May I turn in your Bibles to Acts 13? Acts 13. Taking a bit of an excursus away from Zechariah for a few weeks. Looking at Acts 13 tonight in conjunction with our morning worship.
We're starting the book of Galatians. An exposition of Paul's epistle to the Galatians. We argued this morning that It is the South Galatian theory that Paul wrote the book of Galatians to the churches visited on his first missionary journey. That first missionary journey took place in A.D. 47 to 48.
The biblical text is Acts 13 beginning in verse 1 with the separation of Paul and Barnabas. on two gospel missions all the way through chapter 14, verse 28. And basically, these two chapters trace the missionary enterprise of Paul and Barnabas as they served various cities. We won't have time, obviously, to look at all of this in detail tonight. Just a brief comment or two on Acts 13 and the selection of these men.
I want to highlight the fact that it took place in the church. And then we'll pick up specifically with the mission to Pisidian Antioch. And I'll pick up reading in Acts 13 at verse 16. Then Paul stood up and motioning with his hands said, Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
The God of this people, Israel, chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt. And with an uplifted arm he brought them out of it. Now for a time of about forty years he put up with their ways in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land to them by allotment.
After that, he gave them judges for about 450 years until Samuel the prophet. And afterward, they asked for a king. So God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.
From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, Who do you think I am? I am not he. But behold, there comes one after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.
Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor even the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause for death in him, they asked Pilate that he should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm.
You are my son. Today I have begotten you. And that he raised him from the dead no more to return to corruption. He has spoken thus.
I will give you the sure mercies of David. Therefore, he also says in another psalm, you will not allow your holy one to seek corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw no corruption.
Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. And by him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you. Behold, you despisers marvel and perish.
For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you." So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now, when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and contradicting and blaspheming.
They opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us.
I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. Now, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.
But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Overview of the First Missionary Journey
As I said, this is about a year and a half to two year missionary journey, so it is difficult to try and say everything that I think needs to be said. But just an overview of this mission. In chapter 12, beginning in verse 25, through chapter 13 and verse 4, we see the appointment of Barnabas and Saul to the missionary enterprise. And as I said, we'll make a few comments on that.
But then the second leg, or when they first depart, they go to Cyprus. That's verses 4 to 12. That was Barnabas's home country or home region. So perhaps he had a longing and a desire to see that nation evangelized with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.
We read the section where Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch in Pisidia. Again, in the southern Galatian region. There's another Antioch that's in Syria. That's where they are sent from and that's where they return to.
Two different places. Syrian Antioch is down here. Pisidian Antioch is up here. So, please, don't confuse those two locations.
And then in chapter 14, verses 1 to 7, the apostle ministers in Iconium. We have a great statement there. It says, "...and they so spake that a great multitude, both of the Jews and of the Greeks, believed." Notice that in verse 1 of chapter 14. Beautiful statement.
God does use means. He has just told us that God is sovereign. Notice in Acts 13.48, "...and as many as had been appointed to eternal life, Believed. God appoints men.
God decrees. God chooses. God is sovereign in election. It will say that or reiterate that again in Acts 16 when Paul comes to Philippi and he speaks the word to Lydia at the riverside and it says, the Lord opened her heart to receive the word that was spoken by Paul.
So we have the sovereignty of God on both ends. But in the midst of this, we see that God uses means. He uses effective gospel preaching. They so spoke that a great multitude, both of Jews and Greeks, believed.
And then in verses 8 to 20 of chapter 14, the apostles go to Lystra. And here at Lystra, Paul is stoned. Paul is taken out of the city and left for dead. In fact, look at chapter 14, verse 19.
Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there. And having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Now this is Pisidian Antioch. So they traveled for about 80 miles to get the Apostle Paul.
Iconium was about 18 miles from Lystra. Again, they weren't jumping on a plane or a greyhound. They weren't, you know, riding a bike. They were walking.
They had such hatred and animosity toward the apostle, they were literally chasing him down into these various cities. So they persuade the multitude to stone Paul. Notice, though, what we find in verse 19 at the end. They stone Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
So He wasn't just a little injured. They supposed Him to be dead. They thought that He had given up the Spirit. They thought He was over and done with.
