Глава тринадцатая

Acts 13:1. In Antioch, in the church there there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon, called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manael, a fellow pupil of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. He mentions Barnabas first, since Paul has not yet become glorified and has not yet performed any sign. But it should be noted that both Paul and Barnabas were numbered among the apostles. "Manael, co-pupil of Herod the tetrarch". This is what everyone’s character means, and upbringing has no influence: look how wicked Herod remained, and his co-educator Manael changed so much that he was even awarded the gift of prophecy. Acts 13:2–8. While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then they, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, sent them away. These, having been sent by the Holy Spirit, came to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus; and being in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; They also had John with them to serve. Having passed the entire island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew named Barijesus, who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man. This man, calling Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God. And Elymas the sorcerer - for that is what his name means - resisted them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. What does “when did they serve?” mean? It means “preached.” And the expression “for work” is used instead of “for apostolate.” Who ordained Paul? Lucius and Manael, or rather, the Holy Spirit. He is consecrated in order to preach with authority. How does Paul himself say: “chosen not by men, nor by man” (Gal. 1:1)? This is in the sense that it was not man who called him and converted him. They were ordained not in the same way as deacons, but by “laying hands on them” after preliminary fasting and prayer, so from this we can conclude that through such ordination Barnabas and Paul received a higher hierarchical degree than deacon. “They came to Seleucia and sailed from there.” They do not stop in Seleucia, knowing that its inhabitants could gain a lot of benefit from the city neighboring it, but they rush to fulfill the urgent need. “With proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man. This proconsul, calling Barnabas and Saul, wished to hear the word of God.” The surprising thing about the proconsul is that he, having previously been captivated by the magic of the sorcerer, wished to listen to the apostles. But pay attention to the sorcerer: when the apostles preached to other people, he was not very indignant; he was especially indignant when they came to the proconsul. Acts 13:9–12. But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and fixing his gaze on him, said: O full of all deceit and all evil, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness! will you stop turning aside from the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you: you will be blind and will not see the sun until the time comes. And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon him, and he, turning here and there, looked for a counselor. Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, marveling at the teaching of the Lord. "Saul, also known as Paul." Here, along with Saul’s ordination, his name also changes. He was renamed in order to be no lower than the apostles in this respect. And as for the advantage that Peter, the coryphaeus of Christ’s disciples, had, Paul, it seems, enjoyed the same respect and had the opportunity to gain even greater favor. "Filled with all deceit." There was no kind of deceit, he says, that you did not have. He said correctly: “all deceit,” because the sorcerer was a flatterer and a liar. And he calls him “son of the devil” because he did the devil’s work. It is not with us, says Paul, that you fight and fight, but that you lead astray “from the straight paths of the Lord. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you: you will be blind and will not see the sun until the time comes.” By the same means by which he himself was converted, he wanted to convert him. So, this was not punishment, but healing, because Paul said: “It is not I who do this, but “behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you.” And “until the time” obviously was not the word of the one punishing, but the one converting, because if it had been the word of the one punishing, then Paul would have made him blind forever; but here it’s not that, but – “until the time comes.” He says this in order to influence the proconsul, because he lets him know that it depends on the sorcerer himself to get his sight again: he needs to change his way of life for a better one. “Turning here and there, I was looking for a counselor.” This is proof of blindness. It was necessary, through such punishment, to bring some sense into someone who had previously been fascinated by magic. Thus, the punishments seemed to admonish the Magi. Acts 13:13–15. Sailing from Paphos, Paul and those who were with him arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia. But John, having separated from them, returned to Jerusalem. They, passing from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia and, entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, sat down. After reading the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them to say: men and brethren! If you have a word of instruction for the people, speak. John, called Mark, accompanied them in the gospel procession from Palestine to Perga Pamphylia. Then, when the apostles accelerated their march and with a firm, unyielding spirit began to arm themselves for exploits, Mark, as a weak man and not daring to undertake such a journey and those exploits, dangers and struggles that presented themselves in every city, lagging behind the apostles, returned to Palestine, not denying Christ, but refusing further travel, since it was difficult for him. Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem with abundant fruits of faith and preached the gospel to the church in Jerusalem about the conversion and repentance of the pagans. And when everyone began to praise Paul and Barnabas for their successful exploits, Mark was saddened, troubled in soul and, perhaps, thought: “If I had been with the apostles, then I too would have become a participant in their glory,” and again wanted to go out with the apostles to preach. "Arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia". They come to Perga again because they were in a hurry to the Antioch metropolis. “When you entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, you sat down.” They entered the synagogues in Jewish clothing, so as not to meet resistance and not be expelled, and thus achieved their goal in everything. Acts 13:16–24. Paul stood up and made a sign with his hand, saying: Men of Israel and those who fear God! listen. The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted this people while they were in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm brought them out of it; and for about forty years he fed them in the wilderness. