Tool Beta
The Ancient World Behind the Text
Pick a passage anywhere in the New Testament. See the customs and ideas a first reader knew without being told.
Acts 13:13-52, The synagogue at Pisidian Antioch
Invited to speak after the synagogue readings in a Roman colony, Paul tells Israel's story from the exodus to Jesus. Gentiles welcome the message, and the city's leading men and women drive the apostles out.
Acts 13:13-52, in every translation this tool compares.
The team sails to the mainland, where John Mark leaves them, and reaches Pisidian Antioch, a Roman colony with a synagogue. Invited to speak after the scripture readings, Paul traces Israel's story through David to Jesus, whom God raised as the psalms and prophets said he would. The next week a huge crowd turns out, some synagogue members turn hostile, and Paul and Barnabas announce they will take the message to Gentiles, who welcome it gladly. Opponents stir up influential women and city leaders, and the pair are expelled and move on to Iconium.
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- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/synagogue\/","n":"The synagogue","s":"The local gathering place where Jews met on the Sabbath to pray and study Scripture. It was also a community center, run by people of standing.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/proselytes-and-god-fearers\/","n":"Converts and God-fearers","s":"Gentiles drawn to Israel's God stood at two distances. Converts took on the whole law, circumcision included, and became Jews. God-fearers worshiped Israel's God, gave to the synagogue and kept some customs, but did not convert.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/messiah\/","n":"The Messiah, son of David","s":"The anointed king most Jews expected from David's line, who would free Israel from its enemies. Nobody expected him to be killed.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/gentile-lands\/","n":"Gentile territory","s":"Across the lake and to the north lay Greek-run cities with pagan temples and pig herds. Jesus crossed into them more than once.","r":""}
The road from Perga ran more than a hundred miles uphill along the Via Sebaste, at least a week's walk (the cultural backgrounds notes). Pisidian Antioch, strictly in Phrygia, was the administrative center of southern Galatia (the Zondervan atlas), a Roman colony of about five thousand colonists whose most conspicuous temple honored the emperor, and the god of the region was Men (the cultural backgrounds notes; the ESV Study Bible). Rulers of the synagogue invited visiting teachers to speak after the readings from the Law and the Prophets (Keener and his notes). Linking Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10 through the shared word holy is the Jewish technique Peter used at Pentecost (Keener and his notes), and Wright notes that Isaiah 55 follows the Servant and opens with an invitation to everyone who is thirsty. The reaction in verse 45 is often translated jealousy; Wright reads it as zeal for God and his law, the zeal Paul confessed of himself (Galatians 1:14). Shaking off the dust was done on returning from pagan land, so the gesture treats the opponents as pagans (Keener and his notes), and Jesus had told his messengers to do it (Luke 10:11; Wright).
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, notes on Acts 13:14, 13:15, 13:35, 13:50 and 13:51
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Acts 13:15, 13:35-37, 13:50 and 13:51-52
- ESV Study Bible, study note on Acts 13:14
- N. T. Wright, Acts for Everyone, Part Two, comments on Acts 13:13-25, 13:26-43 and 13:44-52
- Carl G. Rasmussen, Zondervan Atlas of the Bible, The Journeys of Paul, Paul's First Missionary Journey
