RSV ~ Acts 13 Notes

Acts 13:1 | ISB Notes

prophets and teachers: Important pastoral ministers in the early Church (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). Prophets envisioned future events (11:27-28; 21:10-11) and encouraged the assembled community (15:32; 1 Cor 14:3), while teachers educated the faithful in the rudiments of Christian truth (11:26; 1 Tim 2:7). Barnabas …

Saul: All five men were Jews who were Greek-speaking. Barnabas and a group of prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem (11:22, 27); Symeon and Lucius came from Africa (11:20); Manaen came from Herod’s court in Galilee (Lk 3:1); and Saul was summoned from Tarsus in Asia Minor (11:25-26).

Acts 13:2 | ISB Notes

worshiping: Translates the Greek leitourgeo, which originally meant acts of public service performed on behalf of the state or in honor of a deity. In biblical Greek, the verb is used for the cultic ministry of Aaronic priests and their Levitical assistants in the sanctuary (Ex 28:43; Num 18:2; Sir 45:15; Heb 10:11). Luke’s use of the term follows the biblical tradition, suggesting that the Antiochene Church was worshiping the Lord through various liturgical actions, probably in connection with the Eucharist. In patristic times, this verb was closely associated with the sacramental liturgy of the Church.

Acts 13:3 | ISB Notes

fasting and praying: Traditional forms of Jewish piety (Lk 2:37) revered as a means of seeking the Lord and finding his will (14:23; CCC 1434, 1969).

laid their hands: A congregational act to commission individuals for a specific task (Num 8:10).

Acts 13:4-14 | ISB Notes

Paul’s first missionary journey from A.D. 46 to 49. He later embarks on a second (15:36-18:22) and third mission (18:23-21:15).

Acts 13:4 | ISB Notes

sailed to Cyprus: An island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It was a Roman province and the homeland of Barnabas (4:36). Paul’s first wave of preaching swept all the way from Salamis on its eastern shore (13:5) to the port capital Paphos on its southwestern shore (13:6). Prior to this, only some of the Cypriot Jews had heard the gospel (11:19).

Acts 13:5 | ISB Notes

the synagogues: Paul targets the local Jewish synagogue every time he enters a new missionary frontier in Acts (13:14; 14:1; 17:1, 10, 17; 18:4, 19, etc.).

This strategy was shaped by practical as well as theological considerations: on the one hand, synagogues already served as weekly gathering places where Jews and even Gentiles came together for prayer and religious instruction; on the other, Paul was driven by the conviction that Israel stood first in line to inherit the blessings of the messianic age (13:46; Rom 1:16).

John: John Mark, who was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). See note on Acts 12:12.

Acts 13:7 | ISB Notes

Sergius Paulus: The Roman governor of the island and the first Gentile ruler in Acts to become a believer (13:12).

Acts 13:8 | ISB Notes

Elymas: Earlier called “Bar-Jesus”, an Aramaic name meaning “son of Joshua/Jesus” (13:6). He is the second magician, after Simon the Samaritan, to be rebuked by the apostles in Acts (13:10-11). See note on Acts 8:9.

Acts 13:9 | ISB Notes

also called Paul: Like numerous Jews in the NT period, the apostle had both a Roman (“Paul”) and a Semitic (“Saul”) name (1:23; 12:12; 13:1). Except when Saul recounts his conversion (22:7; 26:14), he is hereafter called Paul throughout Acts and the rest of the NT. Some hold that this permanent switch to Paul’s Roman name is linked with the conversion of the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus (13:7).

Acts 13:11 | ISB Notes

blind … lead him by the hand: Reminiscent of Paul’s own experience at Damascus (9:8).

Acts 13:13 | ISB Notes

came to Perga: Twelve miles inland from the coast of Pamphylia, a Roman province in southern Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

John left them: No reason is given for his withdrawal, but it became a source of irritation and disagreement between Paul and Barnabas as plans were made for a second missionary journey (15:36-40). Paul and Mark were eventually reconciled and worked closely together in later years (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11).

Acts 13:14 | ISB Notes

Antioch of Pisidia: Not the Syrian city of Antioch where the mission originated (13:1), but a prominent city of the same name in southern Galatia that was home to a large Jewish community in the NT period.