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land for them as an inheritance. And after this, about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until the prophet Samuel. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. So forty years passed. Having rejected him, he made David king for them, about whom he said, testifying: “I have found a man after My heart, David, the son of Jesse, who will fulfill all My desires” (1 Sam. 13:14; Ps. 88:21). “From his descendants, according to promise, God raised up the Savior Jesus for Israel. Just before His appearance, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.” Paul preaches here for the first time, and look with what prudence: he bypasses those places where God the Word is spoken of and stops at places that did not mention the seed of David, as he himself says when he writes to the Romans: “I tried to preach the gospel not where the name of Christ was already known” (Rom. 15:20). Look: Barnabas yields to Paul, just as John yields everywhere to Peter. Although Barnabas was highly respected, he did so with the common good in mind. “The God of this people chose our fathers.” Recalling ancient events, he points, like Stephen, to the great blessings of God that happened at that time. “I have found a man after My heart, David the son of Jesse.” It should be noted that these words in the book of Kings are not in the same form as here; there it was only prophetically said by Samuel to Saul: “The Lord will find Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord will command him to be the leader of His people, since you have not fulfilled what the Lord commanded you” (1 Sam. 13, 14). From these words Paul made the following statement: “I have found a man after My own heart...” As for the words “men and brethren! If you have a word of instruction for the people, speak” (v. 15) - this is how they were said because the Jews had the custom of reading the law of Moses and the prophets on the Sabbath and after reading, addressing the people and explaining what they read. Therefore, the leaders of the synagogue invite those who were with Paul to speak in the synagogue. “From his descendants, according to promise, God raised up the Savior Jesus for Israel.” The name David was especially beloved by the Jews; therefore it is said that a king from his tribe reigns. “Just before His appearance, John preached.” By phenomenon we mean incarnation. Acts 13:25–37. At the end of his career, John said: “Who do you say that I am? I'm not the same; but behold, he comes after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” Men and brethren, children of the family of Abraham, and those who fear God among you! the word of this salvation has been sent to you. For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders, not recognizing Him and condemning Him, fulfilled the words of the prophets, read every Saturday. And, not finding in Him any guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to kill Him. When they had fulfilled everything that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. For many days He appeared to those who came with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem and who are now His witnesses before the people. And we preach to you that God fulfilled the promise given to the fathers to us, their children, by raising Jesus, just as it is written in the second psalm: “Thou art my Son: today have I begotten thee” (Ps. 2:7). “And that He raised Him from the dead, so that He would no longer turn into corruption, about this He said this: “I will give you the mercies promised to David, truly” (Is. 55: 3). “Therefore, in another place he says: “You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Ps. 15:10). “David, having served the will of God in due time, rested and was united to his fathers, and saw corruption. But He whom God raised did not see corruption.” John not only testifies, but denies the very glory that everyone attributed to him. It is not the same thing to refuse honor when no one offers it, and when everyone offers it. "Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham." Indicates here the eminent origin of the Jews. "Not recognizing Him." In some way he excuses them: he crucified them, he says, not knowing who He is; because the crime was committed due to ignorance. “Not finding in Him any guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to kill Him.” He says that the death penalty was desirable for them. He brings Pilate onto the stage in order, on the one hand, to make the suffering publicly known, and on the other, to expose himself to greater accusations as having betrayed Christ to a foreigner. And he didn’t say “demanded,” but “asked.” They asked, he says, for permission to kill, although Pilate did not seem to want this. Peter speaks about this more clearly: “When he thought to release Him” (Acts 3:13). "But God raised Him from the dead." Do not be confused by the fact that it is said about Jesus that He was raised by God, because if Jesus is none other than the Word incarnate, and the Word, according to the testimony of Scripture, Christ, God's Power and God's Wisdom, is the power of the Father, by which He does everything, then it should be understood that Jesus raised Himself. And if it is said that He was resurrected by the Father, this is said in the sense that everything is attributed to the Father, as such a beginning and such a cause, which is outside of time. Yes, and Jesus Himself says: “Destroy this church, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). “Who went out with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are now His witnesses before the people.” What they could not possibly be if they were not supported by the power of God. "To us their children, having raised up Jesus". The brothers of the deicides take the name “Jesus” as the name of a person. Having said above that the Word was laid in the tomb, Paul, so that no one would think that he called the Word incorporeal, again calls Him Jesus and not for a single moment, after the union of the two natures, does not allow division in the incarnate Word. "Thou art my Son: today have I begotten thee." Understand these words in relation to the