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Saturday 8 May 2010

Acts 13:13-25

John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem. The rest of them went on to Pisidian Antioch and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. So we see them again using the opportunities afforded by the established religion. After the reading of the word Saul and his friends were invited to speak. It seems that the conflict that was already quite evident between the Jews and Christians in Jerusalem had not spread too far beyond Israel at this point. 

Saul is referred to as Paul from now on. We do not know for sure why, but it may be because Paul is more appropriate for the Gentile world he would be operating in. 

Paul takes his chance to speak. Evidently there were God fearers (Gentiles who believed in God, but were not full Jews) in the congregation. Paul, as did Stephen in Jerusalem, starts for the early days of Israel. It is a crucial part of the gospel that the message of Christ is not a departure from God's plan for Israel, but the fulfilment of it.

Paul starts with the captivity in Egypt and the exodus. Then he leads up to David. The reason is that, humanly speaking, Jesus was a descendant of David (Rom 1:3), the Jews also expected the Messiah to be a descendant of David. Paul's message will be that Jesus is this promised messiah. Paul also refers to John the Baptist, who they might have heard about.

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