20160614 Tuesday, June 14 2016
Acts 13: The First Voyage Of Barnabas and Saul

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them"

Barnabas was of the tribe of Levi ("4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus" Acts 4:36 KJV), while the apostle Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin ("11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin" Romans 11:1 KJV).

Both were however identified as of Judah ("Jew" is simply an abbreviation of Judah, just like "Mike" is an abbreviation of Michael) because the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi composed the Kingdom of Judah (see Jews - Three Tribes and Three Meanings) after the united Kingdom of Israel (see How Many Kings Reigned In The United Kingdom?) split into two independent kingdoms - the Kingdom of Israel (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah and Israel In History and Prophecy: The Lost Ten Tribes) and the Kingdom of Judah (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Kingdom Of Judah and Israel In History and Prophecy: Judaism; see also Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism).

Barnabas recognized the Messiah before Saul / Paul did, and was given the difficult task of reconciling him to the people that Paul had not long before been persecuting and killing (see Paul's Conversion In Syria and The Rising Of Tabitha and Where Believers Were First Called Christians). When that task was accomplished, the LORD commanded Barnabas and Saul to go on what became known as "Paul's first missionary journey."

"13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." (Acts 13:1-3 KJV)

Their first landing was on Cyprus, the birthplace of Barnabas. There, Saul / Paul quickly demonstrated why the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) had chosen him as an apostle to the world (see also The Gospel By The Greek and The Baptism Of The Ethiopian) - an often very hostile world (see The Devil's Fight Along The Way).

"13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 13:7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.

And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." (Acts 13:4-14 KJV)

Amazingly, Paul gave the same history lesson that Stephen made just before the mob, which then included Paul before he was converted, killed him (see The Stoning Of Stephen - Why Are Witnesses Called Martyrs?). The purpose of the history was to prove how events fulfilled prophecy. History and prophecy cannot be separated because they are statements of the "before" and "after" of events. It's the reason that Paul quoted prophecy in the history (in the verses below, Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, Psalm 16:10 and Habakkuk 1:5).

"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. 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 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.

13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 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. 13:18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 13:19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

13:21 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. 13:22 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.

13:23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 13:25 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.

13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 13:27 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. 13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 13:30 But God raised him from the dead: 13:31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

13:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 13:33 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.

13:34 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.

13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm,

Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

13:36 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: 13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 13:40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you."

(Acts 13:13-41 KJV)

As would be the case throughout his service to the LORD, some wisely "listened" while others foolishly mocked (see the Fact Finder question below). Included in Paul's history and prophecy "sermon" were Isaiah 49:6 (verse 47 below).

"13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,

I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

13:49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13:42-52 KJV)

Fact Finder: Mockers often mock prophecy, but in doing so, what prophecy do mockers fulfill about themselves?
See The Mocker's Folly