Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Acts
Chapter 13: By Him All That Believe Are Justified
Acts 13 launches the great missionary enterprise of the church. As the prophets and teachers at Antioch minister to the Lord, the Holy Ghost says, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them,' and they are sent forth on the first missionary journey. In Cyprus, Saul, now called Paul and filled with the Holy Ghost, rebukes the sorcerer Elymas, who is struck blind, and the deputy believes. At Antioch in Pisidia Paul preaches a great sermon, tracing Israel's history to 'a Saviour, Jesus,' whom the rulers slew but 'God raised him from the dead.' He proclaims the heart of the gospel: '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.' When the Jews reject the message, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles, 'I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles,' and 'as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.' The chapter shows us the Spirit sending forth His workers, the risen Saviour preached, justification by faith apart from the law, and the gospel going to the nations.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Acts chapter 13. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here the Spirit sends Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary journey, Paul preaches Christ and justification by faith at Antioch of Pisidia, and the gospel turns to the Gentiles. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Separate Me Barnabas and Saul
The Holy Ghost calls and sends the first missionaries.
God Raised Him From the Dead
Paul preaches Jesus, the risen Saviour promised to the fathers.
By Him All That Believe
Forgiveness and justification by faith, not by the law.
A Light of the Gentiles
Rejected by many, the gospel turns to the nations.
Separate Me Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:1-12)
The Holy Ghost sends Barnabas and Saul from Antioch, and in Cyprus Paul confronts the sorcerer Elymas.
Being Sent Forth by the Holy Ghost
"Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."
Word Study
"separate," Greek aphorizo (ἀφορίζω). The word means to mark off, to set apart, to appoint for a special purpose. "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." The Holy Ghost sets apart chosen workers for the mission; the same word Paul uses of himself as "separated unto the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1). Note that the calling was the Spirit's, "the work whereunto I have called them", and the church's part was to recognize, confirm, and send. This is the divine pattern of mission: the Holy Ghost calls and sends, "being sent forth by the Holy Ghost," and the church fasts, prays, lays on hands, and releases the workers. The great missionary movement of the church did not begin in a committee's plan but in the command of the Spirit, who still calls and separates labourers for His harvest.
Explanation
The Antioch church, worshipping and fasting, is told by the Holy Ghost, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" -- and so the first missionary journey is launched by the Spirit, not by human strategy. On Cyprus they meet opposition in Elymas the sorcerer, whom Paul (here first called by his Roman name) strikes blind, and the deputy Sergius Paulus believes. The pattern of Acts appears: the Spirit sends, the word is preached, opposition arises, and God confirms the gospel. The mission to the Gentile world begins from a praying, Spirit-directed church.
Gospel Focus
The church at Antioch, rich with "prophets and teachers," is worshipping and fasting when the Holy Ghost speaks: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." The greatest missionary movement in history begins not with human strategy but with the direct command of the Spirit. The church responds with fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands, and sends them off, and Luke underscores who is truly commissioning them: "being sent forth by the Holy Ghost." They sail to Cyprus and preach "in the synagogues of the Jews", the pattern of taking the gospel first to the Jew. At Paphos they meet opposition in Elymas, a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet attached to the Roman deputy Sergius Paulus, who "desired to hear the word of God" but whom Elymas tries to turn from the faith. Here Saul is first called by his Roman name Paul, and, "filled with the Holy Ghost," he confronts the sorcerer with bold power: "O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness." The one who peddled false spiritual sight is struck with physical blindness: "thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season", a fitting judgment, and a mercy too, for it is "for a season," leaving room for repentance. The blinded sorcerer gropes for a hand to lead him. And the result of this clash between the power of God and the power of darkness is faith: "the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." The gospel advances not merely by argument but by the demonstration of the Spirit's power over the forces of darkness. From the very start of the mission, the Holy Ghost who sent the workers goes with them, overcomes the enemy, and brings men to faith in Christ.
God Raised Him From the Dead (Acts 13:13-31)
At Antioch of Pisidia Paul traces God's dealings with Israel to the coming and resurrection of the Saviour, Jesus.
Of This Man's Seed Hath God Raised Unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus
"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. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people."
Word Study
"Saviour," Greek soter (σωτήρ). The word means saviour, deliverer, preserver, one who rescues from peril and death. "Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." The name Jesus itself means "the LORD saves," and Paul proclaims Him as the promised Saviour of David's line. The Old Testament reserves the title Saviour supremely for God Himself, "beside me there is no saviour" (Isaiah 43:11), and here that Saviour is Jesus, God come in flesh to save His people. Note that God "raised unto Israel a Saviour", the whole of Israel's history, the exodus, the wilderness, the conquest, the judges, and the kings, was moving toward this: the sending of the Saviour promised to the fathers. Every earlier deliverance foreshadowed the great salvation accomplished in Jesus, the one Saviour of the world.
