1 Nowe there were in the Church that was at Antioch, certaine Prophets and teachers: as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had bene brought vp with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministred to the Lord, and fasted, the holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the worke whereunto I haue called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their handes on them, they sent them away.
4 ¶ So they being sent forth by the holy Ghost, departed vnto Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Iewes: and they had also Iohn to their Minister.
6 And when they had gone thorow the Ile vnto Paphos, they found a certaine sorcerer, a false prophet, a Iewe, whose name was Bariesus:
7 Which was with the deputie of the countrey Sergius Paulus, a prudent man: who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to heare the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turne away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul (who also is called Paul) filled with the holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe, thou child of the deuil, thou enemie of all righteousnesse, wilt thou not cease to peruert the right wayes of the Lord?
11 And now behold, the hand of the Lord is vpon thee, & thou shalt be blind, not seeing the Sunne for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkenes, and he went about, seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the Deputie when he sawe what was done, beleeued, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and Iohn departing from them, returned to Hierusalem.
14 ¶ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sate downe.
15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent vnto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
16 Then Paul stood vp, and beckning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that feare God, giue audience.
17 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 arme brought he them out of it.
18 And about the time of fourtie yeeres suffered he their maners in the wildernesse.
19 And when he had destroyed seuen nations in the land of Chanaan, he diuided their land to them by lot:
20 And after that he gaue vnto them iudges, about the space of foure hundred and fifty yeeres vntill Samuel the Prophet.
21 And afterward they desired a King, and God gaue vnto them Saul the sonne of Cis, a man of the tribe of Beniamin, by the space of fourty yeres.
22 And when he had remoued him, hee raised vp vnto them Dauid to be their king, to whom also he gaue testimonie, and said, I haue found Dauid the sonne of Iesse, a man after mine own heart, which shal fulfill all my wil.
23 Of this mans seed hath God, according to his promise, raised vnto Israel a Sauiour, Iesus:
24 When Iohn had first preached before his coming, the baptisme of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as Iohn fulfilled his course, he said, Whom thinke ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there commeth one after me, whose shooes of his feete I am not worthy to loose.
26 Men and brethren, children of the stocke of Abraham, and whosoeuer among you feareth God, to you is the word of this saluation sent.
27 For they that dwell at Hierusalem, & their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read euery Sabbath day, they haue fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slaine.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they tooke him downe from the tree, and layd him in a Sepulchre.
30 But God raised him frō the dead:
31 And he was seene many dayes of them which came vp with him from Galilee to Hierusalem, who are his witnesses vnto the people.
32 And we declare vnto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made vnto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same vnto vs their children, in that he hath raised vp Iesus againe, as it is also written in the second Psalme: Thou art my Sonne, this day haue I begotten thee.
34 And as concerning that he raised him vp from the dead, now no more to returne to corruption, he said on this wise, I will giue you the sure mercies of Dauid.
35 Wherfore he saith also in another Psalme, Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
36 For Dauid after he had serued his owne generation by the will of God, fell on sleepe, and was laide vnto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But hee whom God raised againe, saw no corruption.
38 ¶ Be it knowen vnto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes.
39 And by him all þt beleeue, are iustified from all things, from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, least that come vpon you which is spoken of in the Prophets,
41 Behold, yee despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I worke a worke in your dayes, a worke which you shall in no wise beleeue, though a man declare it vnto you.
42 And when the Iewes were gone out of the Synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
43 Now when the Congregation was broken vp, many of the Iewes, and religious Proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them, perswaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 ¶ And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole citie together to heare the word of God.
45 But when the Iewes saw the multitudes, they were filled with enuie, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting, and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first haue bene spoken to you: but seeing yee put it from you, and iudge your selues vnworthy of euerlasting life, loe, we turne to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord cōmanded vs, saying, I haue set thee to bee a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for saluation vnto the ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordeined to eternall life, beleeued.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Iewes stirred vp the deuout and honourable women, and the chiefe men of the citie, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
51 But they shooke off the dust of their feete against them, and came vnto Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with ioy, and with the holy Ghost.
The mission of Paul and Barnabas. (1-3) Elymas the sorcerer. (4-13) Paul's discourse at Antioch. (14-41) He preaches to the Gentiles, and is persecuted by the Jews. (42-52)1-3 What an assemblage was here! In these names we see that the Lord raises up instruments for his work, from various places and stations in life; and zeal for his glory induces men to give up flattering connexions and prospects to promote his cause. It is by the Spirit of Christ that his ministers are made both able and willing for his service, and taken from other cares that would hinder in it. Christ's ministers are to be employed in Christ's work, and, under the Spirit's guidance, to act for the glory of God the Father. They are separated to take pains, and not to take state. A blessing upon Barnabas and Saul in their present undertaking was sought for, and that they might be filled with the Holy Ghost in their work. Whatever means are used, or rules observed, the Holy Ghost alone can fit ministers for their important work, and call them to it.
