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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“But when they [Paul and Barnabas] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, 'Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.'” (Acts 13.14-15).
Regardless of what chronology one believes, the journey of Paul and Barnabas into the mission fields of the Jews and Gentiles was not one second too soon. Needless to say, they were not well received in all ports, but that was not their mission. While having earnest listeners was certainly something that was encouraging, their mission was simple: Preach the gospel to those who needed to hear its message and allow God to work through His word on the hearts of the hearers. To put it into the precise words of Paul at a later time, “I [Paul] planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3.6). This was the mission of Paul and Barnabas and any and every opportunity to fulfill this mission was gladly welcomed.
Visiting the synagogue on a Sabbath was quite a natural thing to do for one who had been a devout Jew. Where else could such a ready audience be found? Any one who knew the Old Testament was aware of the prophecies that it contained regarding the coming Messiah and that was all the “opening that” Paul and Barnabas needed. However, that was not all they found in Antioch in Pisidia; they also found God-fearing Gentiles among the Jewish worshippers. However, the final “bonus” was the one which inspired the subject matter of today's devotional message.
The final bonus for Paul and Barnabas was the cordial invitation of the rulers of the synagogue; it went like this, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” The picture could not have been more perfect! Two preachers anxious to share the message of Christ with a lost and dying world, and a place of public worship in which they were basically given the right to publicly say anything that they chose to say. What more could one ask?
The sermon that followed was and is a model for similar circumstances in any place and time. Not every one who heard was convicted, but some were. Even had there been no positive response, Paul fulfilled his mission by preaching the message of the Cross and letting the Word of God have its way in the hearts of men. By the next Saturday, almost the whole city (see Acts 13.44) had become curious enough about the message of the Messiah to come out to the synagogue to hear more on the matter. And hear more they did! Paul continued to open the scriptures in their hearing and show that Jesus had fulfilled the promises of forgiveness that were contained in the Old Testament.
As we say, the bottom-bottom is contained in a one line commentary by the author of the book of Acts. “And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.” (Acts 13.49). It all started with the open invitation of the rulers of the synagogue and was made a reality by simple but straightforward messages which Paul delivered in response to that invitation. Opposition could not stop its effects once the process began to penetrate the hearts of good and honest people.
It has been oft repeated though I'm not sure of the original author. It goes something like this: “Saying amen to a preacher is like saying sic 'em to a dog!” Whether this is entirely accurate or not concerning the general preacher population, it was certainly true with Paul. “Say on,” was all it took to begin the process by which the word of God was published throughout an entire city and region.
Questions:
1. Who was Paul? By what name had he previously been known?
2. What was a synagogue? On a given Saturday, who might one find there and what activities would be occurring?
3. How did Paul receive the invitation from the rulers to “say on”?
4. Regarding our own lives, what lessons can we learn and apply from these events?
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