Acts 13:15 | ISB Notes

the law and the prophets: Scriptural readings from the Torah and the prophets formed the heart of the synagogue liturgy every Sabbath (15:21). Prayers such as the Shema (Deut 6:4) and the Eighteen Benedictions were also recited, and sometimes guest rabbis were invited to comment on the readings and exhort the assembly (13:15; Lk 4:16-21).

Acts 13:16-41 | ISB Notes

Paul’s inaugural sermon skims the highlights of biblical history from the Exodus to the coming of Jesus. He stresses that Christ fulfills the Davidic covenant by rising from the dead to an everlasting kingship (13:33-37) and supersedes the Mosaic covenant by offering the gift of divine forgiveness (13:38-39). The sermon ends with a warning that scoffers who reject this message are doomed to perish (13:41).

Acts 13:16 | ISB Notes

you that fear God: Paul addresses Gentiles who were attending synagogue services alongside the Jews. This is why his preaching elicits faith from Jews and Greeks alike (14:1; 18:4). See note on Acts 10:2.

Acts 13:33 | ISB Notes

the second psalm: Paul cites Ps 2:7 to explain how the rising of Jesus fulfills Yahweh’s oath to give one of David’s descendants everlasting dominion over Israel and the world (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 2:8).

• Psalm 2 is an enthronement psalm probably recited on the day the kings of Israel were anointed for office and adopted as sons by Yahweh. Paul interprets it messianically, so that the “today” of the psalm corresponds to the “Sunday” when Jesus rose from the grave. This is the day when Christ’s humanity was anointed for eternal kingship (Lk 1:32-33) and made to share in the glory of his eternal Sonship (Rom 1:4; CCC 445, 2606).

See essay: at Acts 15.

Acts 13:34-35 | ISB Notes

Paul continues to build his case for the Davidic kingship of Jesus by citing Is 55:3 and Ps 16:10.

• Isaiah gives hope to Israel in exile that God will restore the kingdom and blessings of David through an everlasting covenant. Psalm 16 is David’s own prophecy that Yahweh will preserve the anointed Messiah from the corruption of death. Paul applies these hopes directly to Jesus: Because his humanity was rescued from death and raised to immortal life, he is the only Davidic descendant (13:23) qualified to rule the eternal kingdom promised to David. Peter made this same argument with the help of Ps 16 in his inaugural sermon in 2:24-31.

Acts 13:39 | ISB Notes

freed: Or “justified”. For Paul, Christ succeeds where the Mosaic Law failed, so that believers receive the true justification and forgiveness (Rom 6:7) that was signified but not fully conferred through the ceremonial rites of the Old Covenant (Heb 10:1-4; CCC 614, 1990).

Acts 13:41 | ISB Notes

Behold, you scoffers: The sermon concludes with I a warning from the Greek version of Hab 1:5.

• God is responding to Habakkuk’s complaint that wickedness flourishes unchecked in Israel. He assures the prophet that judgment is marching toward Israel with the Babylonian army to devastate the land and haul its inhabitants into exile. Paul cautions that a similar catastrophe is in store for unbelievers who reject the gospel.

Acts 13:46 | ISB Notes

first to you: The apostles prioritized the evangelization of Israel before reaching out to the Gentiles (3:26). See note on Acts 13:5. we turn to the Gentiles: Paul is not abandoning his mission to Israel; he is simply turning away from the hardened leaders of the Antioch synagogue. This is confirmed by his preaching to Jews in the very next episode (14:1).

Acts 13:47 | ISB Notes

I have set you: Paul supports his Gentile ministry with a quotation from Is 49:6.

• In context, Yahweh commissions his Servant first to restore the dispersed tribes of Israel and then to spread his salvation far and wide to all nations. As in Isaiah, where the Servant symbolizes both the Redeemer (individual) and the redeemed of Israel (collective), Paul contends that Jesus the Servant (3:13) continues his mission through the servant apostles who are sent to enlighten the Gentiles (26:17-18, 23).

Acts 13:51 | ISB Notes

shook off the dust: A symbolic curse gesture. It adapts the Jewish custom of shaking dust from one’s sandals before reentering the land of Israel from Gentile territory (Mt 10:14).