Acts 13:10
and said, "O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
Sermons
A Place Found At Last for SaulH. R. Haweis, M. A.Acts 13:2-13
Barnabas and Paul Sent ForthA. Barnes, D. D.Acts 13:2-13
Blessing Sent to OthersActs 13:2-13
Bodily AbstinenceJ. Pulsford.Acts 13:2-13
Church Enterprises, How They Must Begin in Order to be BlessedK. Gerok.Acts 13:2-13
Church OfficesRieger.Acts 13:2-13
Mission and CommissionBp. H. C. Potter.Acts 13:2-13
Missions, Home and ForeignActs 13:2-13
Obligation of Christians to Send Out MissionariesActs 13:2-13
The Best Travelling Attendance for a Departing MissionaryK. Gerok.Acts 13:2-13
The Completion of the ApostolateProf. Von Dollinger.Acts 13:2-13
The Duty of Sending the Gospel to the HeathenActs 13:2-13
The First Foreign MissionM. C. Hazard.Acts 13:2-13
The First Foreign MissionC. S. Robinson, D. D.Acts 13:2-13
The First Missionary JourneyJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 13:2-13
The First Missionary JourneyT. Binney.Acts 13:2-13
The First Missionary Ordination At AntiochLisco.Acts 13:2-13
The Messengers of the GospelLisco.Acts 13:2-13
The Strength of Missionary WorkK. Gerok.Acts 13:2-13
Work of MissionsR. Roberts.Acts 13:2-13
A Prudent ManJ. N. Norton, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
Christian PrudenceG. Clayton.Acts 13:3-12
CyprusDean Plumptre.Acts 13:3-12
Cyprus and its PeopleC. H. Spurgeon.Acts 13:3-12
Elymas the SorcererDean Plumptre.Acts 13:3-12
John MarkH. R. Haweis, M. A.Acts 13:3-12
PaphosBp. Jacobson.Acts 13:3-12
Paul and ElymasB. Kent, M. A.Acts 13:3-12
Paul in PaphosK. Gerok.Acts 13:3-12
Paul's Fitness for His MissionH. R. Haweis, M. A.Acts 13:3-12
Prevalence of SorceryH. B. Hackett, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
Prudence DefinedMilton.Acts 13:3-12
Prudence ImprudentActs 13:3-12
Prudence is Practical WisdomS. Smiles, LL. D.Acts 13:3-12
Prudence is the Art of ChoosingL. M. Stretch.Acts 13:3-12
Prudence, FalseC. H. Spurgeon.Acts 13:3-12
Prudence: its Necessity for Self-ProtectionJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
SalamisBp. Jacobsen.Acts 13:3-12
Saul in CyprusJ. Eadie, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
Seeking for the TruthJ. M. Charlton, M. d.Acts 13:3-12
SeleuciaBp. Jacobsen.Acts 13:3-12
Sergius PaulusK. Gerok.Acts 13:3-12
The First Missionary IntelligenceK. Gerok.Acts 13:3-12
The First Missionary ShipK. Gerok.Acts 13:3-12
They Preached the Word of GodC. S. Robinson, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
To the Jew FirstH. C. Trumbull, D. D.Acts 13:3-12
Undying FameArchdeacon Farrar.Acts 13:3-12
The Gospel in CyprusR.A. Redford Acts 13:4-12
The Mission in CyprusE. Johnson Acts 13:4-12
Forwardness and FrailtyW. Clarkson Acts 13:4-13
An Enemy Off RighteousnessActs 13:9-11
Reproof: How a True Servant of God Uses His Office OfK. Gerok.Acts 13:9-11
Seeking to Turn Men from the FaithActs 13:9-11
Seeking to Turn Men from the TruthActs 13:9-11
Sin and its PunishmentJ. W. Burn.Acts 13:9-11
The Crisis in Saul's History and His Change of NameJ. S. Howson, D. D.Acts 13:9-11
The Exceptional Character of the MiracleJ. S. Howson, D. D.Acts 13:9-11
The Punishment of Elymas WasApostolic PastorActs 13:9-11