But notice in verse 20, However, when the disciples gathered around Him, He rose up and went into the city. And the next day He departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Now Derbe was 60 miles from Lystra. Here He's been stoned to the point of being supposed dead.
That doesn't keep him down. He gets up, goes into the city for the night, and then travels 60 miles in order to get to Lystra. And there, or I'm sorry, well yeah, he goes to Derby rather, from Lystra, and there ministers the Word. Then they make their return journey back to Antioch, having gone through the various cities that they visited.
Notice in verse 23, so when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. So they went through the cities, they came back through, and they encouraged the saints, they appointed elders. And then notice something else in verse 22 of chapter 14. It says, "...strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, We must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God." It was not a difficult lesson to communicate.
The apostle had been stoned. He bore on his body the brand marks of Jesus. For him to say, We must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God, would not have surprised his audience. They would have understood this all too well.
They would have seen the marks on him that he had recently received at the hands of lawless and godless men. So that is the outline, that is the larger picture, that is the journey that these brethren went on in 47 and 48.
The Church's Role in Sending Missionaries
Now notice first of all the appointment of Barnabas and Saul. Now this may be a reminder, this may be review, this may be things that you already know, but it is helpful for us to understand the role of the church in gospel missions. In fact, the church is central in gospel missions. Notice in verse 1 of chapter 13, now in the church, that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manan, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away." The church is where godly and gifted men are cultivated. This ought to be a no-brainer. Jesus said in the Great Commission that we're to make disciples and then we are to teach them.
That teaching takes place in the context of the local church. Men ought to be reared in the body of Christ with reference to missionary service. We note as well that this is where the Holy Spirit obtains servants for gospel mission. He doesn't get on the phone and call some organization, but rather he comes to the church that is in Antioch and he separates unto himself Paul and Barnabas.
This is where men are commissioned, where men are installed, where men are sent out from. They laid hands on them. They bore the authority of Jesus Christ. through the local church. They were not mavericks.
They were not operating independently. They were operating in conjunction with the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, they returned to Antioch. So, this is where accountability is maintained.
They go back to Antioch and they give a report. The modern missions report is based on this biblical principle. Antioch sent these men out. These men visited these various cities.
They come back to Antioch for nurture, for encouragement, for building up, for exhortation and strengthening, and to be a means to comfort and encourage the Church of Christ. They then get ministered unto, they get some time to rest, and then God sends them back out into the mission field so that they can preach and teach the gospel. Note the emphasis upon the church and the Spirit in sending men out. The Spirit sent them out by instructing the church to do so, and the church sent them out, having been directed by the Spirit, to do so.
We need to understand here, there's no individualism involved. A man doesn't just wake up one day and say, you know, I think I ought to be a missionary. No, He is recognized. He is approved.
The Spirit of God makes these things clear. He is given in His Word specifically 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5, various portions in the book of Acts as to what a qualified man looks like. The Spirit of God is at work in rearing or raising up man for the task of gospel missions. Proverbs 18.16 says, a man's gift makes room for him.
He does not make room for his gift. He doesn't come in and say, look, I'm the instructor you've all been waiting for. I am the missionary that you ought to subsidize. I am your man.
No, the Spirit and the church work in conjunction. Obviously, the Spirit doesn't audibly speak to us now. He speaks to us in His Word. That's why we take everything to those passages with reference to men and their qualification with reference to gospel ministry.
And as well, the church is directed by the Spirit. She does not act unilaterally without any guidance or aid. It's not a popularity contest. Not just because someone wants to do this or someone when he was five, his Aunt Bessie said, you know, I'd really love it if you became a missionary.
And so everything has to bow down to Aunt Bessie's dying wish so that this guy can go be a gospel missionary. That is not the way we are to treat this. And remember from what we saw this morning, Paul had been converted for 14 years before he went on this journey. See, I think we missed it to a large degree.
We take young guys and we send them out. I'm not saying it's wicked, but I am suggesting that some of our older guys ought to be going out. In this regard, I think Andy Hamilton serves a good example. Andy Hamilton faithfully labored for many years as a pastor in the United States.
