Acts 13:13-32 CSB
Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem. [14] They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. [15] After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak." [16] Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, "Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen! [17] The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty arm. [18] And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness; [19] and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. [20] This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. [21] 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. [22] After removing him, he raised up David as their king and testified about him, 'I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my will.' [23] "From this man's descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus. [24] Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. [25] Now as John was completing his mission, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.' [26] "Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham's race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent. [27] Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him. [28] Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed. [29] When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb. [30] But God raised him from the dead, [31] and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. [32] And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.
Philippians 2:3-4 CSB
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. [4] Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
Preaching to the Scattered
There is an incredible wealth of hidden meaning packed into a single, seemingly brief sentence: “Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.”
If we look closely at the shift in wording, a major transition has just taken place. Prior to this verse, Luke consistently referred to the missionary team as “Barnabas and Saul.” Barnabas was the respected, senior veteran who had originally brought Saul into the fold of the early believers when everyone else was still terrified of him. Yet, following the intense spiritual battle with Elymas the sorcerer in Paphos, Paul steps into the primary leadership role. This moment marks the official launching of Paul’s distinct apostolic ministry to reach the Gentile nations for Christ.
Simultaneously, John Mark—the young assistant who would later author the Gospel of Mark—abruptly abandons the team to return to Jerusalem. While the English phrasing sounds mild, Mark’s departure was a bitter abandonment. Though the text does not explicitly state his motive, the geography itself speaks volumes. To travel from the coastal port of Perga into the rugged interior of Galatia required crossing the notorious Taurus Mountains—a route famous in the ancient world for its treacherous, steep climbs and bloodthirsty bandits.
Perhaps Mark simply lost his nerve in the face of such danger. Perhaps he was deeply offended that his older cousin, Barnabas, was suddenly being eclipsed in leadership by Paul. Or, coming from the deeply traditional, conservative church in Jerusalem, Mark may have felt doctrinally uncomfortable with Paul’s bold, unconditional preaching to the Gentiles, preferring to keep the focus strictly on the Jewish nation. Whatever his reasons, Paul viewed this departure as a serious betrayal, later refusing to give the young man a second chance. This friction would eventually cause a sharp, painful split between Paul and Barnabas, forcing them to separate into completely different missionary teams.
What moral lesson can we learn from this as we labor alongside others in the body of Christ? We are called to absolute spiritual unity, yet human disagreements are inevitable. We are all shaped by our past experiences, which often cause us to see things differently from our brothers and sisters. People will bring forward diverse ideas about worship styles, the songs we should sing, or the specific words we should say, and these differences can easily make us uncomfortable. In those moments, if we keep our eyes fixed on our Lord and rely on the love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we must ask ourselves a challenging question: How important is it for me to get my own way?
Scripture explicitly commands us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but rather in humility to regard others as more important than ourselves. In this life, we will occasionally be called to cheerfully take second place while someone else steps into the limelight. That can be a very difficult pill for human pride to swallow, but it is easily accepted when we are no longer self-motivated, but kingdom-motivated.
Even with the quiet friction of John Mark’s departure undoubtedly weighing on their minds, Paul and Barnabas continued moving forward together for the sake of the Gospel. Throughout his journeys, Paul maintained a consistent pattern: he brought the message to the Jews first. Upon arriving in Pisidian Antioch—a completely different city from their sending church in Syrian Antioch—they headed straight into the local synagogue on the Sabbath.
During a typical first-century service, a designated portion of the Law and a selection from the Prophets were systematically read aloud. Following the readings, it was customary for the synagogue rulers to invite visiting teachers to share a word of encouragement with the congregation. Recognizing Paul and Barnabas as educated guests, the leaders extended this honor to them.
Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and addressed the diverse crowd, which included both native Jews and God-fearing Gentile proselytes. His sermon was a masterpiece of historical preparation. He provided a sweeping survey of Israel’s history—from the deliverance out of Egypt, through the wilderness wanderings, the era of the judges, and the reign of King Saul—all to trace the line of promise directly to King David. It was to David that the prophet Nathan had promised an eternal dynasty.
Paul then boldly bridged that ancient promise to the immediate past, highlighting the ministry of John the Baptist, who had explicitly deflected praise away from himself to point the nation toward the coming Messiah. With unflinching honesty, Paul declared that the religious leaders in Jerusalem failed to recognize the Savior, fulfilling the very prophecies they read every Sabbath by condemning Jesus to death.
But the grave could not hold the Author of Life; God raised Him from the dead. Jesus is the Christ, the ultimate descendant of David whom the nation had anticipated for centuries. This was the life-altering message Paul proclaimed to the listening synagogue. He pinned every claim to Old Testament scripture, demonstrating that God’s Word never returns void. It possesses the supernatural power, through the Holy Spirit, to pierce hearts and transform lives. Just like Paul, we must deeply know the Word of God so that we may be equipped to use it for the eternal benefit of others.
Reflection Questions
- Barnabas willingly stepped into the background as Paul took the lead, illustrating the call to do nothing out of selfish ambition. When have you been asked to take a backseat or give up the limelight for the good of God’s Kingdom, and how did your heart handle that transition?
- John Mark abandoned the mission when faced with the treacherous Taurus Mountains or theological discomfort. When the path of following Christ becomes physically difficult or culturally uncomfortable for you, what spiritual disciplines help keep you from turning back?
- Paul used a deep knowledge of Israel’s history to show the synagogue how God had been pointing to Jesus all along. How well do you know the overarching story of Scripture, and how can you better equip yourself to share the Gospel using God’s Word?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You for the raw honesty of Scripture, which shows us that even the greatest heroes of the faith experienced disagreements, trials, and the pain of abandonment. Deliver us from the disease of self-conceit and selfish ambition. Give us the humility of Barnabas to celebrate when others are raised up into leadership, and give us a steadfast spirit that does not run away when the path before us becomes steep and dangerous. We praise You that Your Word never returns void. Grant us a deep hunger to know Your truth, and let Your Holy Spirit use that Word to transform our hearts and give us the wisdom to point everyone we meet directly to our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. In His holy Name we pray.
Amen.