This passage introduces to us a Roman official, speaks of him in generally good terms as a "prudent man," but lets us know something of his secret feelings and his unrest of heart, by adding that he "desired to hear the Word of God." The way in which heathen religions prepared the way for the gospel is often pointed out, but we have not yet adequately apprehended the fact that a Divine work of preparation was carried on in many heathen souls; such instances as this of Sergius Paulus being properly treated as prominent examples of a general fact. It is to the yearning of the heathen heart for the true God and the eternal life that St. Paul makes his appeals; and in later missionary work remarkable instances have been met with of soul-seeking for God, before the missionaries brought the gospel light. We ought, indeed, to expect to find men everywhere seeking after God, seeing that "he hath made of one blood all nations to dwell upon the earth," and has never "left himself without a witness;" but a conception of the exclusiveness of the revelation in Christ has so occupied Christian thought that the noble conception of Christ's revelation as the ultimate issue and completion of all other revelations, is only now gaining acceptance. Men have so strongly felt the antagonistic sides of the heathen religions that they have failed to ask whether earnest souls within utterly corrupt systems may not be

"Infants crying in the night;
Infants crying for the light;
And with no language but a cry." Dean Plumptre gives an interesting inscription - the date of which is, however, uncertain, and may be of the second or third century after Christ - found at Galgoi, in Cyprus, which shows a yearning after something higher than the polytheism of Greece. It reads thus: "Thou, the one God, the greatest, the most glorious Name, help us all, we beseech thee." The unrest and anxious inquiring of Sergius Paulus are farther indicated in the fact that he had come into the power of Elymas the sorcerer, who evidently persuaded him that he could settle all his doubts. The subject introduced by this incident may be considered under the following divisions: -

I. THE NATURAL DISPOSITION OF MAN TO SEEK FOR GOD. Remember St. Augustine's words, "Man is made for God, and can find no rest till he finds rest in him." Seeking God is necessary to the dependent creature, who must lean, and must find some one on whom he may perfectly lean. "A belief in some personal power, the arbiter of man's destiny, above and beyond himself, is a primary necessity of the human mind. Mankind can never dispense with this belief, however superfluous in certain cases and for a time it may seem to be to the individual" (Canon Farrar). Much has been made of the fact that some tribes of men have been found which had no name for God, and indeed no knowledge of him or concern to hear about him; but it may fairly be urged, from the utterly degraded condition of these tribes, that men have never lost their care for God until they have virtually lost their manhood. Degraded to be like the beasts, they cease to have uplooking eyes and yearning hearts. Humanity is knit in brotherhood by its great united cry for its Father.

II. THE THINGS THAT MAY TEMPORARILY SATISFY THE SEEKING. These take one of three forms; either:

1. The absorption of a man in purely material and selfish interests, which may overlay and crush down the soul's great needs; just as now the world and its business and pleasure so often silence the soul's cry in the Christian.

2. The teachings of a philosophy which attempts to put "thoughts" and" ideas" in the place of a living being.

3. So-called false religions, which give unworthy views of God, but, by ceremonial, seek to satisfy the religious instinct. Such religions offer, what man appears to need, a doctrine about God, and a cult or worship of him. It may be shown that, in subtle forms, men are enticed from their seekings, even in these Christian days, by one or other of these evil influences.

III. THE UNREST WHICH SOONER OR LATER RETURNS. For man can only find permanent rest in that which is true. The false has no "staying power." It may seem to fit at one time, but life advances, new needs arise, new thoughts stir within, and the false theory will no longer serve, - the man finds himself looking out again, as anxiously as in the early days, and with the feeling that life is passing and the time for the quest is brief, for the truth and God wherein are final rest. Sooner or later a man wakes up from his sleep of delusion, feels the darkness all about him, and puts out his hand, feeling after God, if haply he may find him. The unrest that surely comes to men within the world's care and pleasure, within skeptical philosophies, and within merely ceremonial religions, is our constant plea for the preaching of the gospel and the revelation to men of God, in Christ manifest.

IV. THE RESPONSE WHICH GOD SURELY MAKES WHEN A WHOLE SOUL IS TURNED To HIM. He waiteth to be gracious, stands at the door ready for the opening, really wants every man to be saved, in the mystery of his great Fatherhood has a real need of souls, desires their love, finds his own joy in their trust, and so is sure to respond when men turn and seek him. And finding God, and coming into personal relations with him, is the end of man's quest. Against God, and everything in life is hard and dark and wrong. Apart from God, and all life and relations lie bathed in the lurid glow of stormy passion and self-will. With God, and earth, life, duty, and fellowship catch the soft, sweet sunlight, and everything takes on its beauty and perfection. If we have God we have all; and we have all in God, in the God whom St. Paul preached, of whose glory Jesus the Man is the express and blessed image. - R.T.

Now there were in the Church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.
We now lose sight for a time of the Church of Jerusalem and the apostles, and in the place of Jerusalem, Antioch becomes the centre of Church history. Indeed chaps, 13 and 14 form an independent and self-contained memoir from an Antiochean point of view. And it has, not without plausibility, been supposed that Luke has here made use of an original document and inserted it in his book, which document may have proceeded from the Church at Antioch, or may have belonged to a biography of Barnabas, or may have been a missionary narrative which Barnabas and Saul had made.

(G. V. Lechler, D. D.)

In this text notice —

I. Those members of the Church at Antioch as CONSPICUOUS MEN. They were stars. Among the thousands connected with the Bible, only a few are named, so they must have been special noteworthy men: — "Barnabas," "Simeon, that was called Niger" — black. "Lucius" of Cyrene, an African settlement. Simeon was black. He might have been an African; and Lucius was for certain. "Manaen," brought up with Herod the tetrarch. It was the old custom to have a sort of adopted child as companion for young princes, thus forming what would seem a companionship for life. A man who had lived in court would be a fine man, but his living with Herod throws another light upon things. He was "brought up" in court — then he had heard John the Baptist thunder and lighten in his preaching. "Brought up" in court — then he knew John in prison. Was he one of John's disciples? "Brought up with Herod." Then he knew that woman, the wife of the steward, who ministered so to Jesus. "Brought up with Herod." Then he was at the crucifixion when Jesus was "set at nought," when on bended knees the cruel shout was raised, "Hail, King of the Jews." Probably that was the crisis that brought him out. Now, here we find him among the disciples, not with Herod, but his name written in the Lamb's book of life. He leaves the court and goes into the tents at Antioch, struck his sword, and is here a soldier of Jesus Christ. The Church of Christ is composed of wonderful variety.

II. We have a NEW SPEAKER — "The Holy Ghost." Who and what is the Holy Ghost? No one can answer. The Holy Ghost never intended that we should. The doctrine of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is a tremendous doctrine. We cannot draw a circle round infinity; we cannot even understand ourselves. How, then, can we understand God? We must leave the question, for it cannot be questioned. There are two very plain things —

1. That the Spirit is a person, not simply an influence.

2. Not only a person, but a Divine person.

III. We have an IMPORTANT COMMAND — "Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work," etc.

1. Here is a beginning — the first mission to the heathen. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of beginnings. We read of the first fear, first hope, first joy, first sermon, first prayer meeting, the first sinner converted, the first Christians, the first baptism, the first Lord's supper, and now the first instance, by order, of men set apart for the work of missions. There were no Christians in England, in Spain, in Italy then. Everything then had to begin. And the Holy Ghost said, "Now" is the time to begin.

2. Here is a wise choice. "Now, there were at Antioch in the Church prophets and teachers." So Barnabas and Saul were not called away till they could be spared. The two captains were not removed till the ship was officered. Note, they were the best men. Not inexperienced or young, but the kind the Holy Ghost requires to send out — the very Barnabas and the very Saul. The Church may spare Barnabas and Saul now.

3. Here are propitious circumstances. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted." As they were going on in their ministry. It was a special meeting, because they were fasting. They wanted to know something, and as they were inquiring the Holy Ghost spake.(1) The Holy Ghost requires that He Himself should call persons to the ministry before the Church calls them — "I have called them." We cannot make ministers or missionaries. When we call them, we only ratify the call of God.(2) Those who go should be sent out by the act of the Church.(3) Missionaries are separated men. Separate from home, separate from the refinement of life, separate from wealth, separate from those who have watched them grow into Christians, separate from old companions, separate from the elders of the Church, separate by the rolling sea, separate by the mountain, separate by the wilderness.(4) "Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work," etc. This work is a work.

(G. Stanford, D. D.)

