November 21

Acts 13-14 (biblegateway.com)

The Gospel to the Nations Begins

As the church in Antioch grows and is strengthened through teaching and prayer, the Holy Spirit begins to send out missionaries to take the gospel beyond Judea and Samaria into the Gentile world, fulfilling Christ’s command to reach the nations. Acts 13–14 record the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey, marking a new chapter in the spread of the gospel.

Acts 13 — The First Missionary Journey Begins, the Gospel to the Gentiles Expands, and Paul’s Ministry Emerges

The church in Antioch stands at a pivotal moment in the expansion of the gospel. This congregation, diverse, Spirit-led, and mission-minded, has become the primary base for outreach into the Gentile world. The believers are gathered in worship and fasting when the Holy Spirit speaks and sets apart Barnabas and Saul for the work God has already prepared for them (v. 1–2). Their commissioning shows how the mission of the church rests on God’s initiative and enabling grace. The church responds willingly, praying, fasting, and laying hands on them before sending them out (v. 3). The gospel’s movement into new regions begins not with human strategy but with God’s call and the church’s obedient partnership in that call.

Sent by the Spirit, Barnabas and Saul sail to Cyprus and proclaim the Word of God in the synagogues, with John Mark assisting them (v. 4–5). Their method reflects the pattern seen throughout Acts: the gospel is offered first to the Jewish community before moving to the broader Gentile world. Traveling to Paphos, they encounter Elymas the magician, who attempts to turn Sergius Paulus away from the faith (v. 6–8). Spiritual opposition arises wherever the gospel confronts deception. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, exposes Elymas’s distortion of the truth, and judgment falls in the form of temporary blindness (v. 9–11). This event reinforces that God’s Word is authoritative and that no spiritual counterfeit can stand against it. The proconsul believes, struck not only by the miracle but by “the teaching of the Lord” (v. 12). True faith arises from both the clarity of the message and the convicting work of the Spirit, not from force or manipulation.

From Paphos, they travel to Perga, where John Mark departs for Jerusalem (v. 13). Though Luke records the departure simply, it later becomes significant, reminding readers that ministry is often demanding and that not all workers remain. Paul and Barnabas continue to Pisidian Antioch and enter the synagogue, where the reading of the Law and the Prophets provides a natural opening for Paul to speak (v. 14–15). His sermon traces Israel’s history in a way that highlights God’s faithful initiative and sovereign guidance: He chooses the fathers, delivers Israel from Egypt, sustains them in the wilderness, gives them the land, raises up judges, grants King Saul, and then provides David, “a man after His heart” (v. 16–22). Each movement in the story reveals God’s persistent grace, preparing the way for the coming of Christ.

Paul proclaims that from David’s line God brought the Savior Jesus as promised (v. 23), and that John the Baptist called Israel to repentance in preparation for His arrival (v. 24–25). Yet the people of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize Him and, in condemning Him, unintentionally fulfilled the Scriptures read every Sabbath (v. 26–27). Although they found no guilt worthy of death, they carried out everything written about Him, placed Him in a tomb, and thought His work was finished (v. 28–29). But God raised Him from the dead, validating His identity and mission (v. 30). The risen Christ appeared to many witnesses who now proclaim Him boldly (v. 31). Paul’s emphasis reflects a core truth: the gospel rests on historical reality—the resurrection is not a symbol but the decisive moment in God’s redemptive plan.

Paul connects the resurrection to God’s covenant promises, showing, through the Psalms and the prophets, that Jesus is the Holy One who would not see decay (v. 32–37). David served God’s purpose in his generation and died, but Jesus lives forever. Then Paul declares the heart of the message: through Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and all who believe are justified from things the law could never justify (v. 38–39). This truth lies at the center of the Christian faith. The law reveals sin but cannot remove it; Christ provides what the law cannot. Salvation is offered genuinely to all, and each person must respond in faith. Paul warns them through Habakkuk not to ignore what God is doing but to receive the salvation offered freely (v. 40–41).

As the service ends, many beg Paul and Barnabas to return the next Sabbath, and others follow them, encouraged to continue in the grace of God (v. 42–43). The next Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathers to hear the Word (v. 44). But jealousy rises among some of the Jewish leaders, who contradict Paul and resist the message (v. 45). Paul and Barnabas respond by declaring that, since the message was rejected by some, they now turn deliberately to the Gentiles, fulfilling God’s command that His salvation reach the ends of the earth (v. 46–47). The Gentiles rejoice, honor the Word of the Lord, and many believe, demonstrating hearts responding freely to God’s grace at work (v. 48). The Word spreads throughout the region (v. 49).

Opposition intensifies as leaders stir up influential citizens against them, driving them from the district (v. 50). Paul and Barnabas shake the dust from their feet and go on to Iconium (v. 51), not in bitterness but in recognition that the mission must continue. Meanwhile, the believers in Pisidian Antioch remain filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (v. 52). Persecution does not slow God’s mission; it serves only to clarify who stands with the gospel and to strengthen the resolve of those who believe.

Acts 13 shows a church guided by the Spirit, proclaiming Christ with boldness, and trusting God to open hearts in His timing. The chapter highlights themes that run throughout Scripture: God takes the initiative, people respond freely, the Word proves powerful, and the mission moves forward, even in the face of resistance. Through Paul’s preaching, the gospel begins its deliberate expansion into the Gentile world, fulfilling God’s promises and demonstrating that salvation is offered to all who turn in faith to the risen Christ.

