Acts 13:13-32

13 John, doubtless, was at fault in thus deserting the apostles. But there seems to be a deeper reason for his defection. Being from Jerusalem, and a nephew of Barnabas, he represented the weakness of the flesh and its inability to channel blessing to the nations, so was not spiritually qualified.

14 Paul's sermon and course in Pisidian Antioch is doubtless a specimen case. He usually went first of all into the synagogue and preached the evangel of the kingdom to the Jews of the dispersion and to the gentile proselytes who attended the synagogue services. His sermons included all that Peter preached concerning Messiah as the Son of David, yet went further in order to reach the proselytes. The three classes to whom Paul preached should always be distinguished. There were the men of Israel, his brethren, who were under the law and to whom the covenants and promises pertained. But the synagogues amongst the nations were largely attended by proselytes, who are called "fearers of God," "devout," or "reverent," and usually included a company of women. The proselytes, as a class, accepted Paul's message, but the Jews rejected it, with many notable exceptions. Outside of these were the gentiles proper, the idolators who had no leanings toward Judaism. Among these it was that Paul found the greatest response, but it must be remembered that this account does not lay much stress on this part of his ministry. For instance, it is evident from his epistles that the Thessalonian converts were mostly idolators, yet no hint of this is found in Acts, which speaks only of the Jews and proselytes (Act_17:1-4). Neither are we informed of all that the apostle preached, but only that which concerned the fate of the earthly kingdom. The doctrine contained in his epistles is none of it in Acts, but all is distinct from and above the highest point reached in this treatise. To the Jews Paul spoke of Christ as proclaimed by John the Baptist, and His life before His death and resurrection and ascension, before he knew Him. Paul's epistles, however, are entirely on resurrection ground. Christ was not seen outside the land of Israel until he was seen by Saul on the Damascus road. Let us never mix the testimony in Acts with the truth in Paul's epistles, but let us rather note the great contrast between them. Contrast Peter's first sermon and Paul's. Both quote from David. Peter to prove that Jesus is David's exalted Son (Act_2:30-31). Paul shows by his first quotation (Act_13:33) that Jesus is the Son of God.