incarnation of Christ, which happened in time, since the expressions “today and tomorrow” contain the meaning of days. And from the Father the Son is born, as even heretics admit, untimely. “Thou shalt not allow Thy Holy One to see corruption.” The body of the Lord and Savior Christ is called incorruptible and immortal, because it is clear that it had the property of incorruption from the time of the incarnation itself, since Christ was sinless. “He whom God raised did not see corruption.” He whom God raised up did not see corruption, but made the place of the tomb a place of incorruption, because Christ, risen by his own power, truly shone forth as the ruler of incorruption, so that we too would rise from the graves and go out “to meet the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17), when, on the day of the expected resurrection, He will come a second time with glory in the clouds. Acts 13:38–41. Let it therefore be known to you, men and brethren, that for His sake the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; and in everything in which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified by him. Beware, therefore, lest what is spoken of by the prophets come upon you: “Look, you despisers, marvel and disappear; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you would not believe if anyone told you” (Hab. 1:5). Look how he doesn’t say anything about the essence of the matter, about the promised seed. He gave no evidence on which they could rely that the remission of sins was accomplished through Jesus, and this was beyond doubt. The Prophet Habakkuk exclaims: “Look, you despisers, marvel and disappear,” and God answers the people of lawlessness that they are threatened with misfortune both now and in the future. And it was worthy of great surprise how Israel, enlisted in the host of the children of God and called the firstborn - that Israel for whose sake Egypt perished - surrendered to the Babylonians, surrendered not only to their sword, but even to captivity, slavery, and all kinds of suffering. “You wouldn’t believe it if someone told you.” The matter is so majestic that it will even seem incredible if someone tells you about it. Acts 13:42–48. When they left the Jewish synagogue, the pagans asked them to talk about the same thing on the next Saturday. When the meeting was dissolved, many Jews and worshipers of God, converted from the pagans, followed Paul and Barnabas, who, talking with them, convinced them to abide in the grace of God. The following Saturday, almost the entire city gathered to listen to the word of God. But the Jews, when they saw the people, were filled with envy and, contradicting and slandering, resisted what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: you should have been the first to preach the word of God, but since you reject it and make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us: “I have made You a light to the Gentiles, so that You may be a source of salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:6). “When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed.” You saw Paul's wise intelligence. In order to bind and win over the pagans, and also so that by telling them everything he would not suddenly dissipate their attention, he first made several hints and did not resolve them, and this aroused in the pagans a desire to listen to him another time. He said that the remission of sins was announced, but he did not explain how this remission would be accomplished. He did not baptize them immediately, because it was untimely. “When the Jews saw the people, they were filled with envy.” So great is the intolerance of envy! Many are completely exhausted and die from seeing others in honor. And this kind of people are capable of resisting not only man, but also the will of God. "How you reject him". So that the words “you make yourselves unworthy of eternal life” would not be interpreted by anyone in favor of their humility, Paul first said “how you reject him.” Then he added “we turn to the pagans.” He does not say “we leave you,” but expresses himself in such a way that he admits the possibility of his return to Antioch. “I have made You a light for the Gentiles,” that is, for the Gentiles to know salvation, and not only for the Gentiles, but for everyone. "Who were predestined to eternal life". They were not presented by violence, because it is said that “those whom He foreknew, He also predestined” (Rom. 8:29). So, the race of the Lord, in essence, is the entire human race, but Israel is His especially close race. And since He came to Israel, and enlightened other nations through the apostles, it is said: “God, according to the promise, raised up the Savior Jesus to Israel” (Acts 13:23), and the pagans through Him were illuminated with enlightenment (see Luke 2:32) and salvation was granted to everyone, because this is precisely what is meant by the words “to the ends of the earth,” and an end was put to the agreements made to the fathers them. “All who were ordained to eternal life believed.” Although they were destined or predestined for eternal life according to foreknowledge, they believed of their own free will, of their own free will. The foreknowledge of God does not destroy the freedom of our will. Before the foundation of the world, destined, according to the foreknowledge of God, to be a chosen vessel, Paul became one not suddenly at birth and not in his youth, but after quite some time, when he formed an understanding of his significance and his virtues. Acts 13:49–52. And the word of the Lord spread throughout the country. But the Jews, inciting the pious and honorable women and the leading people in the city, launched a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their borders. They, having shaken off the dust from their feet, went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. The Jews did not limit themselves to feelings of envy, but also resorted to action. By “pious women” he does not mean religious women, but Jewish or Hellenic ones, and by “honorable” he means rich women. Do you see what vile act they persuaded women to do? They try to block people's path to salvation with the assistance of women, in imitation of the ancient seducer - the devil, who chose Eve as a weapon to block people from entering paradise. “They shook off the dust from their feet.” They did this not without reason, but because they were expelled by the Jews. “And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” The teachers were persecuted, but they rejoiced: such is the power of the Gospel. The teacher's suffering does not take away the courage of the student, but makes him more cheerful. You might be interested in: