13:1 Now 1 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 a Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
(1) Paul with Barnabas is again the second time appointed
apostle of the Gentiles, not of man, neither by man, but by
an extraordinary commandment of the Holy Spirit.
(a) This was the same Antipas who put John the Baptist to
death.
13:2 As they b ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy
Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have c called them.
(b) While they were busy doing their office, that is, as
Chrysostom expounds it, while they were preaching.
(c) The Lord is said to call, from which this word "called"
comes from, which is common in the Church, when he
causes that to be which was not, whether you refer it
to the matter itself, or to any quality or thing about
the matter: and the use of the word "call" has come
about because when things begin to be, then they have
some name: and furthermore this also declares God's
mighty power, in that he spoke the word, and things
were made.
13:32 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid [their]
hands on them, they sent [them] away.
(2) Fasting and solemn prayers were used before the laying on
of hands.
13:43 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed
unto d Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
(3) Paul and his companions first bring Cyprus to the
subjection and obedience of Christ.
(d) Seleucia was a city of Cilicia, so called after
Seleucus, one of Alexander's successors.
13:84 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by
interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the
deputy from the faith.
(4) The devil makes Christ's victory more glorious in that he
sets himself against him.
13:105 And said, O full of all subtilty and all e mischief,
[thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of all
righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right
ways of the Lord?
(5) The sorcerer, who was stricken by Paul with a physical
punishment (although extraordinarily), shows an example to
lawful magistrates how they ought to punish those who
wickedly and obstinately hinder the course of the Gospel.
(e) He points out a fault of those who run eagerly and with
great desire into all types of wickedness with the
least bit of prompting from the world.
13:11 And now, behold, the f 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.
(f) His power which he shows in striking and beating down
his enemies.
13:136 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they
came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them
returned to Jerusalem.
(6) An example in one and the very same group of people both of
singular steadfastness, and also of great weakness.
13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in
g Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath
day, and sat down.
(g) This distinguishes between it, and Antioch which was
in Syria.
13:157 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 h have any word of exhortation for
the people, say on.
(7) In the Synagogue of the Jews (according to the pattern of
which Christian congregations were instituted) the
Scriptures were read first, then those who were learned
were licensed by the rulers of the Synagogue to speak and
expound.
(h) Literally, "If there is any word in you": this is a
kind of speech taken from the Hebrews, by which is
meant that the gifts of God's grace are in us, as it
were in treasure houses, and that they are not ours,
but God's. In the same way David says, "Thou hast put
a new song in my mouth"; (Ps 40:3).
13:168 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with [his] hand
said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
(8) God bestowed many wonderful benefits upon his chosen Israel,
but especially this, that he promised them the everlasting
redeemer.
13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and
i exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the
land of Egypt, and with an k high arm brought he them
out of it.
(i) Advanced and brought to honour.
(k) Openly and with strong power, breaking in pieces the
enemies of his people.
13:20 And after that he gave [unto them] judges about the space
of l four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the
prophet.
(l) There were from the birth of Isaac until the
destruction of the Canaanites under the governance of
Joshua four hundred and forty-seven years, and
therefore he adds in this place the word "about", for
three years are missing; the apostle, however, uses
the whole greater number.
13:21 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 m forty years.
(m) In this space of forty years the time of Samuel must
be counted and included with the days of Saul, for the
kingdom did as it were include his administration.
13:239 Of this man's seed hath God according to [his] promise
raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
(9) He proves by the witness of John that Jesus is the Saviour
who would come from David.
13:24 When John had first preached n before his coming the
baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
(n) John as a herald did not show Christ coming from afar
off, as the other prophets did, but right at hand and
having already begun his journey.
13:2610 Men [and] brethren, children of the stock of Abraham,
and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of
this salvation sent.
(10) Christ was promised and sent appropriately to the Jews.
13:2711 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].
(11) All things came to pass to Christ, which the Prophets
foretold concerning the Messiah: so that by this also it
appears that he is the true and only saviour: and yet
nonetheless they are not to be excused who did not only
not receive him, but also persecuted him most cruelly,
even though he was innocent.
13:3012 But God raised him from the dead:
(12) We must set the glory of the resurrection against the
shame of the cross, and the grave. And the resurrection
is equally proved by the witnesses who saw it, and by the
testimonies of the Prophets.
13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in
that he o hath raised up Jesus again; 13 as it is also
written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee.
(o) For then he appeared plainly and manifestly as the
only Son of God, when he left behind his weakness and
came out of the grave, having conquered death.
(13) If Christ had remained dead, he would not have been the
true Son of God, neither would the covenant which was made
with David have been certain.
13:34 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 p sure mercies of David.
(p) The Greeks call those things "holy things" which the
Hebrews call "gracious bounties": and they are called
David's bounties in the passive voice, because God
bestowed them upon David. Moreover, they are termed
"sure", after the manner of speech which the Hebrews
use, who terms those things "sure" which are steady
and certain, and such things which never alter or
change.
13:3514 Wherefore he saith also in another [psalm], Thou
shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
(14) The Lord was in the grace in such a way that he
experienced no corruption.
13:3815 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren,
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins:
(15) Christ was sent to give them free remission of sins who
were condemned by the Law.
13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from q all
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of
Moses.
(q) Whereas the ceremonies of the Law could not absolve
you from your sins, this man absolves you, if you lay
hold of him by faith.
13:4016 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is
spoken of in the prophets;
(16) The benefits of God turn to the utter undoing of those
that condemn them.
13:4217 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the
Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to
them the next sabbath.
(17) The Gentiles go before the Jews into the kingdom of
heaven.
13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews
and r religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas:
who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the
grace of God.
(r) Who had forsaken their heathen religion, and embraced
the religion set forth by Moses.
13:4518 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.
(18) The favour on the very same Gospel is to the reprobate and
unbelievers death, and to the elect and those who believe
it is life.
13:4619 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 s
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles.
(19) The Gospel is proclaimed to the Gentiles by the express
commandment of God.
(s) By this your doing you pronounce as it were sentence
upon yourselves, and judge yourselves.
13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were t
ordained to eternal life believed.
(t) Therefore either all were not appointed to everlasting
life, or either all believed, but because all did not
believe, it follows that certain ones were ordained:
and therefore God did not only foreknow, but also
foreordained, that neither faith nor the effects of
faith should be the cause of his ordaining, or
appointment, but his ordaining the cause of faith.
13:5020 But the Jews stirred up the u 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.
(20) Such is the craft and subtlety of the enemies of the
Gospel, that they abuse the simplicity of some who are not
altogether evil men, in order to execute their cruelty.
(u) Those who embraced the Law of Moses.
13:5121 But they shook off the dust of their feet against
them, and came unto Iconium.
(21) The wickedness of the world cannot prevent God from
gathering his Church together, and to foster and cherish
it, when it is gathered together.
