Paul’s Address in Pisidian Antioch: God’s Initiative and the Fulfilment of His Promises

Commentary 22 on Acts 13:13-25

Fr. Pat Collins, CM

Lectio Divina

12th Oct 2026

Paul and his companions leave Cyprus and sail to Perga in Pamphylia. Here, John Mark departs and returns to Jerusalem. Although no reason is given in this passage, his desertion later becomes a point of disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36–40). The narrative also begins to place Paul in the leading role, as the group is now described as "Paul and his companions." 

After travelling inland to Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas attend the synagogue on the Sabbath. It should be noted that there were many towns called Antioch. This one was an ancient city in Asia Minor, located in what is now southwestern Turkey. Despite its name, it was actually in the Roman province of Celtic Galatia.  Following the customary readings from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders invited their noted guests to offer a message of encouragement. This reflected the synagogue's practice of welcoming visiting teachers to address the congregation.

Paul began by addressing both Jews and Gentile God-fearers. Rather than immediately speaking about Jesus, he recounted Israel's history to establish common ground. It struck me that his approach is reminiscent to the approach adopted by Jesus on the road to Emmaus where we are told that, “Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.” (Lk 24:27). Later when he appeared to the disciples and he said to them, “These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Lk 24:44-47).

In his sermon, St Paul highlighted the following points:

•              God chose the Israelites.

•              God delivered them from Egypt.

•              God cared for them in the wilderness.

•              God gave them the land of Canaan.

•              God provided judges.

•              God granted them kings.

The emphasis was consistently on God's initiative rather than Israel's achievements. Paul recalled Israel's first king, Saul, who was removed, and contrasted him with David, whom God described as "a man after my own heart." David became the pivotal figure because God's covenant promised that his descendants would produce the Messiah. Now Paul reached the central point of his historical survey: from David's descendants God brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, exactly as He had promised. This connected Jesus directly to God's covenant with David and presented Him as the fulfilment of Israel's hopes rather than a departure from them. Before Jesus' public ministry, John the Baptist preached repentance to prepare the people. John made it clear that he was not the Messiah but only the one preparing the way for the coming Saviour. His humility directed attention away from himself and toward Jesus.

The address in Pisidian Antioch served as a foundational summary of Paul’s kerygmatic gospel. One of the sermon's most important theological points is that forgiveness of sins and justification come through Jesus Christ—not through the Law of Moses: "Through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38–39). God fulfilled His promises to Israel by sending Jesus the Messiah, whose death and resurrection provide forgiveness and justification to all who believe, opening God's salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.