Paul appeals to the Jews

Greetings, Friends~ Today, we are blessed to read Paul's first recorded sermon--what a brilliant oratorical narrative it is for us to devour! Paul was masterful in relating to the Jews in the way they would receive it, using his intellectual style of evangelism. While his sermon has similarities to the speeches of Stephen and Peter as a historical retrospective, Paul's weaving in of prophecy and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ shows that Christianity is a defensible faith. So, pray with me-- "Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to see what you would have us learn from Paul's teaching. Thank you, Lord, for the power of Scripture in our lives. Amen"

Cited is the English Standard Version in regular font, with my comments in italics. Acts 13.13-25~
Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. This was John Mark who departed from them; Scripture does not tell us why, but it really bothered Paul as we will later see. John Mark is the writer of the Gospel of Mark. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. Paul purposed to go to the synagogue, because the Jews would know what the prophets had said about the Messiah, and he could appeal to their knowledge when talking to them about Christianity, and why they should accept Jesus as Messiah. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” -- This would be common in current-day Jewish services--the reciting of the beautiful "Shema" - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6.4-9) Prayers would be offered, followed by a reading from the books of Moses-- (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Then, there would be a reading from the Prophets, meant to illustrate the Law, and often a sermon. It was customary to invite visiting teachers to speak. So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. Paul affirms them by telling them that they are indeed God's chosen people, and how He hod multiplied their number while they were in Egypt. Paul makes no mistake that it was God who led them out--though the people knew that God used Moses to be his spokesman. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. They were constant complainers. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance, led by Joshua. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. From David to Jesus in one breath--thereby showing that Jesus, their Messiah, came through the line of David. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. So Paul points out that John-the-Baptist had also been a prophet to the Jews, in an effort to prepare them for Jesus. And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'. . .

Paul practices one of the most fundamental elements of effective speaking--knowing your audience, and how to appeal to them--Paul did this by showing them from their own beliefs and writings that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies they knew well. He will continue doing so in the rest of his sermon in Acts 13 tomorrow. . . but let us notice the quote Paul uses to describe how God felt about David--'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ Every time I read how God spoke of David, it impacts me; I want so badly to be a woman after God's own heart! Picture this with me--getting to Heaven, and God says to someone, "This is Melissa; she is a woman after my own heart--" or "This is Andre; he is a man after my own heart--" Come on, you have to admit, that would rank right behind, "Well done, good and faithful servant, Marco." Just take a moment and ponder that thought. Ah, one day we will see Him face-to-face, we shall behold Him in all his glory, and he certainly will have something to say to us. . . what will He say to you? And, why did God use such a description of David? I believe it was because David was obedient. He wasn't perfect as we know, but David was willing to do whatever God asked him to do. Let us aspire to that, dear ones. Christine (DiGiacomo) Facebook "Morning Briefings"