4-13 Satan is in a special manner busy with great men and men in power, to keep them from being religious, for their example will influence many. Saul is here for the first time called Paul, and never after Saul. Saul was his name as he was a Hebrew; Paul was his name as he was a citizen of Rome. Under the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, he gave Elymas his true character, but not in passion. A fulness of deceit and mischief together, make a man indeed a child of the devil. And those who are enemies to the doctrine of Jesus, are enemies to all righteousness; for in it all righteousness is fulfilled. The ways of the Lord Jesus are the only right ways to heaven and happiness. There are many who not only wander from these ways themselves, but set others against these ways. They commonly are so hardened, that they will not cease to do evil. The proconsul was astonished at the force of the doctrine upon his own heart and conscience, and at the power of God by which it was confirmed. The doctrine of Christ astonishes; and the more we know of it, the more reason we shall see to wonder at it. Those who put their hand to the plough and look back, are not fit for the kingdom of God. Those who are not prepared to face opposition, and to endure hardship, are not fitted for the work of the ministry.
14-31 When we come together to worship God, we must do it, not only by prayer and praise, but by the reading and hearing of the word of God. The bare reading of the Scriptures in public assemblies is not enough; they should be expounded, and the people exhorted out of them. This is helping people in doing that which is necessary to make the word profitable, to apply it to themselves. Every thing is touched upon in this sermon, which might best prevail with Jews to receive and embrace Christ as the promised Messiah. And every view, however short or faint, of the Lord's dealings with his church, reminds us of his mercy and long-suffering, and of man's ingratitude and perverseness. Paul passes from David to the Son of David, and shows that this Jesus is his promised Seed; a Saviour to do that for them, which the judges of old could not do, to save them from their sins, their worst enemies. When the apostles preached Christ as the Saviour, they were so far from concealing his death, that they always preached Christ crucified. Our complete separation from sin, is represented by our being buried with Christ. But he rose again from the dead, and saw no corruption: this was the great truth to be preached.
32-37 The resurrection of Christ was the great proof of his being the Son of God. It was not possible he should be held by death, because he was the Son of God, and therefore had life in himself, which he could not lay down but with a design to take it again. The sure mercies of David are that everlasting life, of which the resurrection was a sure pledge; and the blessings of redemption in Christ are a certain earnest, even in this world. David was a great blessing to the age wherein he lived. We were not born for ourselves, but there are those living around us, to whom we must study to be serviceable. Yet here is the difference; Christ was to serve all generations. May we look to Him who is declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead, that by faith in him we may walk with God, and serve our generation according to his will; and when death comes, may we fall asleep in him, with a joyful hope of a blessed resurrection.
38-41 Let all that hear the gospel of Christ, know these two things: 1. That through this Man, who died and rose again, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Your sins, though many and great, may be forgiven, and they may be so without any injury to God's honour. 2. It is by Christ only that those who believe in him, and none else, are justified from all things; from all the guilt and stain of sin, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. The great concern of convinced sinners is, to be justified, to be acquitted from all their guilt, and accepted as righteous in God's sight, for if any is left charged upon the sinner, he is undone. By Jesus Christ we obtain a complete justification; for by him a complete atonement was made for sin. We are justified, not only by him as our Judge but by him as the Lord our Righteousness. What the law could not do for us, in that it was weak, the gospel of Christ does. This is the most needful blessing, bringing in every other. The threatenings are warnings; what we are told will come upon impenitent sinners, is designed to awaken us to beware lest it come upon us. It ruins many, that they despise religion. Those that will not wonder and be saved, shall wonder and perish.
42-52 The Jews opposed the doctrine the apostles preached; and when they could find no objection, they blasphemed Christ and his gospel. Commonly those who begin with contradicting, end with blaspheming. But when adversaries of Christ's cause are daring, its advocates should be the bolder. And while many judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, others, who appear less likely, desire to hear more of the glad tidings of salvation. This is according to what was foretold in the Old Testament. What light, what power, what a treasure does this gospel bring with it! How excellent are its truths, its precepts, its promises! Those came to Christ whom the Father drew, and to whom the Spirit made the gospel call effectual, #Ro 8:30|. As many as were disposed to eternal life, as many as had concern about their eternal state, and aimed to make sure of eternal life, believed in Christ, in whom God has treasured up that life, and who is the only Way to it; and it was the grace of God that wrought it in them. It is good to see honourable women devout; the less they have to do in the world, the more they should do for their own souls, and the souls of others: but it is sad, when, under colour of devotion to God, they try to show hatred to Christ. And the more we relish the comforts and encouragements we meet with in the power of godliness, and the fuller our hearts are of them, the better prepared we are to face difficulties in the profession of godliness.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.