The two were not necessarily identical (Ephesians 4:11), though the higher gift of prophecy commonly included the lower gift of teaching. The former implies a more direct message from God, coming through the Holy Ghost; the latter a more systematic instruction, in which reason and reflection also bore their part.

(Dean Plumptre.)

Simeon that was called Niger. — The name seems to indicate the swarthy complexion of Africa; but nothing more is known of him. The epithet was given to him, probably, to distinguish him from the many others of the same name, possibly, in particular, from Simon of Cyrene.

(Dean Plumptre.)

Lucius of Cyrene. — Probably one of the company of "men of Cyprus and Cyrene" (Acts 11:20) who had been among the first evangelists of Antioch. On the ground that Cyrene was famous for its School of Medicine, some writers have identified him with the author of the Acts, but the two names Lucius and Lucas are radically distinct, the latter being contracted from Lucanus.

(Dean Plumptre.)

Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch.

This statement has been interpreted to mean that he was Herod's foster-brother, and the Vulgate translates the term by one which signifies "fed from the same breast." But all that is implied is that Manaen and Herod were companions in studies and amusements. In the same household Joanna the wife of Chuza the steward was a believer in Christ. Thus early had the Word of God been known and acknowledged in a royal court. God indeed has had from the first those in all ranks who served Him — Moses, Obadiah, Daniel, and the "saints in Caesar's household." As now, so it has ever been, those with the same advantages make a different use of them. Manaen, numbered amongst the first ministers of the Church; Herod, remembered for his part in the murder of John and Christ.

(W. Denton, M. A.)

This is the only record that we have of this man. Yet it is impossible not to find a melancholy interest in the juxtaposition of characters and lives so strangely contrasted. At the very time that the one foster-brother was prominent among the ministers of Christ, the other was living in a dishonoured exile with a dark past and a hopeless future — a fact of daily experience, viz., that the lives of men may begin, in the closest companionship, and under nearly the same conditions, and yet the end of the one shall be honour and the other shame.

1. The name Manaen was connected earlier with the Herods. When Herod the Great was a boy, an Essene of this name, believed to possess prophetic gifts, met him as he went to school, and reading, perhaps, in his features the signs of an insatiable ambition and an indomitable will, hailed him as "king of the Jews." He stood in somewhat the same relation to him that Ahijah did to Jeroboam. As with the son of Nebat, so with the son of Antipater, the early prophecy was not forgotten. When he attained the summit of his power he would fain have attached the prophet to his court as friend and counsellor. What the identity of name renders probable is that on the refusal of the old man the king transferred his offer of patronage to his son, or grandson, and had brought him up as the companion of one of his favourite sons. If so, the first great event in the life of Manaen must have been the change from the stern purity of the life of the Essenes to the pomp and luxury of the court of Herod. Soon this would be followed by a yet greater change. Antipas and Archelaus were sent to receive their education at Rome, and Manaen would naturally share this training. He may have heard of the arrival of the "wise men," and could not have been altogether ignorant of the Messianic hopes which animated the people. The very name which he bore (Menahem, the comforter), bore witness of this hope.

2. One so brought up would continue to be attached to the royal household, and Manaen may have adopted the life and the principles of those with whom he lived. He may have acquiesced in the king's incestuous marriage, but we can estimate the effect which the teaching of the Baptist must have had upon him. Here he saw a life, like in form to that devotion which he had known in his youth, the reappearance of the prophetic character, the open and fearless speech, as of a new Elijah, and as we find traces of the influence of the Baptist's teaching within the circle of Herod's attendants, it is reasonable to think that he too must have come under it.

3. The first trace is in Luke 3:14, where "the soldiers" were literally "men on a march" to the war with Aretas, the father of the wife whom the tetrarch had divorced in order that he might indulge his guilty passion for Herodias. The line of their march would take them down the valley of the Jordan, and so they would pass by the chief scene of the Baptist's ministry. From that hour there must have been many among the attendants of Herod who were disciples of John.

4. The next trace meets us in John 4:46, where the word "nobleman" means an attendant of the king, i.e., of the tetrarch Antipas. I do not assume the identity of this "nobleman" with Manaen, but I point to it as one of the tokens of the Baptist's work as "preparing the way of the Lord," even among Herod's followers. The nobleman thus believed, and Herod's court now included some who were disciples, not of the Baptist only, but of the Prophet of Nazareth.

