Acts 13:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it."

NIV: After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak."

NASB: After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue officials sent word to them, saying, 'Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.'

CSB: After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak."

NLT: After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: 'Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Paul and Barnabas are in Pisidian Antioch, slightly southwest of the center of modern-day Asia Minor. The Holy Spirit chose them to spread the news about Jesus specifically to the Gentiles. However, in keeping with Jesus' commission (Acts 1:8), whenever he and Barnabas reach a new town they always start in the Jewish synagogue.

The Israelites spent much of the Old Testament confused as to where to worship God. Until Solomon built the temple, many people sincerely sought God's guidance in one of the many "high places." Upon Solomon's death and the split of the nation, Jeroboam, king of the northern kingdom, set up two golden calves for the expressed purpose of preventing his people from traveling to Jerusalem to sacrifice to God (1 Kings 12). In the ensuing centuries, the southern kingdom of Judah periodically lost their copies of the Mosaic law. Neither kingdom emphasized the proper worship of God.

It wasn't until their exile in Babylon that the southern kingdom of Judah grew to seriously value the Law and how the Law identified them as a people. The exiles started meeting in assemblies or "synagogues" to read from the Scriptures and discuss the text. Often, the synagogue leader would ask a well-educated visitor to speak and provide a different point of view. Paul, who had been trained by the famous Pharisee Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), took advantage of this custom by showing how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecies given in the Prophets. Despite Paul's many visits to different synagogues, the message he gives in Pisidian Antioch is the only one Luke records.

Acts 13:13–15 describes how Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark leave Paphos on the southwest coast of Cyprus. They sail northwest to Perga, on the south-central coast of modern-day Asia Minor. In Perga, John Mark abandons them and returns to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas travel north to Pisidian Antioch and, as is their custom, attend the local synagogue and wait to be invited to speak.

Acts 13 transitions Luke's account (Acts 1:1) fully into a record of Paul's ministry to spread the news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary journey. They teach about Jesus' offer of forgiveness of sins on the island of Cyprus and in the district of Pisidia in modern-day south-central Asia Minor. Along the way, they face opposition, desertion, and persecution: themes that will follow Paul throughout his life. But they also experience the joy of watching the people they'd least expect come to a saving faith in Jesus.

The first chapters of Acts, save for a quick account of Paul's conversion (Acts 9:1–31), cover the ministry of the apostles, particularly Peter. Those passages also detail the spread of the news about Jesus from His followers. That message goes to the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 2—7) and Judea (Acts 8:26–40; 9:32–43), the Samaritans (Acts 8:4–25), and God-fearing Gentiles (Acts 10—11). Now, Paul's contribution to the ''end of the earth'' portion of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8 begins, as he and Barnabas start their first missionary journey. Luke will record two more of Paul's journeys (Acts 15:36—18:22 and 18:23—20:38) before settling in on his return to Jerusalem, arrest, and sea voyage to Rome (Acts 21—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.