Acts 13:14

Perga] An important city, the capital of Pamphylia. Antioch in Pisidia] rather, 'Pisidian Antioch.' This Antioch was really in Phrygia, but from its position was called 'Antiochia ad Pisidiam,' 'Antioch bordering on Pisidia.' It was the centre of military and civil administration for S. Galatia, and commanded the great high-road from Syria to Ephesus and the West. We gather from Galatians 4:13 that St. Paul preached in Galatia on account of an illness which overtook him on his travels. Prof. Ramsay supposes that having caught malarial fever at the low-lying Perga, he determined to try the effect of the mountain air of Antioch. The Synagogue] The sabbath service of the synagogue consisted then as now of, (1) the recitation of the Shema (i.e. of Deuteronomy 6:4; Deuteronomy 11:13; Numbers 15:37); (2) fixed prayers and benedictions; (3) a lesson from the Law; (4) a lesson from the Prophets, intended to illustrate the law; (5) a sermon or instruction. The ruler of the synagogue (at Antioch there appears to have been more than one) decided who was to read or preach.

16-41. St. Paul's sermon falls into three parts: (1) the historical introduction (Acts 13:16); (2) the preaching of salvation through the Incarnation, the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus, who is God's Son, to whom the prophets bore witness (Acts 13:26); (3) the practical application and appeal (Acts 13:38). The introduction reminds us of Stephen's apology, but whereas Stephen laid the main stress upon Moses, St. Paul lays it upon David. The description of our Lord's rejection by the rulers, and of His death and resurrection reminds us strongly of St. Peter's earlier speeches at Jerusalem, but St. Paul adds the further claim that Jesus is God's Son (Acts 13:33). The Pauline doctrine of justification by faith, and not by the works of the Law, finds expression in Acts 13:39 : cp. Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:2., etc., which show that this doctrine was actually preached to the Galatians.