Acts 13:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

NIV: for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness;

NASB: For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.

CSB: And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness;

NLT: He put up with them through forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

KJV: And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

NKJV: Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.

Paul is in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch highlighting God's saving work throughout Jewish history. After God rescued the Israelites from Egypt with an "uplifted arm" (Acts 13:17), He led them to Mount Sinai to give them the Law that would identify them as His people. Along the way, they grumbled for food, so He sent manna (Exodus 16:2–4). Then they grumbled for meat, so He sent them quail (Exodus 16:13–14). Not long after, they grumbled for water, and God gave them water from a rock (Exodus 17:1–7).

Once they arrived at Mt. Sinai, God showed them His glory in lightning and smoke and the sound of trumpets. The people responded in fear and insisted Moses act as their liaison (Exodus 20:18–21). While Moses was at the top of Mount Sinai, speaking with God, the people grew restless for his return. His brother Aaron made them a golden calf and declared, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4). To top it all off, when God finally brought them to the land He had promised them, they refused to go (Numbers 13:1—14:10). In response, God had them wander in the wilderness for forty years, enduring even more of their insults until the generation that came from Egypt had died out and their children were prepared to take their inheritance (Numbers 14:20–38).

Despite their grumbling and rebellion, God not only put up with the Israelites, but He also saved them.

Acts 13:16–41 gives the transcript of Paul's message in Pisidian Antioch. It is the only recording of Paul's many synagogue sermons. Paul's message can be broken into five parts, each identified with a call to heed Paul's words: 1. God's saving work in Israel's history and promise of a future Savior (Acts 13:16–25); 2. The Savior's story (Acts 13:26–31); 3. The prophecies of the Savior (Acts 13:32–37); 4. The nature of ''salvation'' (Acts 13:38–39); 5. A warning to accept the Savior (Acts 13:40–41). Some Jews and many Gentiles do accept the message, but the synagogue leaders drive Paul and Barnabas out of town (Acts 13:42–51).

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.