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Acts 13:2 As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’

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Commissioning of Barnabas and Saul (13:1-3): In Antioch, while the church leaders are worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit calls for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for a special mission. They are prayed over, have hands laid on them, and are sent out.

Mission to Cyprus (13:4-12): Sent by the Holy Spirit, they travel to Cyprus, preaching in synagogues. In Paphos, they encounter a false prophet, Bar-Jesus (Elymas), whom Paul confronts, resulting in his blinding. This amazes the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who believes.

Journey to Pisidian Antioch (13:13-15): After John Mark leaves them at Perga, Paul and Barnabas continue to Pisidian Antioch, where they are invited to speak in the synagogue.

Paul’s Sermon (13:16-41): Paul delivers a message tracing Israel’s history, proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises, and emphasizing forgiveness through His resurrection. He urges the audience to accept this salvation.

Mixed Response and Shift to Gentiles (13:42-52): The sermon initially draws interest, but Jewish leaders grow jealous, rejecting the message. Paul and Barnabas declare they will turn to the Gentiles, who rejoice. Opposition forces them out of the region, yet they leave with joy.

Acts 13 highlights the Holy Spirit’s role in launching the church’s mission beyond Jerusalem, as Barnabas and Saul (Paul) are divinely commissioned to spread the gospel, facing both acceptance and opposition, ultimately shifting focus to the Gentiles when met with Jewish rejection. This marks a significant step in the expansion of Christianity.

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Acts 12:24 But the word of God spread and multiplied.

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King Herod Agrippa I persecuted the church, executing the apostle James (son of Zebedee) and imprisoning Peter, intending to bring him to trial after Passover. While Peter is heavily guarded in prison, the church prays fervently for him. That night, an angel appears, awakens Peter, releases his chains, and leads him past the guards and through the city gate, which opens miraculously. Peter, initially thinking it’s a vision, realizes his escape is real and goes to the house of Mary (John Mark’s mother), where believers are praying. They are astonished to see him, and he instructs them to tell James (Jesus’ brother) and others before leaving. Meanwhile, Herod, enraged by Peter’s escape, executes the guards and later travels to Caesarea. There, after being hailed as a god by the crowd following a speech, Herod is struck down by an angel of the Lord and dies, eaten by worms, for not giving glory to God. The chapter ends with the word of God continuing to spread, as Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem with John Mark.

Acts 12 illustrates God’s sovereign power over human opposition, delivering Peter from prison and judgment while striking down Herod for his pride, affirming that no force can thwart the spread of the gospel. The chapter highlights the efficacy of prayer, divine intervention, and the resilience of the early church, showing that God’s kingdom advances despite persecution and human arrogance.

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Acts 11:17 If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?

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Peter returns to Jerusalem, where he faces criticism from Jewish believers for associating with Gentiles and eating with them, as described in Acts 10. Peter recounts his vision of the sheet with animals, the command to not call impure what God has made clean, and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius’s household. His explanation convinces the critics, who then praise God for granting repentance to the Gentiles. The narrative shifts to the spread of the gospel beyond Judea, as persecuted believers from Jerusalem preach to Jews and Greeks in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. In Antioch, many Gentiles believe, and the church grows significantly. Barnabas is sent from Jerusalem to encourage this new community, and he recruits Saul (Paul) from Tarsus to help teach the believers. The disciples are first called “Christians” in Antioch. The chapter ends with a prophet, Agabus, foretelling a famine, prompting the Antioch church to send relief to Jerusalem through Barnabas and Saul.

The central point of Acts 11 is the divine affirmation and human acceptance of the gospel’s expansion to the Gentiles, demonstrating that God’s grace transcends ethnic boundaries. Peter’s defense and the thriving Gentile church in Antioch show the early church grappling with and embracing this shift, while the unity of believers—seen in their mutual support during hardship—underscores the growing identity and mission of the Christian community.

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