Acts 13:13

Paul and his company

(ο περ Παυλον). Neat Greek idiom as in Plato, Cratylus 440 C ο περ Hερακλειτον. On this idiom see Gildersleeve, Syntax, p. 264. It means a man and his followers, "those around Paul." Now Paul ranks first always in Acts save in Acts 14:2; Acts 15:12; Acts 15:25 for special reasons. Heretofore Saul (Paul) held a secondary position (Acts 9:27; Acts 11:30; Acts 13:1). "In nothing is the greatness of Barnabas more manifest than in his recognition of the superiority of Paul and acceptance of a secondary position for himself" (Furneaux).Set sail

(αναχθεντες). First aorist passive participle of αναγω. Thirteen times in the Acts and Luke 8:22 which see. They sailed up to sea and came down (καταγω, καταβαινω) to land. So it looks.Departed from them

(αποχωρησας απ' αυτων). First aorist active participle of αποχωρεω, old verb to withdraw, go away from. In the N.T. only here and Matthew 7:23; Luke 9:39. He is called John there as in verse Acts 13:5 and Mark in Acts 15:39, though John Mark in Acts 12:12; Acts 12:25. This may be accidental or on purpose (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 317). Luke is silent on John's reasons for leaving Paul and Barnabas. He was the cousin of Barnabas and may not have relished the change in leadership. There may have been change in plans also now that Paul is in command. Barnabas had chosen Cyprus and Paul has led them to Perga in Pamphylia and means to go on into the highlands to Antioch in Pisidia. There were perils of many sorts around them and ahead (2 Corinthians 11:26), perils to which John Mark was unwilling to be exposed. Paul will specifically charge him at Antioch with desertion of his post (Acts 15:39). It is possible, as Ramsay suggests, that the mosquitoes at Perga gave John malaria. If so, they bit Paul and Barnabas also. He may not have liked Paul's aggressive attitude towards the heathen. At any rate he went home to Jerusalem instead of to Antioch, zu seiner Mutter (Holtzmann). It was a serious breach in the work, but Paul and Barnabas stuck to the work.