Daily Bible Reading Tuesday 21st April 2020
by William Moody
Acts 13:13–25
Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with1 them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
Footnotes
[1] 13:18
Some manuscripts he carried (compare Deuteronomy 1:31) (ESV)
Paul and Barnabas now sail to Perga which today is in southern Turkey. (v13). John Mark leaves them here, an incident which we will return to (see Acts 15 v37-38). Paul and Barnabas come to Pisidian Antioch where they go to the synagogue and are invited as visiting teachers to share a message (v14-15).
Paul knowing what these people knew and believed began in the Old Testament sharing the story of Israel up until King David and moves from David to his great descendant Jesus (v16-23).
In sharing the Gospel Paul saw God’s great plan at work. Paul saw a world not of chance but one in which God’s purposes were being fulfilled.
Paul speaks of the ministry of John the Baptist (v24), who was regarded as a great prophet, but who spoke of one much greater than himself who was coming (v25).
Good Gospel preaching always seeks to exalt Christ. The Jesus who Paul met on the Damascus road enthralled and captivated Paul’s heart. Paul was consumed by Jesus and constrained by his love. This brought both power and passion into his witnessing.
We need to be those equally captivated by Christ and burning with a love and passion for such a wonderful Saviour and Lord.
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