NICOLE STEVENSON | Co-Host, Former Adventist Podcast |
Previously in our study of Acts we examined chapters 10–12. In chapter 10, Luke detailed how God demonstrated through Peter’s experience with Cornelius that the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus is for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews. In chapter 11, we traveled with Peter to Jerusalem, where he shared what God had done, and the brothers in Jerusalem glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). Then in chapter 12, Luke’s narrative took us to Caesarea, where we saw that even in the face of persecution at the hands of powerful earthly leaders, God was the one in control, and He was at work growing His church.
As we move into chapters 13 and 14, we will see Luke turn his attention to the ministry of Paul as the gospel moves farther into the Roman world. As we join Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, we will notice how Luke’s literary style brings apostolic continuity into focus in surprising ways.
Once again, I hope you will read the full sections from your own Bible as we move through these chapters to glean the textual details for yourself before we examine them together.
Acts 13:1–3, God Initiates the Mission
Luke opens chapter 13 in the church at Antioch, where Saul and Barnabas had ministered together for a year, and where believers were first called Christians (11:25,26). Located north of Israel, in modern-day Turkey, this church was made up of a mixture of Jewish and Gentile believers. Jewish believers had been scattered to the area by persecution (11:19), and some of them began preaching to the Greeks in the area, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord (11:20–21). It is from this established church that Saul and Barnabas are sent out on their first mission.
True to Luke’s commitment to write an “orderly account” of the things that were accomplished among the believers (Luke 1:1–4), he lists several names identifying the men who were among those worshiping the Lord and fasting. It was during this time of worship that the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (13:2). After the men fasted and prayed together, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Saul’s first missionary journey came by divine initiation, much like his conversion had. We recall that in Acts 9 the Lord told Ananias to go to Saul, “for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:15b—16). The Lord had already revealed His purpose for Saul, and now in Antioch the Holy Spirit was setting him apart, along with Barnabas, for the work ahead.
In Paul’s own recollection of his conversion in his letter to the churches of Galatia, he said that God had set him apart before he was born, called him by His grace, and revealed His Son to him when it pleased Him so that he would preach Jesus among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:15,16). From his conversion to his missionary commission, Paul’s calling and ministry were directed by God Himself.
Acts 13:4–12, One Seeks the Truth; Another Opposes It
As Luke begins his account of the first missionary journey, his details draw the mind to a map of the eastern Mediterranean world. Traveling from Antioch, the men went down to the coastal city of Seleucia and set sail southwest to the city of Salamis on the eastern coast of the island of Cyprus. Beginning there they made their way westward across the island, teaching and preaching the Word of God.
Arriving at the city of Paphos, Barnabas and Saul were summoned by Sergius Paulus, the proconsul. Luke described Sergius as a man of intelligence who wanted to hear the word of God. In attendance with the proconsul was a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus—also called Elymas the magician. Luke tells us that Elymas opposed Saul and Barnabas, seeking to turn the proconsul from the faith. Luke writes, “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time’” (13:9—11). Luke tells us that immediately after Saul said this, Elymas was struck blind. Witnessing this, the proconsul believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Even in the middle of deliberate opposition, God’s word accomplished what He set out for it to do. And a Roman official came to faith.
Elymas’ judgment is an interesting one to ponder in view of Saul’s own conversion. Saul was deliberately opposing the Lord Jesus and His church, and Jesus struck him blind for a season. This was Saul’s moment of realizing who Jesus really was. Saul’s response to Elymas’s deliberate opposition was strong, and perhaps the fact that his judgment was only for a season was intended to convict Elymas, though this is only speculation and we cannot know either way.
I want to pause here to notice that it isn’t until Acts 13:9 that we learn that Saul is also called Paul. It is a common misunderstanding that God changed Saul’s name to Paul upon his conversion. Saul was both a Jew and a Roman citizen from Tarsus. His Hebrew name was Saul, and his Roman (Latin) name was Paul. It is interesting to see Luke choose this point in his narrative, when Paul is standing before a Roman proconsul, to begin referring to him with his Roman name. He will continue to do this for the remainder of the book.