Acts 14 — The Gospel Advances Through Persevering Grace and the Lord’s Enabling Power

After the first wave of the missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas enter Iconium carrying the clarity of the gospel affirmed in Antioch. Roman influence, Greek culture, and Jewish tradition shape the region, creating an environment where responses to the gospel vary widely. Yet in every city, the same pattern emerges: God opens doors for those ready to hear, and opposition rises wherever unbelief takes root. Acts 14 shows the missionary team pressing forward with quiet confidence in God’s guidance, trusting the Spirit to work through both welcome and resistance.

Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue in Iconium and speak in such a way that many Jews and Greeks believe (v. 1). The effectiveness of their preaching reflects both the clarity of the message and the Spirit’s enabling work in the hearts of those who respond. But some refuse the message and stir up the Gentiles, poisoning their minds against the believers (v. 2). Even so, Paul and Barnabas remain for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirms the message of His grace with signs and wonders (v. 3). Throughout Acts, God’s miracles authenticate the truth, yet faith itself arises from hearing the Word and responding freely. The city becomes divided, some siding with the unbelieving Jews and others with the apostles (v. 4). When a plot forms to mistreat and stone them, they flee to Lystra and Derbe, continuing to preach wherever God leads (v. 5–7). Their perseverance shows that adversity does not cancel the mission; it often clarifies it.

In Lystra, a man crippled from birth listens closely as Paul preaches (v. 8). Paul, seeing that he has faith to be made well, which was stirred by hearing the gospel, calls out, “Stand upright on your feet!” The man leaps up and walks (v. 9–10). The crowd, shaped by local legends about the gods visiting humans, concludes that divine beings have appeared. They call Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,” convinced the miracle proves their assumption (v. 11–12). The priest of Zeus brings oxen and garlands, preparing sacrifices (v. 13). Their reaction reveals how deeply idolatry shapes interpretation; without truth, people will explain God’s work in ways that fit their old beliefs.

Paul and Barnabas tear their garments in distress and rush into the crowd, urging them to turn not to men but to the living God who made heaven, earth, sea, and everything in them (v. 14–15). Their words echo the Old Testament declarations of God as Creator, the One who deserves worship from all nations. They remind the people that though God allowed nations to go their own way, He never left Himself without witness. He gave rain, fruitful seasons, and daily joy, expressions of His kindness meant to draw hearts toward Him (v. 16–17). Even with this appeal, they scarcely restrain the crowds from offering sacrifice (v. 18). Truth must replace old beliefs before behavior can change; the gospel transforms not only conduct but the worldview from which conduct flows.

The scene shifts suddenly when Jews arrive from Antioch and Iconium. Within moments, they turn the crowd, and Paul is stoned, dragged outside the city, and left for dead (v. 19). The violence shows both the unpredictability of idolatrous crowds and the depth of opposition stirred by hardened unbelief. Yet as the disciples gather around him, Paul rises and walks back into the city (v. 20). His recovery stands as a quiet testimony to the Lord’s sustaining grace. Strengthened by God rather than compelled by force, Paul continues the mission with a heart shaped by devotion and empowered endurance.

In Derbe they preach the gospel and make many disciples before retracing their steps, returning to the very cities where they faced hostility (v. 21). They strengthen the believers, encouraging them to remain steadfast and teaching that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (v. 22). This message does not glorify suffering but recognizes that perseverance is part of the Christian journey. They appoint elders for each church, praying and fasting as they entrust these congregations to the Lord in whom they have believed (v. 23). Leadership is established not through personal charisma but through spiritual maturity and shared dependence on God.

From there they travel through Pisidia to Pamphylia, speak the Word in Perga, and come to Attalia (v. 24–25). Finally they sail back to Antioch, the church that had first commended them to the grace of God (v. 26). Upon arrival, they gather the believers and report all that God has done, and how He opened a door of faith to the Gentiles and guided them through every hardship (v. 27). They remain there a long time with the disciples (v. 28), strengthening the church that first sent them out. The journey ends where it began: in prayerful fellowship, with the mission continuing through shared faithfulness.

Acts 14 demonstrates that the gospel advances through God’s enabling grace and the obedience of His servants, not through ease or public approval. The chapter highlights the power of the Word, the persistence required in ministry, the transformation of hearts through truth, and the formation of local churches grounded in faithful leadership. Through miracles, opposition, and perseverance, God strengthens His people and continues expanding His kingdom in ways that reveal both His sovereignty and His compassion.

Conclusion

Acts 13–14 reveal the power of the Holy Spirit at work as the gospel reaches the Gentile world. Paul and Barnabas face both fruit and fierce opposition, yet they remain steadfast, trusting God through every trial. Their journey shows that the mission of God advances through faithful obedience, preaching of the Word, prayer, and perseverance.

For believers today, these chapters remind us that the gospel is for all people, and God still calls His church to send, support, and go. Opposition should not deter God’s people, as it often accompanies gospel work. The same Spirit who empowered Paul and Barnabas equips believers today to share Christ with courage, compassion, and conviction. The mission continues, and God is still opening doors of faith for those who will believe.