After his children were raised, after they were grown, after they were moved out, he then went to the Far East to begin labors as a missionary. I would not lay down a rule. I would not say a man who's 25 shouldn't or can't go to the mission field. But I certainly think we ought to encourage more older men, more hoary heads. to take up that blessed privilege of going where, if I may use the statement, no one else has gone before to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, that is very key with reference to our understanding of missions. Acts 13, 1-4.
Paul's Sermon in Pisidian Antioch
Now, let's get to Pisidian Antioch. We notice Paul's sermon. Paul brings it. He goes to a synagogue.
This was a ready-made audience. There would be people assembled together to hear the Scriptures. So Paul takes this opportunity to set before them the Lord Jesus Christ. One commentator says the whole atmosphere is Jewish.
The day is the Sabbath. The venue is the synagogue. The lessons are from the Law and the Prophets. The listeners are men of Israel.
And the theme is how God, the God of the people Israel, has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus as He promised. Luke is evidently anxious to demonstrate that Paul's message to the Jews was substantially the same as Peter's. That Paul did not turn to the Gentiles until after he had offered the Gospel to the Jews and had been rebuffed. And that far from being an innovator, Paul was declaring only what God had promised in Scripture and had now fulfilled in Jesus.
And this is precisely what the Apostle does.
Redemptive History: Anticipation and Fulfillment
He reviews redemptive history in verses 17-22. He shows that this was a time of preparation. This was a time of anticipation. This was a time of looking forward to something greater that was to come.
He highlights God's sovereign election of Israel as a people in verse 17. He notes the election of God, the exodus, the wilderness and the conquest. He highlights the period of the judges and he brings that to its culmination in the election of the king, King Saul. Saul had reigned for 40 years and after Saul, then come David.
And David was a man after God's own heart. And yet the kingdom had not been realized. David was not the king ultimately prophesied in the Law and the Prophets, but rather it would be of David's seed, the son of promise, who would come to do what God had intended for Israel.
The Promise Fulfilled in Christ
Notice in verse 23, from this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus. And now He begins to show this time of fulfillment. Anticipation leads to realization. Promise leads to fulfillment.
What we have in Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the promises of God. They are yea and amen in the Lord Jesus Christ. He came according to the promise specifically of 2 Samuel 7. You may look at that another time.
You may look at that tonight. 2 Samuel 7 is a foundational passage pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember in our studies of the covenant of grace, those various historical covenants with Adam and then with Noah and then with Abraham and then with Moses and David. God made a promise to David that of His seed, He would raise up a king. He would install one on David's throne who would reign forever and ever.
Well, Peter's already asserted to us in Acts 2.30 that this took place at the resurrection of Jesus. When He sat down at the right hand of God Most High, He occupied David's throne where He must reign till all of His enemies are made His footstool and it will be an eternal reign. So you see what Paul is doing. He goes into the synagogue.
He opens their own Scriptures. He begins to show them the Law. He begins to show them the Prophets. He begins to unfold to them their own redemptive history.
And then he says, that history pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is preaching Christ in this particular instance. Jesus was installed as Savior after the preaching of John the Baptist. Jesus is the Davidic King and promise made to Abraham for the redemption of Israel.
He goes on to trace the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. What happened to this one? This one came to his own, but his own received him not. How do we know they did not receive him?
Well, he was arrested. He was delivered up to Pontius Pilate. He was tried. He was ultimately crucified.
He was buried, but God raised him from the dead. So you see, Paul connects with his Jewish audience from their own prophetic literature. And then he shows how this prophetic literature leads inevitably to the Messiah, to the Lord of Glory, to Jesus Christ the Savior. He was crucified.
He was buried. And he was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures. Notice verse 29. Now, when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us, their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.
As it is also written in the second psalm, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Psalm 2 and verse 7. Many theologians take this as a reference to the eternal generation of the Son.
I'm not here to dispute that particular doctrine, but Paul applies this specifically to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He's declared the Son of God with power. And then he goes on to highlight the fact that He would be raised, that He would bolt out of the grave. And he alludes to Psalm, or he quotes from Isaiah 55 and then Psalm 16.
And then notice what Paul does. He applies his message. He applies his message. He doesn't just stop at verse 37 and say, okay, now go home.
A lot of preaching does just that. A lot of preaching informs and it instructs and it should inform and it should instruct. You should always come and learn under preaching. You should learn at least the passage that is under review or under consideration.
You should always learn. The Puritans have the right idea. We go to the heart through the mind. We seek out the heart but through the mind.
We don't want emotional ism. We don't want to make you turn up the heat in here and just talk about bad things so that you'll make a decision for Christ. You should be informed what the Scripture says. There is applicatory preaching throughout the book of Acts.
And by applicatory preaching, I mean, therefore. Again, he doesn't just set the data out there and say, okay, now go home, have tea, coffee, and just sort of think about it. No, look at what he does in verse 38. Therefore, he says, he wants their wills moved.
He wants them to decide. Now, these are biblical terms if couched in their context of God's sovereignty. He wants them to consider the truth. He says, therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.
Now, this would have struck a Jewish audience pretty amazingly. Who did they associate the forgiveness of sins with? But God. Isaiah 43, God says, He says, I am He, even He who blocks out all your transgressions for My name's sake.
Remember that scene in the Gospel account, specifically in Mark 2, where those four men bring the paralytic. They can't get in because there's so many people. So what they do is they open up the roof and then they lower the man down. It's an amazing scene.
What does Jesus say to that man on the bed? He said, son, your sins are forgiven. What do the Pharisees do? Who is this man?
Only God alone can forgive sins. Spurgeon's sermon on that, he says, I like to think that the dust from the roof fell on the faces of those Pharisees. I like to think that those proud men got some dirt on their face when they looked up at what was going on. They associated forgiveness with Jehovah.
And rightly so. Who can forgive sins but God alone? So what does Jesus then do? He says, which is easier, to say to the man, your sins are forgiven you, or take up your bed and walk?
Well, it's easier to say your sins are forgiven you. Because nobody can verify that, right? I could set up a booth in the middle of the city and have you come to me and say, your sins are forgiven you. Well, you wouldn't know.
So what does Jesus do? He says, take up your bed and walk. We oftentimes look at that narrative and go, wow, what a miracle! He caused this man who was paralyzed to take up his bed and lie.
No, that simply was a proof or an evidence. That simply was an exhibit of the greater miracle that Jesus has authority to forgive sin. We're not supposed to go, wow, look at the guy who took up his bed and walked. We're supposed to go, look at the Son of Man who has authority to forgive sin.
When Paul said, therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, he was asserting the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is equating Jesus with Yahweh of Israel, as the one who said, I, even I am He who blots out your transgressions. Now
Justification by Faith, Not the Law
notice what he goes on to say. He says in verse 39, And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. You starting to get savvy as to why he had to write Galatians? This is what he's preaching.
What do you think the Judaizers are doing? No! You can't just tell people to believe. They've got to believe and...
You can't just make an assertion like verse 39 and say, by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. You can see where the Judaizers were saying, He's an enemy to the law of Moses. He's got problems. He's got issues.
He preaches a law-free gospel. He is telling sinners to believe and they'll be forgiven. We can't have that. Hence, one of the reasons he took pen to paper to write to the Galatians.
Because men came on his heels and said, what Paul says is good, but you also have to add to that. This thing we call circumcision. You have to add this right. You have to throw that in the mix in order to complete the package so that you may stand before the Lord God Most High.
Paul says no. You believe. You look to Christ to believe the Gospel in the language of John Calvin is nothing else than to assent to the truths which God has revealed. You believe and you will be justified.
Justification by faith alone in Christ alone is preached by Paul in Pisidi and Antioch. And he ends with a warning. Again, his preaching is a good model for our preaching.
Warning to Those Who Reject the Gospel
He reaches back into the prophet Habakkuk and he says, which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you." In the context of Habakkuk, God, through the prophet, announces that Judah is going into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar and his armies are coming. They are a bitter and a hasty nation, and they are going to demolish Jerusalem. They are going to leave captive all the people of Judah.
And in Paul's context, the idea is this. You reject, you despise something far worse than Nebuchadnezzar and his armies coming to decimate your city is going to happen to you. In other words, you need to believe and you'll be saved. But if you reject it, you will be damned.
If you refuse him who speaks to you, then you will be consigned to hell. Notice what happens. Actually, before we get to the response, I just want to finish with a quote again by another commentator. He says, we need to remember that Paul is addressing Galatians.
Only a few months or so later, he will be writing his letter to the Galatians. It is very striking, therefore, that he brings together here at the conclusion of his sermon five of the great words which will be foundation stones of his gospel as he expounds it in his letter. Having referred to Jesus' death on the tree, he goes on to speak of sin, faith, justification, law, and grace. That, essentially, is the epistle to the Galatians.
It is a letter concerned with the atoning work of Jesus, the sinfulness of man, faith, justification, law and grace. That's a great summary of Paul's preaching there in Pisidian Antioch.
The Response to Paul's Preaching
Well, notice finally the response. Look what the Gentiles do. Wish we had more of these kind of Gentiles today. Look what verse 42 says.
So, when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Have you ever begged for the Word of God? Oh, we're too dignified to beg. Well, if we really understood the power of God's Word in our sinfulness, we would be beggars.
It's with these Gentiles that we want that. We want to hear. We want to know. We want to understand.
I realize there's a bit of a variant reading. I'm going with the New King James here. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged. Pray to God that we would be beggars for the Word.
Not that we would just like Bible study. There's a difference between liking Bible study and begging for the Word of God. There's a difference between nodding and some hearty agreement that, yes, I appreciate Reformed preaching. And being a beggar, being greedy, being desirous, wanting the pure Word of the living God.
These Gentiles demonstrate, or at least these Gentiles in Pisidi and Antioch demonstrate to us something we ought to emulate. Notice the receptive Jews, verse 43. Now, when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas. It's been a bit of a change now.
Up to this point, it's always Barnabas and Saul, or Barnabas and Paul. Now it's Paul and Barnabas. Paul is the man from Acts 13 on. I don't want to be a man idolater or anything like that.
But Luke's spotlight is on Peter in the first half of the book and Paul in the second half of the book. It follows Jesus' plan. You'll be my witnesses first in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. Peter went to Jerusalem.
Peter was in the area of Judea, Samaria, and then it was Paul who went to the uttermost parts of the earth. And so here, the Jews and about proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Now notice verse 44. It says, on the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the Word of God.
You know what that tells me? That the people there on the first Sabbath couldn't keep their mouths shut. That's a good thing. Not a bad thing.
Good thing. Here's the way I suspect. After that first Sabbath, when they went home, or they were at the water cooler at work on Monday, or when they were at the marketplace on Tuesday, all they could talk about is what they heard the previous Sabbath. They were saying things like, you really should come to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
You really need to hear this Paul. Not because he's Paul, but because of the message that he's preaching. He's telling us of this Jesus whom the prophets pointed to. This Jesus who was crucified, but God raised up.
This Jesus who, when we look to Him in faith, will be justified, will be forgiven. Where the law of Moses was powerless to bring that justification, this Lord Jesus Christ brings it to us. They went out and they told people They went out and they communicated. They went out and said, you've got to hear.
I realize, brethren, that not everybody has the ability to give a three-point sermon. I realize that not everybody has the facility to go out and communicate the Gospel to everybody. But certainly you could say, you ought to come to church. Click on this sermon.
Listen to this. Hear this. Understand this. I mean, every Christian should be a witness.
We have been saved to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. If we can't do it physically, we can point them to someone who can. You hear a good sermon on Sermon Audio, send the link to somebody. You really should listen to this.
I think that's what was going on in Pisidi and Antioch. It doesn't just happen that on the next Sabbath, almost the whole city comes together to hear the Word of God, unless the people of God, or at least those who are somewhat curious, go out and say, you really should listen to this. You really should give an ear to this. You really should pay attention to what is going on on the Sabbath day.
Unbelieving Jews: Envy and Blasphemy
Notice the unbelieving Jews, verses 45 and 46. Envy, contradiction, and blasphemy. Notice verse 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.
And contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Blasphemy has gone through a bit of a redemptive, Christological shift. Blasphemy now, entails speaking against the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not Paul that is blaspheming when he calls their attention to the Law and Prophets pointing to Jesus.
Rather, it is those who despise, those who reject, and those who do not embrace Christ. They are the ones who are blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth." So they then basically, symbolically do this. in accordance with Ezekiel's watchmen.
Their hands are clean. They've declared the truth. The Jews have rejected and despised. So they now will become the particular missionaries to Gentile churches.
And that is precisely what they do in the remainder of Acts 14 and 15, the second and third missionary journey. And incidentally, or interestingly enough rather, in Acts 28, when Paul is in prison, Jews come to him to hear the Word of God. It's amazing. So that's how the various people groups responded.
Notice the Gentiles' response.
Divine Election and Gentile Belief
Can't miss verse 48. Now, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. I've seen in my time people try to get out of the teaching of that text. People have tried to escape the clear, clear implication of God's absolute sovereignty there.
It means what it says. It really means, as many as had been appointed to eternal life, something happened in the past by God appointing men to eternal life, it was those appointed to eternal life men that believed the gospel. Those appointed to eternal life men and women believed the gospel. James White says it this way, the most natural way to take the text to see this as Luke's explanation of why some who heard believed while others did not.
You might scratch your head. Hey, how come some of these Jews said, wow, this is great. Others said, we hate you. Why is it that some of the Gentiles believed and others did not?
Why is it today that as the gospel is being preached throughout the earth, some embrace it and others do not? He goes on to say, the difference was not that some were better or more disposed toward the gospel than others. The very idea of being disposed toward the Gospel is utterly contrary to Paul's teaching in Romans 8, 7 and 8. The difference is that some were appointed to eternal life as part of the eternal decree of God, and others were not.
That's the issue. It was not that I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be. Hadst thou not chosen me, God, I would have continued to refuse thee. That's just a simple fact.
We preach, we pray, we labor, we work, we proclaim, we do missions all under the conscious realization that our God is in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases. He is a sovereign being. Paul celebrates that fact in Ephesians chapter 1. He argues for that polemically in Romans chapter 9.
Our God does not react. Our God is not waiting and wishing that some will jump on the good ship salvation. God has purposed a great multitude which no man can number, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, as we saw there in Revelation chapter 5. Our God does not react to men.
Our God is proactive. Our God is decreed. Our God is working all things according to the counsel of His own will. It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
And blessed be God that He does show mercy. As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
The Word Spreads; Dust of Judgment
Luke ends this section with a summary report. The word spread. Verse 49. The Jews persecuted.
And then we see the dust of judgment. Notice verse 51. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Remember Jesus spoke of doing this? Remember that Jesus spoke of shaking the dust off your feet? One commentator says, the long-suffering and non-violent gentleness of Jesus' servants should not be mistaken for a lack of divine authority. Their message cannot be sworn with impunity.
Rather, their dust-shaking ceremony previewed the day when God Himself will make an utter separation between those who have fled to Him for refuge and those who have fled from Him in rebellion. In a terrifying prelude to the final division, Jesus instructed His emissaries to give certain cities what they wanted, to withdraw the indicting and saving Word of God from them. That is sobering. That is fearful.
And may it not be the case that God Most High shakes the dust from His feet with reference to this assembly. May we be beggars. May we be lovers. May we be those who delight in God's Word.
May we be those looking to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith alone. Not looking to what we can bring. Saying with the hymn writer, nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling.
Being extraspective, as Machen says, not looking to ourselves and our own accomplishments and our own works, not seeing what we can add to this faith to present it to God for justification, but looking solely and alone to the Lord Jesus Christ. May that be what is found in this place.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray. Father, we thank You for the Word of God in this first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. Though we have just touched the surface, God, we pray that You'd help us to better understand the book of Galatians, to see it in its historical context, and to see the various threats that Paul encountered in terms of doctrine. We just pray, Father, that You would give us understanding in these things, give us encouragement and strength that we may contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
We ask now that You would go with Your people, that You would watch over us and protect us. And we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.