5. The imprisonment of John brought him into yet closer contact with the tetrarch's immediate followers. Even Herod himself "heard him gladly." It is clear from Matthew 11:2, 3, that some of the Baptist's disciples were allowed free access to him, and who so likely as attendants of the prince? If we believe that every word which our Lord spoke at such a time was full of meaning, "they that wear soft clothing and are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' houses," may have been those who were halting between two opinions, "like reeds shaken by the wind," whom it was necessary to remind that the true servants of God were to be found, not "in kings' houses," but in prison.

6. The narrative of the circumstances of the Baptist's death includes notice of the feast of "lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee," amongst whom must have been the "nobleman" of Capernaum, and the "steward" of Herod's household, and the king's "foster-brother and friend," who must have shuddered with an unimaginable loathing. It was time for them to make their choice.

7. At or about this time, some at least did make it, and among them was she who "ministered to Christ of her sustenance," e.g., "Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward." This she could hardly have done, according to the Jewish law of property and marriage, without her husband's consent.

8. It may be that up to this point the foster-brother had continued faithful to the relationship which that name involved. But soon the course of events brought about a disruption of it. The ambitious intrigues of Herod Agrippas (Acts 12) enabled him to assume the disused title of king. This gave him a higher dignity than that of his uncle the tetrarch, and the pride of Herodias was stung to the quick, and she gave her husband no peace until he had taken the fatal step of leaving his tetrarchy, in the hope of obtaining the privilege of regal rank. But the attempt failed, and he had the mortification of seeing his tetrarchy merged in the kingdom of Agrippa, and was exiled first to Gaul and then to Spain. The tradition that Pilate also was banished to the former province, suggests the probability that the two may have met once again there, to test the value of the friendship which had been purchased at so terrible a price.

9. About this time we have the first actual mention of Manaen. Unknown as he is to us, he stood then on the same level as Barnabas, in a higher position than St. Paul. Whatever his past life had been, it had led him to this. But what calls for special notice, as showing the tendency of the Baptist's teaching, is the fact that he is found at Antioch, not at Jerusalem. The words of the Baptist, "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham," contained by implication the whole gospel of the calling of the heathen, and Manaen must have seen that they did so. At Antioch, too, he must have taken upon himself the new name, and to one who had seen Antipas and Jesus face to face it must have been a joy unspeakable to cast off all connection with the Herodiani, and to take his place among the Christiani. In him, the prophetic form of utterance which had reappeared in John after long centuries of desuetude was powerful. As the disciples of John fasted oft, so he and those who were with him "fasted" as they ministered to the Lord. From his lips and theirs came the words which marked out the fittest labourers for the new and mighty work. One who had begun with the training of an Essene, and the teaching of the Baptist, now gave the right hand of fellowship to the two new apostles, not of "the twelve," as they went forth to their work among the heathen.

10. To such a man the Gentile Church, in its infancy, must have owed much. He alone of all the earlier teachers of the Church may have sojourned in the imperial city. From him the Apostle of the Gentiles must have had encouragement and support, and there is a probability that the debt is even greater. St. Luke's life as a Christian must have begun at Antioch, and if so, then he must have known Manaen, and from him he may have learnt many of the facts of the history of the Baptist, and the details of Herodian history, of which the third Gospel is so full. Conclusion: Whatever interest may attach to the juxtaposition of the two names of Manaen and Antipas, is deepened and strengthened by this fuller study. The danger of the weak will — untrue to its own convictions, and therefore losing them altogether, or keeping them only to its own condemnation — the power of earnestness and faith to triumph over the temptations of outward circumstances and perilous companionship are seen more clearly. Our inquiries, too, will have added something to the conviction as we read the Gospels that we are dealing, not with "cunningly devised fables," but with true histories, dropping hints, after the manner of all true histories, naturally and incidentally, suggesting more than they tell, and rewarding those who seek diligently with new insight into the facts which they record.

(Dean Plumptre.)

