THE GOSPEL PREACHED IN ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA

Acts 13:13-15 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 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. (Also see Verses 16-52).

Leaving the island of Cyprus, Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark sailed northwesterly to the city of Perga, which was located in the province of Pamphylia, in the area known as Asia Minor. One significant thing to note is that prior to this time the apostle, who was specifically called by Jesus on the road to Damascus, was known by his Jewish name, Saul. Beginning in the lesson text, and continuing throughout the rest of his lifetime, he was known by his Roman name, Paul. Also, we find that here in Perga, John Mark, for some unrevealed reason, left the company of, and service to, Paul and Barnabas, (probably without their consent) and returned to Jerusalem.

Continuing their journey, Paul and Barnabas left Perga and traveled inland, in a northerly direction to the city of Antioch in Pisidia, which was located within the area of Asia Minor known as Phrygia. And as it seemed to be common in each city they visited, they went to the places where it was most likely to get an audience. Here in this city, they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. After the formal reading of the law and the prophets, Paul was asked, if he desired, to speak to the people. Although their primary mission was to deliver the gospel of Christ to the people of Gentile nations, Paul took advantage of this opportunity to offer God's hope of salvation to his own countrymen, the Jewish people. Paul welcomed this invitation, stood up before the assembly, and said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

In verses 17 through 41, Paul proceeds to rehearse before them the complete history of the Jewish nation from the time they were under Egyptian captivity through the resurrection of the Son of God, the promised Savior of the world. Paul continued by telling them that the Jewish nation was delivered out of Egypt by God through his servant, Moses; that they were bought into, and given for their possession, the land of Canaan. It was here in the promised land of milk and honey that, for four hundred and fifty years, God gave them judges to rule over them. And when they desired a king, God gave them Saul, and afterwards, He gave them David to be their king. Paul then assured the Jews, to whom he was speaking, that the promised seed of David, the Messiah, was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (See 2 Sam. 7:12; Isa. 11:1; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). Paul also told them of John the Baptist, who was well known, and was held in the highest regard, by all Jews of their present generation. John testified that Jesus was, at the time he was baptized in the river Jordan, the Son of God, and the promised Messiah, the Savior.

Completing this portion of his discourse, Paul told the Jews of this synagogue, Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent (Vs. 26). Paul appeals to the ancestral pride the Jewish nation had in their "Father Abraham," through whose Seed God had specifically promised the Messiah. And, in the same manner as Abraham feared God and followed His commandments, so all Jewish people desired to be obedient to the will of God, their Heavenly Father. The hope of eternal salvation was first offered to the Jewish nation on the Day of Pentecost by the apostles of Christ. He was the promised Seed of Abraham; He was the Messiah; He was the Son of God sent to offer them the hope of eternal salvation.

But instead of recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah, Paul says that they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every sabbath day. And, instead of accepting Him as their Savior, they condemned Him, and desired (of) Pilate that He should be slain. Their desire being accomplished, Jesus was buried in a sepulchre. But the Son of God was not allowed to remain there. God raised Him from the dead, and as proof of his resurrection, He was seen many days of them, which came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people. Although witnessed by hundreds of Jewish people, His apostles are specifically mentioned here as Galileans that accompanied Him to Jerusalem. It should be noted here that many that witnessed Jesus after he was resurrected from death, including most of His apostles, were still alive and could attest to the resurrection of Christ at the time Paul was preaching to those of the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia.

Reciting the prophecies found in the inspired Psalms of King David, Paul assures his Jewish audience that Jesus Christ was, indeed, His begotten Son. And unlike David, who physically died, was buried, and whose body decayed, God would not allow His Son, Christ Jesus, to perish and see the corruption that physical death brings to the human body. Jesus was raised from death by the authority and power of God, His Heavenly Father, never to see death again, but to reign over His kingdom from His throne in Heaven. Paul concludes his message of salvation though Jesus Christ by saying: Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. This man, Jesus Christ, Paul continues to tell them, is the Seed of Abraham through David. He is the promised Savior, and through the blood He shed on the cross of Calvary, you may have, by believing in Him and obeying his will, the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal salvation.

To the Jewish people to whom he was speaking, Paul gave them this warning: Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets. By rejecting the gospel message of Jesus Christ and His apostles, Paul told them that they could assuredly expect the judgment of God to come upon them just as it did when the Jews rejected God's will during the days of their forefathers, while inhabiting the land of Canaan. Just as the Jewish nation refuses to accept God's Son, Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world today, so did they also reject God and refuse to obey His will in the days when God's law was delivered to them by His servant, Moses.

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. Jesus Christ, during His sojourn on earth, performed irrefutable miracles proving His gospel messages, and His divinity. Although, by undeniable miracles, His apostles confirmed God's doctrine of salvation thorough Christ on the Day of Pentecost, yet the misconceived prejudice of the Jewish people, brought on by their obstinate, unknowing, and self-willed spiritual leaders, caused the great majority of the Jewish nation to despise and reject Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. It is to this staid, impenitent people Paul makes this condemning plea to accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. Just as God was rejected and despised in the past, and just as Christ was denied and hated during His ministry on earth, so did the Jewish nation, for the most part, disregard, turn away from, and violently reject God's hope of salvation through Christ Jesus, as taught by His apostles. They despise, wonder, and perish because of their stubborn refusal to yield to God's plea to come to Him on His terms and enjoy the hope of salvation.

As it was then, so it is today. When the undeniable true word of God is presented, it is most often disregarded and despised though a man (of God) declare it unto you. The fact that people reject the hope of salvation and perish in their sins is just as sad and unfortunate today as it always has been in the past.