Acts 13:13–41, Paul’s First Recorded Sermon: The Continuity of the Gospel
Making their way north and traveling through Perga in Pamphylia, Luke tells us that Paul and Barnabas entered another city with the name Antioch, this one located in Pisidia. Luke tells us that on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers invited Paul to speak. Paul addressed the crowd as “men of Israel and you who fear God” (13:16). We see that he is not there to address Christians who had already come to faith. This synagogue was not a church gathering.
As we make our way through Acts we will see that Paul regularly began his missionary work in the synagogue to preach to the Jews and God-fearers there, until he was no longer welcome (Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1-2, 10, 17; 18:4,19; 19:8–10). Paul’s Sabbath synagogue practice was his missionary practice because this is where the people he sought to reach were already gathered. Though Adventists will often point to this pattern as evidence for an existing command for the church, Paul’s practice was a historical detail in Luke’s narrative, not evidence that he taught Sabbath observance was a requirement for Gentile believers.
Immediately, Paul began his first extended sermon recorded in Acts by rooting his message in the history of Israel. He began with their redemption from Egypt and ended at God’s promise that a Savior would come from David’s offspring. Paul then shifted gears, proclaiming that the message of salvation had come but those who lived in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize that this salvation was through Jesus; they did not understand the prophecies about Him. Instead, they condemned Jesus to death and laid Him in a tomb. Then, returning to David, like Peter did in his Acts 2 sermon, Paul spoke boldly of the resurrection of Jesus, and pointed to Psalm 16 as prophetic proof that the Messiah would not see corruption.
Like a crescendo, Paul then proclaimed, “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (13:38–39). These powerful words were followed by a warning to the hearers to beware lest they be among those prophesied who would not believe the good news when they heard it.
We know from earlier in Acts that Paul had already been actively participating in teaching and ministry. What is remarkable about Luke recording this particular sermon is that it clearly aligned with Peter’s sermon in Acts 2. The similarities in method and the identical nature of the message between these sermons provide us with evidence of apostolic continuity. This is an important detail when we consider how often Paul’s apostolic authority was challenged in his day, and sadly, by some still today.
It is interesting to notice that in the two chapters we’re covering in this article, Luke records parallels between Peter’s ministry and Paul’s. Some are yet to come in chapter 14 and some have already occurred: both men heal a man lame from birth (3:1–10; 14:8–10), both men rebuke a magician (8:18–24; 13:6–12), and both men refuse inappropriate honor (10:25–26; 14:11–18). Acts chapters 13 and 14 serve as another hinge in the book of Acts. Luke shows that as Paul’s ministry moves deeper into the Gentile world, he is proclaiming the same message of salvation, through the same risen Christ, from the same Scriptures as Peter. Through his literary style, Luke highlights the apostolic continuity shared between Peter and Paul.
Acts 13:42–14:7, Contrasting Responses to the Gospel
Luke tells us that the initial response to Paul’s sermon was positive. The people begged them to return the following Sabbath to teach again, and many followed Paul and Barnabas who encouraged them to continue in the grace of God. The following Sabbath, Luke tells us that almost the whole city had gathered to hear the word of the Lord. Provoked by jealousy, some of the Jews began to contradict Paul’s teaching and they reviled him.
What Luke records next functions as another turning point in Paul’s ministry. He says that both Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly: “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:46—47).
With that, Paul quoted from Isaiah 49:6, which is part of what is referred to as the “Servant Passage.” The Servant in Isaiah refers to the future Messiah whose mission was not only to restore Israel, but to bring God’s salvation to the Gentile nations. Paul applied this passage to his mission, not because he saw himself as the servant prophesied, but he understood the apostolic work to be a part of the work God promised to accomplish through His servant.
A week after warning the people to beware lest they be among those prophesied to have an unbelieving heart, Paul and Barnabas stood proclaiming that due to their rejection of the gospel, they would be moving forward in the commission of the Lord to carry the gospel onward. Luke tells us that “when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). With those words we can clearly recognize God’s initiative in our salvation. This pivot was never a plan B; it was prophesied in the Scriptures and was being fulfilled in history.