It would be natural to expect that children who grew up together under the same examples and instruction should appear in the same religious character in after life. But in this case the result was otherwise. One became a minister, the other a libertine. Manaen was a man eminent for faith and virtue, learning and ability, or he would not so soon have become a prophet in this celebrated Church. Herod was vicious and debauched in private life; haughty, cruel, and tyrannical in his government, and was the murderer of the Baptist. Herod made no virtuous improvement of his early advantages; Manaen early became religious and escaped the corruptions of the world. Men's lives are not always answerable to the advantages they enjoy. The same gospel which is a savour of life and a rock of salvation to some, is a savour of death and a rock of offence unto others. The difference between these two men is observed in other families. How is this?

I. THERE IS A GREAT DIVERSITY IN NATURAL TEMPER.

1. There is in all an inclination to evil, but in a different degree.

2. It is the wisdom of parents to watch the various tempers and propensities of their children.

II. DIFFERENT WORLDLY PROSPECTS OFTEN MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN CHARACTER AND CONDUCT.

1. Herod was of royal descent, and had early prospects of a throne. Manaen had no such object, and was more at liberty to admit the sober concerns of religion.

2. Different passions and capacities put young men on different pursuits. Some through natural indolence and diffidence fall so low in their designs that they never rise. Others are animated by an ambition that proves a snare. Others, again, set out with a governing aim to please God.

III. THE SOVEREIGN GRACE OF GOD MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. Men are dependent on the Holy Spirit. He strives with them. Some resist, others yield.

IV. REFLECTIONS.

1. The particular care which was taken in apostolic times to secure men of learning and ability as public teachers. The unlettered men whom Christ called were trained by the Master Himself. Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. Timothy from a child had known the Scriptures; Apollos was mighty in them. Luke, Stephen, and others appear to have had superior literary abilities. The apostles cautioned ministers to lay hands suddenly on no man who had not had time to furnish his mind.

2. The duty of parents to pay particular attention to the different dispositions of their children. Some must be ruled with great rigour, others with more lenity.

3. The young may here see that no worldly connections, temptations, etc., will excuse them in the neglect of religion.

4. The young are here cautioned not to abuse the grace of God.

5. Let the young be rational and discreet in forming their worldly prospects.

(J. Lathrop, D. D.)

People
Barjesus, Barnabas, Benjamin, Cis, David, Elymas, Herod, Israelites, Jesse, John, Kish, Lucius, Manaen, Niger, Paul, Pilate, Samuel, Saul, Sergius, Simeon
Places
Canaan, Cyprus, Cyrene, Egypt, Galilee, Iconium, Jerusalem, Pamphylia, Paphos, Perga, Pisidia, Pisidian Antioch, Salamis, Seleucia, Syrian Antioch
Topics
Cease, Child, Craft, Craftiness, Crooked, Cunning, Deceit, Devil, Enemy, Evil, Foe, Fraud, Full, Guile, Hating, Kind, Kinds, Making, Mischief, Misrepresent, O, Paths, Pervert, Perverting, Profligacy, Righteousness, Stop, Straight, Subtilty, Trickery, Tricks, Turning, Unscrupulous, Villainy, Villany, Wilt
Outline
1. Paul and Barnabas are chosen to go to the Gentiles.
6. Of Sergius Paulus, and Elymas the sorcerer.
13. Paul preaches at Antioch that Jesus is Christ.
42. The Gentiles believe;
44. but the Jews talked abusively against Paul,
46. whereupon they turn to the Gentiles, of whom many believe.
50. The Jews raise a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, who go to Iconium.

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Acts 13:10

     5589   trap
     5948   shrewdness
     6146   deceit, and God
     6157   fall, of Satan

Acts 13:4-12

     4248   islands

Acts 13:6-11

     4185   sorcery and magic
     7774   prophets, false

Acts 13:6-12

     4155   divination
     5109   Paul, apostle
     8483   spiritual warfare, causes

Acts 13:8-10

     4121   Satan, enemy of God

Acts 13:8-11

     1310   God, as judge

Acts 13:9-10

     3212   Holy Spirit, and mission

Acts 13:9-11

     5134   blindness, natural

Acts 13:9-12

     4810   darkness, natural

Acts 13:10-12

     8427   evangelism, kinds of

Library
Easter Tuesday
Text: Acts 13, 26-39. 26 Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth. 27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

