Acts 13:13-52 | the Next Chapter in Israel's Storyਨਮੂਨਾ

In Acts 13:4-12, we covered the first stage of Paul and Barnabas’s journey. They had just proclaimed the word of God across the whole island of Cyprus, traversing the 100-mile-long island by foot. They met opposition from the powers of darkness, but God displayed his power and authority over the darkness through the hand of Paul. That led the Roman ruler of the island to believe in Jesus.

But right when they make it back to the mainland, things go awry. In Acts 13:13, we read that Paul and his companions landed at Perga in Pamphylia, and John left them and returned to Jerusalem. Why? We don’t know why he left, nor do we know what words were exchanged. Was it tense? We can only speculate. But several chapters later, at the end of Acts 15, we meet this John again, and we will see that his decision not to continue on the journey had consequences.

Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas and the other companions went on. Having landed at the town of Perga (in the province of Pamphylia, which is in modern-day Türkiye), they traveled over 100 miles north to the town of Antioch, in the neighboring province of Pisidia. (Some translations call it “Pisidian Antioch.” This is a different Antioch than the one from which Paul and Barnabas were sent.) And on the Sabbath, they “went into the synagogue and sat down.” This is Paul’s pattern—going first to his fellow Jews, those with whom he shares a common history and ancestry. (More on that in Day 2.) It is the pattern Jesus himself followed during his earthly ministry.

Notice that they went in and sat down. They did not stand outside, trying to get the attention of the people before they entered the synagogue, or after they left. They did not run through the doors, shouting about Jesus. They sat down.

The service began, and after the Scripture reading from the Law and Prophets, the synagogue officials asked Paul and his companions if they had any “word of encouragement” for the people who were gathered. So Paul stood up, and in the next few days, we will dig into what he said.

Often, opportunities to share the gospel will come when we are first willing to sit down. Ask God to show you where he wants you to sit down, to listen, and to wait for your turn. Pray that God would orchestrate opportunities for you to bear witness to Jesus today. And pray for patience, readiness, and courage.

Map from N.T. Wright's "Acts for Everyone"