Acts 13

I've read this chapter several times already, but tonight I actually took the time to record some thoughts on it afterward. I'm thinking there must be something really good in here for me since I've read it 3 or 4 times now... :-)

When I first read verses 2 and 3, I felt a little jealous of the way the Holy Spirit actually spoke aloud and called Saul and Barnabas to his work. "Why can't I hear the Holy Spirit so clearly?" I wondered. But upon reading it again, I noticed that the call was in fact rather vague: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). What work is that? Or had he previously outlined it more specifically? I'm guessing not, because this doesn't sound too different from the call Abraham received centuries (millenia?) before: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you . . ." (Gen. 12:1-3). It seems God often wants us to follow him without knowing all the details, though I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe we can't handle all the specifics right away, maybe he wants to know we have faith in his leading, maybe... Regardless, it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one who's a little fuzzy on the details of where God wants me to go.

In verses 6-12, Saul/Paul and Barnabas come across a certain false prophet magician who was hanging around an intelligent proconsul. The proconsul summons Saul/Paul and Barnabas because he wants to hear the word of God, but of course the magician opposes them, wanting to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, says, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10). He also makes him blind, and the proconsul believes when he sees all of this. How long had it been since Saul himself had been persecuting Christians? And yet here he is speaking with such power and authority. And again in verses 16-41, Paul speaks out in a/the synagogue in Antioch, summarizing God's work from their forefathers' exodus from Egypt all the way through Jesus' resurrection. I love these verses: "And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus" (Acts 13:32-33). Once again, we see someone starting from what his listeners know and understand and explaining how it all leads to Jesus. Beautiful, powerful. And the people wanted more: "As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. . . . [and] the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord." (Acts 13:42, 44). But of course the Jews were jealous and set out to discredit Paul. He and Barnabas thus fulfilled the scriptures, speaking the word of God first to the Jews, but then turned to share the good news with the Gentiles instead (Acts 13:45-49).

It kind of amazes me, too, how confidently Paul speaks out in these two instances. I mean, he had so vehemently persecuted the believers before his conversion, and yet now he preaches with no fear or shame. I often feel unworthy to speak for Christ, and my past isn't nearly as blemished as Paul's (if we can measure or compare sin, which I suppose we can't really). Why does guilt so often linger long after forgiveness comes? Oh, how I long for the confidence Paul displays here!

So, the two lessons I take from this chapter: I want to know and understand and hear and trust the Holy Spirit more. I think that is probably also the key to confidence in Christ. And I want to know and understand and love and use the Scriptures more.

Yep, good stuff.