Search for commentaries – Acts 13

Paul Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus
Chapter 13 marks a major division in the book of Acts. The focus shifts away from Peter and the church in Judea, towards Paul and the churches he planted during his travels. The Lord called Paul and Barnabas to minister to the Gentiles. They were what we today call foreign missionaries. The ...

Saul (Paul) Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus
Paul and Barnabas took another young man, John Mark, with them, and they sailed for the island of Cyprus, arriving on the eastern costal village of Salamis (v. 4). They went from synagogue to synagogue where they preached the Word of God (v. 5). Day after day they walked, stoppin …

Paul and Barnabas Say Farewell to John Mark
So far the order has always been Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2). It was Barnabas who had set out as the leader of this expedition. But now it is Paul and Barnabas. Paul has assumed the leadership of the expedition; and the lovely thing about Barnabas is that there is no word of complaint from ...

Paul Preaches the Gospel of the Resurrection
Paul told the people of Antioch (both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles) how God had sent a Savior, but how the rulers in Jerusalem had put him to death, and God had raised Him from the grave (vv. 26-37). Since he was addressing a synagogue congregation, he used Old Testament Scriptures to ...

Gentiles are Receptive to Paul’s Message
The Gentiles were very receptive to Paul’s message and wanted him to tell them more (vv. 42-43). The next Sabbath a great crowd, which probably was made up of mostly Gentiles, gathered to hear Paul (v. 44). This made the Jews very envious and angry (v. 45). The Jewish leaders started to ...