteenth and final judge was raised up to deliver the people from this oppression of the Philistines and he judged Israel for some twelve years.
Afterward Israel desired a King and God allowed the affairs of the Nation to be placed in the hands of Saul.
If Eli and Samuel are included in the list of judges there were then fifteen total but the chronology of this whole period is uncertain.
Let me explain that uncertainty quickly:
So there in the synagogue Paul says (at verse 20)
20 And after that he gave unto them (their fathers, the COI) judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
This is a most difficult passage and has challenged who we might call biblical Chronologists.
To start, the problem is not in the Greek of the New Testament as the ancient versions agree with the present Greek text.
The difficulty has been to reconcile it with what is said in 1st Kings 6:1 which is:
“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel …. he began to build the house of the Lord.”
If, to the forty years that the children of Israel were in the wilderness, we add the four hundred and fifty years mentioned here in Acts to have been passed under the administration of the judges and then (about)
seventeen years of the time of Joshua
forty for Samuel and the reign of Saul together,
forty for the reign of David
and three of Solomon before he began to build the temple
the sum will be five hundred and ninety years, a period greater by one hundred and ten years than what 1st Kings 6:1 proposes.
Now, I personally don’t mind or care. To me there are answers to this that range from someone got the date wrong to error in translation to we don’t understand something they did.
I ardently maintain that we ought to step away from worshipping this Bible as God’s exact manual but deeply revere it for God’s map for all to consider.
I’m not going to take all the proposals that have been made to try and reconcile this issue this morning. It’s not necessary. Just know that there are issues with it.
So let’s move on in Paul’s recitation to the Jews in the synagogue where he says:
(verse 21)
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.
And afterward they desired a king.
God gave them judges but afterward they desired a King.
Going all the way back to Deuteronomy 17:14-15 we read:
Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Here God, personifying Israel, prophesies through Moses what she will do – she will ask to have a King over her. God tells her that she can but the King must be one from among the Nation and not a stranger.
And while this was prophesied hundreds of years prior to the event, when it actually happens God is not pleased.
Jumping out past the time of judges, when the people came to Samuel and sought for a King like unto the kings the pagans had, we see Israel receive her first King.
This is how it went down.
1st Samuel 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 ¶ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
Again, it is the same with all people on earth – do you want God to reign over your life or do you seek for some other supposed nobility to give you your security.
I supposed God knows the human condition and realizes we are quite frightened by the unknown and as a result we clamor for kings. I think for this reason He gave us one – His Son.
King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and as far as I’m concerned nobody is going to step in between to rule me and my life.
There is as much need of a King in the life of a Christian as there is a need for a prophet or a priest.
We have a prophet, we have a priest and we have a King in Christ. Never forget this. Never let another trump Him. Never let yourself get Hilary – ous in the face of this worlds games for a throne.
He is our King.
We follow the laws of the land knowing those put in place over us (who are, according to Romans 14, are put in place by God) but I will never look to any human power as my King.
Only Him.
The first king Saul, as mentioned here, were the son of Cis. (Cis is the Greek mode of writing the Hebrew name Kish).
Paul says here that he reigned for the space of forty years. However, the Old Testament doesn’t tell us the length of time during which Saul reigned.
Josephus says (in his Antiquities) tells us that he reigned eighteen years while Samuel was alive, and twenty-two years after his death. But this has been proven incorrect and instead of 22 years it was more likely 2.
Many believe that when Paul says forty years here it includes the time in which Samuel judged the people.
(verse 22)
22 And when he had removed him (when God had chastised and removed Saul for not destroying all the livestock of Amalak along with Agag the King), he (God) raised up unto them David to be their king . . .
This is the point I believe Paul has been working toward – to link a King these men would have revered and known – David – to someone far more powerful and important.
In reference to God anointing David King in the steed of Saul, Paul says;
“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.”
This line, “I have found David the son of Jesse,” is not a literal quote but contains the substance of what is expressed in various places in the Old Testament like 1st Samuel 13:14, Psalm 89:20 and 1st Samuel 16:1,12.
However the line that David was, “A man after mine own heart,” is and it is found in 1st Samuel 13:14.
Now, in contrast to Saul, David here seems to be shown to be a man who would do the will of God, who would execute the directives given, and would look to God instead of to his own will and ways.
We know that David was not perfect, that he was a man of war, a man who lusted in the flesh, a man whose flesh led him to commit murder, and a man who fell prey to his own will in other ways.
But what made David much different from Saul is even amidst his sin nature, he sought after the heart of God. He longed to have relationship as much as he had sinned.
In other words, David – no matter what – was NOT going to let go of God. He was a man AFTER God’s own heart.
We’ve talked about David a bit in our study of Acts – especially in the first chapters three or four chapters.
But the thing we can learn MOST about him – in my estimation – is a trait that is often lost. No matter what his sin, no matter what his trial, no matter what his failures, or suffering – he sought God.
He repented with as much fervor as he sinned. And his allegiance to God was never diminished by his failures.
He did not justify his sins because God was his friend. But he had a view of them that was unique, saying that he had only sinned against God in the committal of them.
From David, if we can learn anything I believe it would be this – never, ever – no matter what.
See, it’s a form of ardent faith to cling to God even when we have sinned. And in my estimation it’s a form of self-centeredness when people believe that their “special sin” has removed God from their lives – that He won’t love us anymore in the face of failure.
He is love. Our sins are not so special, nor our committing them and defiling ourselves, that He disappears.
What kind of God would that be? But more importantly, this view is wholly ego-centric.
To believe that we could do something to cause God to turn on us is to initially believe that he originally looked on us so favorably and with such love (because of our purity and goodness) but after the sin we have fallen from His grace.
The fact of the matter we were never in His grace because of our goodness. We are in His grace because He is good, and He is love, and He is forgiving.
I believe David knew this. I believe that come hell, high-water, riches, power, adultery, murder or being a mad mouth-foaming fugitive – David trusted in the person and power of God – and repented for NOT loving and respecting Him more than he had.
He did not nurture a perspective that was all about himself. He was all about God. He was a man who was relentlessly, unabashedly, fearlessly after God’s own heart.
Admist personal failures David, unlike Saul or those who came in after him, fulfilled God’s will first, maintained the worship of God, opposed idolatry, and sought to promote universal obedience to God among the people.
In 1st Kings 14:8,9: God says of David to Jeroboam
“And thou [Jeroboam] hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes.”
And after having brought his audience there in the synagogue to David, Paul now says (verse 23)
23 Of this man’s seed (David)
hath God
according to his promise
raised unto Israel
a Savior
Jesus:
“Of this man’s seed:”
That Jesus came in a direct and indisputable line from David, according to both promise and prophecy, is irrefutable.
In his line we have Prophets, Kings, and Priests but neither Abraham nor David held all such things themselves – only Christ possessed the culmination of them.
He alone was prophet, priest, and king;
And only he executed these offices in such a supreme manner that none after would be necessary to try – no prophet after Him. No priest after Him. No King after Him.
The principal business of the prophet was to make God and His will known to Man.
Jesus did this.
The main business of the Priest was to offer up sacrifices to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people Christ did this for the whole world.
The office of king was to reign over, and to protect, and to defend the people committed to his care.
Christ did this with His early church and His continues to do this for all who are part of His body today.
Isaiah 9:6-7 tells says this about his reign:
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
It is this Jesus, this Prophet, Priest and King – of the seed of David – that Paul now speaks. We’ll pick it up next week.
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