_SEPARATION AND ORDINATION_ ‘As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work where-unto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.’ Acts 13:2 Barnabas and Saul were at Antio... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE GREAT TRUTH OF EASTER_ ‘But God raised Him from the dead.’ Acts 13:30 In these simple words, repeated again and again on all possible occasions, was the great truth of Easter first preached to the world. The Resurrection was ‘an eminent act of God’s omnipotency,’ as an old writer calls it, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_GLAD TIDINGS!_ ‘We declare unto you glad tidings.’ Acts 13:32 In his Epistle to the Philippians St. Paul uses the word ‘joy’ no less than eighteen times—and yet he wrote that letter while he himself was chained to a soldier at Rome! The Apostle never let passing clouds obscure the blue of heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
_PAULS WITNESS_ ‘The promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that Be hath raised up Jesus again.’ Acts 13:32 ‘And ye are witnesses of these things,’ are the closing words of the Gospel. How they were witnesses is shown in this chapter. Truly... [ Continue Reading ]
_DAVID’S SERVICE AND OURS_ ‘David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep.’ Acts 13:36 The Apostle is showing that certain declarations of Scripture could not refer to David or any mere man. ‘For David, after he had served his own generation, saw corruption; but... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS_ ‘Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.’ Acts 13:38 This was St. Paul’s first public utterance since his conversion. He was the Barnabas of the Synagogue, and, as the custom of the Synagogue w... [ Continue Reading ]
_JUSTIFICATION_ ‘By Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.’ Acts 13:39 Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardons our sin and reckons or accounts us righteous, for the sake of the righteousness of Christ im... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ENVY OF THE JEWS_ ‘When the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.’ Acts 13:45 God summons us to co-operate in His eternal purpose. ‘As the synagogue broke up’ many, not only of ‘the Jews,’ but of ‘the devout proselytes, followed Paul and Barnabas.’ They had, for the first time... [ Continue Reading ]