John Mark
'... John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.' --ACTS xiii. 13. The few brief notices of John Mark in Scripture are sufficient to give us an outline of his life, and some inkling of his character. He was the son of a well-to-do Christian woman in Jerusalem, whose house appears to have been the resort of the brethren as early as the period of Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison. As the cousin of Barnabas he was naturally selected to be the attendant and secular factotum of Paul and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Unworthy of Life
'... Seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.'--ACTS xiii. 46. So ended the first attempt on Paul's great missionary journey to preach to the Jews. It is described at great length and the sermon given in full because it is the first. A wonderful sermon it was; touching all keys of feeling, now pleading almost with tears, now flashing with indignation, now calmly dealing with Scripture prophecies, now glowing as it tells the story of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'Full of the Holy Ghost'
'And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.'--Acts xiii. 52. That joy was as strange as a garden full of flowers would be in bitter winter weather. For everything in the circumstances of these disciples tended to make them sad. They had been but just won from heathenism, and they were raw, ignorant, unfit to stand alone. Paul and Barnabas, their only guides, had been hunted out of Antioch by a mob, and it would have been no wonder if these disciples had felt as if they had been
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Why Saul Became Paul
'Saul (who also is called Paul)' ...--ACTS xiii. 9 Hitherto the Apostle has been known by the former of these names, henceforward he is known exclusively by the latter. Hitherto he has been second to his friend Barnabas, henceforward he is first. In an earlier verse of the chapter we read that 'Barnabas and Saul' were separated for their missionary work, and again, that it was 'Barnabas and Saul' for whom the governor of Cyprus sent, to hear the word of the Lord. But in a subsequent verse of the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

To the Regions Beyond
'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. 2. 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. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. A. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The First Preaching in Asia Minor
'Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27. 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. 28. And though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Luther --A Stone on the Cairn
'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: 37. But He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.'--ACTS xiii. 36, 37. I take these words as a motto rather than as a text. You will have anticipated the use which I purpose to make of them in connection with the Luther Commemoration. They set before us, in clear sharp contrast, the distinction between the limited, transient work of the servants and the unbounded,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Jewish Rejecters and Gentile Receivers
'And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45. 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. 46. 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. 47. For so hath the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Gospel Missions
I SHALL not confine myself to the text. It being an old custom to take texts when we preach, I have taken one, but I shall address you, at large, upon a subject which I am sure will occupy your attention, and has done for many days and years past--the subject of gospel missions. We feel persuaded that all of you are of one mind in this matter, that it is the absolute duty as well as the eminent privilege of the Church to proclaim the gospel to the world. We do not conceive that God will do his own
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

His Own Funeral Sermon
* This sermon was preached on the Lord's-day evening after Mr. William Olney "fell on sleep." Long before the beloved preacher was "called home," it was selected for publication this week. Mrs. Spurgeon feels that her dear husband could not have delivered a more suitable discourse for "his own funeral sermon." She has, therefore, given it that title in the hope that many will be blessed by the message which "he, being dead, yet speaketh." Believing that many friends will wish to have this sermon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Ninth Day for God's Spirit on Our Mission Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Mission Work "The evangelisation of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for men--ay, deep down at the bottom of our spiritless life, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, world-wide prayer." "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul. Then when they had fasted and prayed, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."--ACTS
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Separated unto 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 . . . and Saul. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit 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 Spirit, departed unto Seleucia" (Acts 13:1-4). In the story
Andrew Murray—Absolute Surrender

In Endeavouring to Prove that Such Intercession Derives Some Support from Scripture they Labour In...
In endeavouring to prove that such intercession derives some support from Scripture they labour in vain. We frequently read (they say) of the prayers of angels, and not only so, but the prayers of believers are said to be carried into the presence of God by their hands. But if they would compare saints who have departed this life with angels, it will be necessary to prove that saints are ministering spirits, to whom has been delegated the office of superintending our salvation, to whom has been assigned
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

Mr. Moody and Rev. Marcus Rainsford.
HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN. MR. MOODY.--Mr. Rainsford, how can one make room in their heart for Christ? Rev. M. Rainsford.--First, do we really want Christ to be in our hearts? If we do, the best thing will be to ask Him to come and make room for Himself. He will surely come and do so. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." "Without Me ye can do nothing." Mr. M.--Will Christ crowd out the world if He comes in? Mr. R.--He spake a parable to that effect. "When a strong man armed
Dwight L. Moody—Sovereign Grace