Explanation
In the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, Paul preaches his first recorded sermon, tracing God's dealings from the Exodus to David, and then to "a Saviour, Jesus," of David's seed. He proclaims the crucifixion -- fulfilling the very prophecies the rulers read each Sabbath -- and the resurrection, attested by many witnesses. The message is thoroughly Jewish yet centered wholly on Jesus: the promises to the fathers are fulfilled in the risen Christ. Paul roots the gospel in Israel's Scriptures to show it is no novelty but the goal of the whole story.
Gospel Focus
Sailing on, Paul's company reaches Perga, where John Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem, a departure that would later cause a sharp disagreement. At Antioch in Pisidia, invited to speak in the synagogue, Paul preaches a masterful sermon. He begins with the history of God's grace to Israel: how "the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers," delivered them from Egypt "with an high arm," bore with them in the wilderness, gave them the land, the judges, and the kings, Saul and then David. Of David, God testified, "a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." All of this history sweeps toward one climax: "Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." Jesus is the promised Saviour of David's line, the goal of all God's dealings with His people. Paul cites John the Baptist's witness, that John pointed away from himself to the coming One "whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose." Then Paul presses home that "to you is the word of this salvation sent." He recounts the crucifixion with solemn irony: the rulers at Jerusalem, "because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him." In condemning Jesus they unwittingly fulfilled the very prophecies they read weekly but did not understand; "though they found no cause of death in him," they had Him slain, and "when they had fulfilled all that was written of him," they buried Him. But the sermon turns on the mighty word of victory: "But God raised him from the dead." Death did not have the last word; God reversed the verdict of men, and the risen Christ "was seen many days" by witnesses who now testify to the people. The Saviour promised to the fathers, rejected and crucified by His own, is risen, and the word of this salvation is now sent to all who will hear.
By Him All That Believe Are Justified (Acts 13:32-41)
Paul proclaims the risen Christ as the fulfillment of God's promise, offering forgiveness and justification that the law could never give.
Justified From All Things, From Which Ye Could Not Be Justified by the Law
"And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 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. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 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."
Word Study
"justified," Greek dikaioo (δικαιόω). The word means to declare righteous, to acquit, to reckon as just. "By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." To be justified is to be declared righteous before God, our sins forgiven and our record cleared, so that we stand acquitted in His court. And Paul states the great gospel truth that he would unfold in Romans and Galatians: justification comes "by him," by Christ, and is received by all who "believe", not earned by "the law of Moses," which could never justify. The law could reveal sin but not remove it; only the risen Christ can justify the guilty. This is salvation by grace through faith: God declares righteous the ungodly who trust in Jesus, on the ground of His finished work, freely, apart from works of law. To be justified from "all things" is to be fully and finally acquitted, cleared of every charge, in Christ.
Explanation
Paul reaches his climax with the resurrection proven from the Psalms -- "thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption" -- which cannot mean David, who died and decayed, but Christ, whom God raised. Then comes the heart of his gospel: "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." What the law could never do -- justify the sinner -- is accomplished in Christ, received by faith. He warns them not to despise the offer, lest they be the scoffers Habakkuk foretold who perish.
Gospel Focus
Paul now presses the resurrection home as the fulfillment of God's ancient promise: "we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again." The resurrection is not an isolated wonder but the keeping of God's covenant word. Paul marshals the Scriptures: the second psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," which he applies to the resurrection and enthronement of the Son; the promise of "the sure mercies of David"; and the psalm that declares God will not "suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Paul reasons that this last word cannot refer to David himself, for David died and "saw corruption"; it must point to another, "he, whom God raised again," who "saw no corruption", Jesus, whose body did not decay but was raised in glory. The risen Christ fulfills what David only foreshadowed. Then Paul reaches the heart of the gospel and the point of the whole sermon: "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." Here is the great Apostolic message: through Jesus, forgiveness of sins is offered, and by Him "all that believe are justified", declared righteous before God, freely, by faith. And Paul makes the crucial contrast: this justification the law of Moses could never provide. The law could expose sin and condemn, but it could not acquit the guilty; only Christ can justify from "all things," clearing every charge. This is grace: God declares the believing sinner righteous on the ground of Christ's finished work, not on the ground of law-keeping. Paul closes with a solemn warning from the prophets against despising this good news: "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish." The offer of forgiveness and justification is glorious, but it must be received by faith; to scorn it is to perish. Believe on the risen Christ, and be justified from all things.
A Light of the Gentiles (Acts 13:42-52)
When many of the Jews reject the gospel in envy, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles, who receive it with joy.
As Many as Were Ordained to Eternal Life Believed
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."
Word Study
"a light," Greek phos (φῶς). The word means light. Paul cites the Lord's commission from Isaiah: "I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." The word was spoken of the Servant of the Lord, and ultimately of Christ, the true Light of the world; and it is fulfilled as the gospel of Christ carries His light to the nations through His witnesses. The Gentiles, who sat in darkness, receive the light of salvation in Jesus. This was God's purpose from the beginning, that in Abraham's seed all nations would be blessed, and that the Messiah would be a light not to Israel only but to the ends of the earth. The mission to the Gentiles is not a departure from Scripture but its fulfillment; the light that shone in Israel was always meant to reach the whole world, and in Christ it does.
Explanation
The Gentiles beg to hear more, and the next Sabbath "almost the whole city" gathers -- provoking the jealous Jewish leaders to contradict and blaspheme. Paul and Barnabas turn decisively: "it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you... lo, we turn to the Gentiles," fulfilling Isaiah's call to be "a light... for salvation unto the ends of the earth." The Gentiles rejoice and believe, while the missionaries, expelled, shake the dust off their feet and go on "filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Rejection by some becomes the door of salvation to many; the gospel will not be stopped.
Gospel Focus
Paul's sermon stirs great interest; the Gentiles beg to hear more, and many Jews and proselytes follow Paul and Barnabas, who urge them "to continue in the grace of God." The next sabbath "almost the whole city" gathers to hear the word. But such success provokes opposition: "when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." Envy, not honest doubt, drove their rejection; they could not bear the crowds drawn to the gospel. Paul and Barnabas respond with bold clarity: "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you", the Jew first was God's order, "but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Their rejection is self-condemnation; by refusing the gospel they judge themselves unworthy of the eternal life it offers. And Paul grounds the turn to the Gentiles in Scripture: "I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." The mission to the nations is no afterthought but the fulfillment of God's ancient purpose. The Gentiles' response is joyful: "when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Here Scripture affirms the sovereignty of God in salvation, those appointed to eternal life believed, even as their believing was real and willing; God's ordaining and man's believing meet in the gospel. "And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region." But the envious Jews stir up influential people and raise persecution, expelling Paul and Barnabas from the district. The apostles "shook off the dust of their feet against them", the gesture Jesus commanded as a testimony against those who reject the gospel, and moved on to Iconium. And the chapter ends on a note of triumph over opposition: "the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Persecution could expel the messengers but could not steal the joy or quench the Spirit; the gospel had taken root, the light had reached the Gentiles, and the mission pressed on, joyful and Spirit-filled, to the next city.
Chapter 13 in Review
Acts 13 begins the missionary journeys. The Holy Ghost commands, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them," and they are "sent forth by the Holy Ghost." In Cyprus Paul, filled with the Spirit, strikes the sorcerer Elymas blind, and the deputy believes. At Antioch of Pisidia Paul preaches Israel's history to its climax, "a Saviour, Jesus," slain by His own but "God raised him from the dead," and proclaims the gospel: "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." When many Jews reject the message in envy, Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles, "I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles," and "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," while the disciples are "filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter is rich with the pattern of mission and the heart of the gospel. The mission begins in the command of the Spirit: the Holy Ghost calls and separates workers, and the church confirms and sends; evangelism is the Spirit's work through Spirit-filled people, attended by His power over the forces of darkness. The message is Christ: the promised Saviour of David's line, crucified in fulfillment of the very prophecies His rejecters read, and raised from the dead, seen no corruption, the living Lord. And the offer is grace: forgiveness of sins and justification, being declared righteous before God, freely, "by him," through faith, and never by the law of Moses, which could not justify. This is the gospel Paul would defend all his life, salvation by grace through faith apart from works of law. The chapter also shows the gospel's advance to the Gentiles as the fulfillment of Scripture, the Servant set to be "a light of the Gentiles," and it holds together the sovereignty of God, "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," with the reality of human choice, both those who "put it from" them and judged themselves unworthy, and those who gladly believed. So answer the Spirit's call, preach and believe the risen Saviour, receive justification by faith, and rejoice that the light of the gospel is for the ends of the earth, and for you.
- The Holy Ghost calls and sends His workers; the church confirms (13:2-4).
- The gospel advances by the Spirit's power over the powers of darkness (13:9-12).
- Jesus is the promised Saviour, crucified and raised from the dead (13:23, 30).
- Forgiveness and justification come by faith in Christ, not by the law (13:38-39).
- The gospel to the Gentiles fulfills God's purpose: a light to the nations (13:47).
- Persecution cannot steal the joy or quench the Spirit of the disciples (13:52).
Questions for Reflection
- Are you listening for and obeying the Spirit's call to His work?
- Have you believed on Jesus, the risen Saviour promised to the fathers?
- Do you rest in justification by faith, or try to be justified by your own works?
- Does joy in the Holy Ghost mark you even amid opposition?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The Spirit calling and sending workers: Romans 1:1; Acts 20:28; Matthew 9:38. Jesus the promised Saviour of David's line: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 43:11; Luke 1:32-33. The resurrection and no corruption: Psalm 16:10; 2:7; Isaiah 55:3; Acts 2:24-31. Justification by faith apart from the law: Romans 3:20-28; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; 3:11. A light to the Gentiles: Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; Luke 2:32. God's sovereignty and human faith: Acts 13:48; John 6:37; Romans 8:29-30. Shaking off the dust: Matthew 10:14; Luke 9:5; Acts 18:6. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The sending and the first journey: Acts 13:1-12; Romans 1:1; Matthew 9:38.
- Paul's sermon, the promised Saviour raised: Acts 13:13-31; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 16:10.
- Forgiveness and justification by faith: Acts 13:32-41; Romans 3:20-28; Galatians 2:16.
- The turning to the Gentiles: Acts 13:42-52; Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:32.