Luke tells us that the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region—in spite of the opposition of the Jews, opposition that was only growing and organizing. Luke writes: “But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district” (Acts 13:50). Luke tells us that Paul and Barnabas shook off the dust from their feet against those who were opposing them—a sign of judgment against them (Luke 9:5; 10:10–11)— and went on to Iconium. Even in the face of growing opposition, the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
When Paul and Barnabas arrive at Iconium, we see them once again enter the synagogue first. While Luke tells us that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed, he also tells us that the Jews who opposed them stirred up the Gentiles and “poisoned their minds against the brothers” (14:2). What was different at Iconium was that Paul and Barnabas remained there. Luke writes: “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (14:3). As God bore witness to the message of the Apostles, the city remained divided between siding with the unbelieving Jews and with the apostles.
When Paul and Barnabas learned of a joint attempt to stone them involving Gentiles, Jews, and their rulers, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country where they continued to preach the gospel (14:5–7). Here again we see another pattern replaying. When those who opposed them organized against them, they moved on to the next city.
As we continue through Acts we will see these same basic conflicts recurring throughout Paul’s ministry. Patterns of resistance will recur, but the apostles and disciples will persevere as God’s word continues to advance, churches are planted, and believers grow in their faith. In the second half of Acts we will notice contrasting responses to the gospel among the people in different cities across the Roman Empire. Luke will continuously show us that human resistance cannot stop God’s sovereign work in the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.
Acts 14:8—20, The Apostles Refuse Worship
Paul’s ministry in Lystra is particularly interesting because we do not have a biblical record of a synagogue there. In Luke’s account of Paul’s initial visit, we do not see him entering a synagogue to teach. Instead, Luke tells us of a man crippled from birth who was listening to Paul: “And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he sprang up and began walking. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, ‘The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker” (Acts 14:9b—12).
What is fascinating about this account is that we are witnessing a pagan culture interpreting events through their particular worldview. While we can’t know for sure, there is reason to wonder whether their response could be explained by a tradition recorded by the Roman poet Ovid,1 who told a story about Zeus and Hermes visiting Phrygia disguised as ordinary men. In his story, the gods evaluated their reception of them, punishing inhospitable neighbors and rewarding a couple who showed them hospitality.
In their pantheon of false gods, Hermes was seen as the god who spoke on behalf of other gods, and as Paul was the one doing the teaching, this would explain why they called him Hermes. If Ovid’s tale of the gods was in view in the minds of the people of Lystra, this would help explain their immediate desire to offer sacrifices. Luke writes, “The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds” (Acts 14:13).
The apostles vigorously rejected their worship. The men began to preach to the people of Lystra, only this time, instead of rooting their message in the Jewish Scriptures, they appealed to what they could know through general revelation, calling them to trust their Creator, the living God:
“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet He did not leave himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:15–17).
This account brings into view the great distance we have traveled with Luke since Acts chapter 1. The preaching of the gospel has traveled not only a great distance from Jerusalem, but it is now being carried into the core of a pagan worldview to shine the light of the truth of God among the nations. In spite of Paul’s great effort, Luke tells us that the apostles scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
In verse 19, Luke tells us that unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium followed Paul and Barnabas, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city. Luke tells us they had supposed he was dead. This shift in the response of the crowd is profound. While it may seem like their response went from accepting them to rejecting them, the reality is that both their desire to worship them and their desire to murder Paul were the fruit of unbelief in the God who created them.
As we have seen time and again in the book of Acts, human hostility cannot overturn the purposes of God: “But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe” (Acts 14:20).
Acts 14:21—28, Shepherds, Partners, and Divine Outcomes
Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in Derbe and made many disciples, then returned to Lystra, Iconium, and to Antioch, retracing their steps through the very cities where they had encountered fierce opposition. Here again we see a pattern emerge as we watch Paul and Barnabas return to the churches they planted to encourage them to continue in the faith. What is particularly striking about their return trip is the message they bring to the new believers: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22b).
