1st Missionary Trip - Lorin

Antioch became an administrative center for the province of
Galatia, military veterans were largely used to colonize the
city with Latin speaking Romans. Thus when Paul and Barnabas
arrived in the city in the mid 40s they heard more Latin being
spoken in the city than they did Greek. 116 The political and
economic importance of the city made it an important place
for planting a Christian congregation. These two missionaries
would spend a good bit of time in the city, and when eventually
forced to leave because of synagogue based opposition,
a thriving community of believers would exist not only in the
city but also in the surrounding region.
Luke’s depiction of their ministry in the city is an extended
episodic narrative with a speech of Paul inserted into
the narrative. The narrative introduction is provided in vv. 13-
16a. Paul’s speech follows in vv. 16b-41. The narrative conclusion
then comes in vv. 41-52. This is Paul’s first recorded speech in Acts, and is delivered to Jews at a sabbath
service in one of the synagogues there. A second speech was attempted the following sabbath, but was
interrupted by Jewish opposition when almost the entire city gathered to hear Paul speak (vv. 44-45). Their
missionary efforts then turned to the Gentiles in the city with large numbers coming to Christ. Jewish synagogue
opposition eventually forces them to leave the city after some weeks of evangelizing the region.
Our examination of this experience will be built around these three natural divisions of the text.
Narrative introduction, vv. 14-16a. The
first scene focuses on the Jewish sabbath day worship
service they attended in a synagogue at Antioch:
καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν
σαββάτων ἐκάθισαν, And on the sabbath day they went
into the synagogue and sat down. The typical modern
Jewish synagogue floor design, as illustrated in the
photo, is based on the ancient patterns. The synagogue
that Paul and Barnabas attended that Friday
evening would not have been nearly as elaborate
as the modern one in the photo. The raised platform
in the center of the room was for the reading of the
Torah, while the Jewish men were seated in a circle
around the platform. The so-called ‘reading desk’ on
the platform was where the Torah scrolls were laid and
the official synagogue reader read the assigned passage for that service. The offering of prescribed prayers and
the reading of the Hebrew Bible were the two central aspects of sabbath worship by Jews in the synagogue service
on Friday evenings. 117 Antiocheia in Pisidia
A sermon or ‘homily’ might be given by someone in the congregation if they felt it ap-
pleted in A.D. 50, and a staircase linking the street with the imperial sanctuary (Robinson 1926; Mitchell and Waelkens fc., chap. 4). Also
during this period members of Antioch’s leading families began to hold important positions in the Roman military and administrative
hierarchy, and the elite of the colony were among the first easterners to enter the Senate at Rome (Levick 1967: 103–20; Halfmann 1979).
The colony continued to prosper through the 2d and 3d centuries and under Diocletian became the metropolis of the newly constituted
province of Pisidia. An early 4th-century governor, Valerius Diogenes, was responsible for an important building program and was also
active in the persecution of Christians (MAMA 1 no. 170; Calder 1920), but by the end of the century Antioch had an orthodox bishop
in correspondence with St. Basil, and had witnessed the construction of several major churches (Mitchell and Waelkens fc., chap. 2 and
appendix 1; Kitzinger 1974).” [Stephen Mitchell, “Antioch (Place): Antioch of Pisidia” In vol. 1, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed.
David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1996), 264.]
116 “Hellenisation became Latinisation during the Roman period and it was applied in Antioch best. The city was divided into seven
quarters called ‘vici’ all of which were founded on seven hills like in Rome. The formal language was Latin till the end of the 3rd century
AD. The fertility of the land and the peace brought by Augustus (Pax Romana: Roman Peace) made it easier for the veterans as colonists
in the area to have good relations and integration with the natives.” [“Antioch, Pisidia,” Wikipedia.org]
117 “The fittings of the synagogues were in New Testament times very simple. The chief was the closet (הָביֵּת)
in which were kept
the rolls of the law and the other sacred books.
Page 219
102 These were wrapped in linen cloths (תֹוחָּפְטִמ),
103 and lay in a case (קיִּת
= θήκη). 104 An
elevated place (המיב = βῆμα, tribune), upon which stood the reading-desk, was erected, at least in post-Talmudic times, for him who read
the Scriptures aloud or preached. 105 Both are mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud, 106 and may well be assumed for the time of Christ.