Thursday, November 8, 2012

Paul's first missionary trip (Acts 13-14)

Acts 13-14 records Paul's first missionary trip after his time in Antioch and Jerusalem.  He goes to Cyprus and Galatia.

Cyprus
He goes to Cyprus and lands in Salamis, then travels to Paphos.  There, a proconsul named Sergius Paulus wanted to meet with them.  However, this was opposed by the local sorcerer named Elymas (Barjesus).  Paul rebukes Elymas and curses him with blindness.   Elymas is struck blind and this convinces the proconsul to become a believer.

This anecdote is also the first time that Saul is referred to Paul.


Pisidion Antioch
Paul and friends head to Pisidion Antioch, which was a Roman city in modern-day Turkey.

John-Mark leaves the group en route to Pisidion Antioch.  One possible theory is that Paul has become the leader of the group because now the text puts Paul's name in front of Barnabas.  Following this theory, John-Mark disagreed that Paul should lead and not Barnabas.  Hence, he left.

At Pisidion Antioch, Paul gives a sermon in the synagogue on the Sabbath to both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.  The text of the sermon is recorded in the chapter and emphasizes that Christ is the fulfillment of the Jewish religion.  The fact that Paul is speaking and not Barnabas shows that Paul has assumed leadership of the group.

After speaking, many people believed in Jesus and they asked him to come back the next Sabbath.  They go back a week later and nearly the entire city turns up to listen to Paul.  The size of the crowd makes the Jewish leaders jealous, so they go to the city's political leaders who have Paul and Barnabas expelled from the city.  

We do not know what the Jewish leaders said to the city leaders, but I suppose it was something along the lines that Paul and Barnabas wanted to start an uprising in the city.

Finally, Paul and Barnabas leave and are filled with joy of the Holy Spirit.


Iconium
Paul and Barnabas go to Iconium.  There, he preaches in the synagogue and converts both Jews and Gentiles alike.  Division arose within the synagogue as hard-line Jews opposed him and tried to turn the Gentiles against Paul.  However, Paul does a number of miraculous signs.

The opposition grows worse and Paul finds about a plot to stone him.  He takes this as a sign to leave the city.


Lystra
Paul and Barnabas go to Lystra.  Paul heals a man who had been crippled from birth.  The crowd then believes that Paul and Barnabas are gods who have descended to earth in human form.  Specifically, they think Paul and Barnabas are Hermes and Zeus, respectively, because Hermes speaks for Zeus.

The crowd tries to start making sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas who tear their clothes.  No!  Don't do that.  

Meanwhile, a group of Jews from Iconium and Antioch arrive and stir the crowd against Paul and Barnabas.  This works and the crowd turns against them.  In fact, they stone Paul and leave him for dead outside the city.  

After the crowd disperses, the disciples check on Paul.  They probably think he is in fact dead, but Paul gets up and they get the hint that it is time to leave Lystra.


Return to Antioch
The text quickly summarizes the rest of Paul's trip.  They go to Derbe and establish a trip there.  They then revisit Lystra and Iconium and other local areas before heading back to Antioch.



Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
The area in modem-day Turkey that Paul visited was the southern portion of the Roman area of Galatia.  The chronological Bible reading list has the next event being Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, which could very well be the churches visited in the first missionary trip.

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