The Man after God's Own Heart
"A man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil all my will."--ACTS xiii. 22. A BIBLE STUDY ON THE IDEAL OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE No man can be making much of his life who has not a very definite conception of what he is living for. And if you ask, at random, a dozen men what is the end of their life, you will be surprised to find how few have formed to themselves more than the most dim idea. The question of the summum bonum has ever been the most difficult for the human mind to grasp. What shall a man
Henry Drummond—The Ideal Life

Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
ONLY those who have made study of it can have any idea how large, and sometimes bewildering, is the literature on the subject of Jewish Proselytes and their Baptism. Our present remarks will be confined to the Baptism of Proselytes. 1. Generally, as regards proselytes (Gerim) we have to distinguish between the Ger ha-Shaar (proselyte of the gate) and Ger Toshabh (sojourner,' settled among Israel), and again the Ger hatstsedeq (proselyte of righteousness) and Ger habberith (proselyte of the covenant).
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Holy Spirit Sending Men Forth to Definite Lines of Work.
We read in Acts xiii. 2-4, "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 into Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus." It is evident from this passage that the Holy Spirit calls men into definite lines of work and sends them forth into the work. He not
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit

Via Dolorosa
We have finished the first part of our theme--the Trial of Jesus--and turn now to the second and more solemn part of it--His Death. The trial had been little better than a mockery of justice: on the part of the ecclesiastical authority it was a foregone conclusion, and on the part of the civil authority it was the surrender of a life acknowledged to be innocent to the ends of selfishness and policy. But at last it was over, and nothing remained but to carry the unjust sentence into execution.
James Stalker—The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ

The Kingdom Conquering the World
Acts Page Paul's Epistles Page Outline for Study of Epistles Page I Thessalonians Page I Corinthians Page Romans Page Philippians Page II Timothy Page The General Epistles Page Questions on the Book of James Page Studies in I and II Peter Page I John Page THE ACTS I. Author: 1. Name. 2. Number of
Frank Nelson Palmer—A Bird's-Eye View of the Bible

The Extension of the Church Throughout the World
A.D. 45-70 Section 1. The First Mission to the Gentiles. [Sidenote: A.D. 45.] [Sidenote: St. Paul and St. Barnabas sent to preach to the heathen.] It would seem that in the special Eucharistic offerings and Lenten discipline mentioned by St. Luke[1], the Church in Antioch was seeking guidance of her Divine Head as to her duties with respect to the gentile world in the midst of which she was placed; and that the command of the Holy Ghost to consecrate St. Paul and St. Barnabas as Apostles to the
John Henry Blunt—A Key to the Knowledge of Church History

Early Life the Place of Paul +The Man
STUDY I EARLY LIFE THE PLACE OF PAUL +The Man, Paul,+ judged by the influence he has exerted in the world, is one of the greatest characters in all history. He is pre-eminent not only as a missionary, but as a marvelous thinker and writer. "He was a personality of vast power, force, and individuality." There are some men who seem to be born and prepared to do a large work for the world; Paul makes the impression upon those who carefully read the record of his life that he stands first in this class
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

First Missionary Journey Scripture
STUDY III FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY Scripture, Acts 13:1-14:26 INTRODUCTION TO THE THREE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS Before taking up the study of the first missionary journey, attention is called to certain points which should be considered in regard to all three of them (Acts 13:1-21:17). We have now arrived at what we might call the watershed of the Acts of the Apostles. Hitherto we have had various scenes, characters, personages to consider. Henceforth Paul, his labors, his disputes, his speeches, occupy
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

Paul's Missionary Labors.
The public life of Paul, from the third year after his conversion to his martyrdom, a.d. 40-64, embraces a quarter of a century, three great missionary campaigns with minor expeditions, five visits to Jerusalem, and at least four years of captivity in Caesarea and Rome. Some extend it to a.d. 67 or 68. It may be divided into five or six periods, as follows: 1. a.d. 40-44. The period of preparatory labors in Syria and his native Cilicia, partly alone, partly in connection with Barnabas, his senior
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

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