The ministry of Paul and Barnabas had already put on display the hostility of the world to which believers would carry the gospel. Like trailblazers, they showed believers how to persevere and how to love the church well even in the face of the dangers around them. After gathering with the believers and encouraging them, Luke tells us that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for the believers in every church, and with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. And so the sending of Paul and Barnabas resulted in the first churches planted in these cities.
As Luke closes this section of Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey, his details once again draw the mind to that map, as we watch Paul and Barnabas travel through Pisidia to Pamphylia, then to Perga, where they preached the word, and on to Attalia: “And from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled” (Acts 14:26).
Upon their return, Paul and Barnabas gathered with the church. Their message to them: God had done great work through them and had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. God initiated this mission, the apostles obeyed, and God produced the outcome. Luke tells us the apostles remained “no little time” with the disciples in Antioch.
Trustworthy Testimony, Faithful Interpretation
As we reflect on where we’ve been in Luke’s narrative, we can see again how his careful details offer the church a trustworthy testimony open to investigation and rooted in political and geographical history. Luke’s careful literary techniques have clarified the apostolic continuity and united message between Peter and Paul, and have shown God actively accomplishing through His servants the continued work of the Messianic Servant prophesied in Isaiah 49.
When we pay attention to the actual words of Luke’s narrative and let them speak, we can see a Sovereign God actively at work in the world to seek and save the lost. When we approach Scripture seeking to confirm existing convictions, we often only see what we want to, or worse, we can become guilty of distorting God’s word. Peter warns about people who distort Paul’s writings: “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16b).It is certainly true that Adventism has imposed its darkest doctrines upon the Scriptures that most people find difficult to understand: Daniel, Revelation, and Leviticus to name only a few. It is in the misuse of shadows and types and in the misapplication of Scripture removed from its original context that much of the Adventist obfuscation occurs.
Many of us share a past where this was how we approached Scripture. We were never taught how to read the Bible. We were only directed to passages that suited a larger narrative. Because of this it can sometimes be difficult to unpack our previous worldview with God’s word when we bump into descriptions of Paul entering a synagogue on the Sabbath. But that is all that they are: descriptions. These narrative details are not prescriptive. They are not commands to keep the Jewish Sabbath. When we learn to accept the descriptions of the narratives of Scripture without turning them into commands, we remove our anxieties and expectations from the text and become teachable.
It is fascinating to me that in Paul’s very first missionary journey he is confronted by a false prophet. Paul’s description of Elymas revealed the dangers of false prophets and those who deliberately oppose the gospel. Paul referred to him as a son of the devil, an enemy of all righteousness, full of deceit, making crooked the straight paths of the Lord (13:10). Paul’s response to false teachers was consistently strong across his ministry. In his letter to the Galatians, which some scholars believe was written between Acts 14 and 15, Paul addresses those who were turning away from the gospel of Christ and were following a gospel distorted by false teachers. Paul made clear that there is only one gospel and those who are distorting the gospel are to be accursed (Galatians 1:6–9).
The problem of false prophets and of false teachers in the church was alive and well at the beginning of the church and continues to be a problem today. Paul told the Jews in Antioch that in Jesus everyone who believes is freed from everything from which we could not be freed by the law of Moses. With that truth in view, any group that makes law observance a requirement for justification before God can clearly be seen as contradicting the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work of atonement.
Join me next time as we gather with the apostles in Jerusalem and listen in as they discuss what to do with the Gentile believers who belong to God but who do not observe the Law of Moses. †
Endnote
- Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8.620–724, “Baucis and Philemon,” translated by Brookes More, Theoi Classical Texts Library, https://www.theoi.com/Text/OvidMetamorphoses8.html
- Acts 13–14: God Sends Paul to the Gentiles - October 29, 2026
- Christianity: A Crutch or a Cross? - September 10, 2026
- Acts 10–12: Christ Opens the Door to the Gentiles - July 23, 2026