Todays readings.. 2 Chronicles 32, Daniel 12, Acts 13

Our chapter 13 in Acts today tells us how Paul’s witnessing about God in Antioch attracted great we read how Paul’s witnessing about the true God in Antioch attracted great interest – but then it resulted in some opposition.  Those who scoffed at the message about Jesus, Paul said, made “themselves unworthy of eternal life” [v.46].  Paul then declared that “the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” [v.47]

The message of “eternal life has now reached “the ends of the earth” in a way Paul could have never conceived.  This chapter make use of what we call, the Old Testament. He uses no less than 7 quotations from 5 books of the Old Testament as he taught a large audience at Antioch in Pisidia (today this is south eastern Turkey). It is disappointing that today so many who claim to believe in Christ rarely read the Old Testament.

  It is also sad to see, but this in God’s wisdom just has to be, that there were “scoffers” in Paul’s audience. He told such to “Look out” and in giving such a warning he was quoting from the prophet Habakkuk whom God caused to write, “Look you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, even if one tells you of it.” [Acts 13:41 and Habakkuk 1:5].

               History is full of examples of scoffers and today we have those who scoff at any belief in God and his creative work. Paul encountered scoffers at Athens who “mocked” [Acts 17:32] when “they heard about the resurrection of the dead.”

These scoffers had convinced themselves by their own reasoning that they had an immortal soul and that bodily resurrection was unthinkable. We do not find the phrase “immoral soul” in God’s word  and for good reason.

              Actually we read today Paul’s reference to David who “after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption.” [Acts 13:36] David concluded Psalm 17, actually a prayer, with these words, “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”