Day 1142: Explaining the gospel – Acts 13 vs 14 - 25

14-15 And from Perga, they travelled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.” 16-17 Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. 18-20 He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.

21-23 Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as He promised.” 24-25 “Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ Acts 13:14-25 English Standard Version

Two Antioch's are mentioned in the New Testament. Syrian Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas set out from, was regarded as the third largest city after Rome and Alexandria. It was about 20 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea and approximately 300 miles north of Jerusalem. The other Antioch was in Asia minor (today known as Turkey) in the southern part of Galatia. It was in a synagogue there that Paul was asked to 'bring a word' after the readings from the Law and the Prophets. And, as Stephen had done before being martyred in front of Paul's eyes (he was then known as Saul), so Paul now begins his message by recounting Israel's history.

The gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles, but may require a different approach in presenting it. Jewish hearers are familiar with the Old Testament and we can readily quote from it. Many gentile hearers today may have little knowledge of the Bible, and so we might need to challenge them in areas they relate to. But whether Jew or Gentile, our aim is to tell them of Jesus. As Paul later said: “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

And so Paul reminded his hearers of how God had led Israel out of captivity in Egypt and settled them in the promised land. He moved quickly to their desire for a King and how, after removing Saul, God gave them them David. God said of David: “I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.” Having made the connection to David, Paul said “From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as He promised.”

He brings his talk to Jesus. This is something we must do in conversations with any who show an interest in spiritual matters. He also mentions the repentance John the Baptist preached before Christ began His ministry. It may be that some of them had heard of John's teachings. But it's still important because the gospel message is a call for men and women to repent of sin. But he says that John was not the Messiah. He will go on to tell them more of the Messiah, especially His death and resurrection. But for now, let's ask God for wisdom in explaining the gospel to people we meet. “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21)