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Acts 13

Now 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 Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:

Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

And now, behold, the 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.

Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

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.

Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

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

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

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 forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

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.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him from the dead:

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

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 sure mercies of David.

Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

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.

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 judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

But the Jews stirred up the 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.

But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

What does Acts 13:31 mean?

Explanation

Acts 13:31 speaks of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ.

In this verse, the Apostle Paul is addressing a gathering, recounting the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

He emphasizes that after Jesus rose from the dead, He was not a hidden figure but appeared publicly over many days to those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem.

These people are identified as witnesses to Christ's resurrection, reinforcing the truth of His rising from the dead to those listening to Paul's message.

The implied message is that the resurrection is a verifiable event witnessed by many, giving credibility to the Christian faith centered on the resurrection of Jesus.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Acts 13 is part of Paul's first missionary journey, which took place in the middle of the first century AD.

At this time, he was in Antioch in Pisidia (not to be confused with Syrian Antioch, from where he started his journey) speaking primarily to a Jewish audience in a synagogue.

Paul's speeches often included references to the Hebrew Scriptures and appealed to the common ground he had with Jewish listeners.

During this period, the early church depended heavily on eyewitness testimony to propagate the faith, and claiming that many had witnessed the resurrected Christ was a powerful argument.

Theological Insights

This verse touches upon a few key theological themes.

First, it affirms the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead, which is a cornerstone of Christian belief.

The assertion that Jesus appeared for many days speaks to the historical reality of the resurrection, it was not a fleeting event but one that left a lasting impact.

Additionally, the witnesses who testify to seeing the resurrected Jesus suggest that faith in the resurrection is supported by empirical evidence. This lays the foundation for the Christian teaching that faith, although personal, is rooted in historical fact.

Practical Applications

The practical application of Acts 13:31 is manifold.

It encourages individuals to evaluate the claims of Christianity based on the testimony of credible witnesses.

It also serves as a model for Christian discipleship; just as the early disciples testified about what they saw, modern believers are called to witness to their experiences with Christ.

The verse underlines the importance of community and shared experiences in the life of faith.

Finally, it serves as an encouragement that the message of resurrection is solid and reliable, imparting hope and assurance to believers.

Cross-References

Acts 1:3 - "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 15:4-8 - "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep."

Language Study

The key terms in Acts 13:31, in the original Greek language includes:

"Was seen" (ὤφθη) - This is a verb in the aorist indicative passive, which means a past, one-time action; Jesus was seen or appeared historically.
"Many days" (πολλαὶς ἡμέραις) - This phrase emphasizes the duration and the opportunities for witnesses to encounter the risen Christ.
"Witnesses" (μάρτυρες) - These were the individuals who provided testimony; this word is the root for the English word 'martyr', indicating the seriousness with which their testimonies were held.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the context of ancient cultures, the idea of resurrection was not unheard of. In some Greek myths, there are tales of gods or heroes being brought back from the dead.

However, the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are unique in their historical anchoring and the claim that He appeared before a large number of ordinary people.

Unlike the mystery religions of the time, which often dealt in secret knowledge, the early Christian proclamation was a public testimony intended for all.

Scientific Perspectives

From a modern scientific perspective, the resurrection is not something that can be investigated using empirical methods, as it is a non-repeatable historical event.

However, the existence of multiple witnesses as claimed in Acts 13:31 does relate to the principles of historical investigation, where the credibility of an event grows with the quantity and reliability of its witnesses.

Commentaries

Commentaries on Acts 13:31 provide varied insights:

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible emphasizes the importance of the witnesses, stating that the appearances of Jesus were "for the more certain and undoubted proof of his resurrection."
Matthew Henry’s Commentary focuses on the fulfillment of prophecy and the demonstration of Jesus' divine mission through the resurrection.
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series contextualizes Paul's sermon in the framework of his audience, showing how he appealed to both Jewish scriptures and their expectations of the Messiah while presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of these Messianic hopes.

Acts 13

Acts 13

What does Acts 13:31 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 13:31 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?