Acts 13:16

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and ^awent into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

15 And ^aafter the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have ^bany word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and ^ayou who fear God, listen:

17 The God of this people Israel ^achose our fathers, and exalted the people ^bwhen they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with² an uplifted arm He ^cbrought them out of it.

18 Now ^afor a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.

19 And when He had destroyed ^aseven nations in the land of Canaan, ^bHe distributed their land to them by allotment.

20 “After that ^aHe gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, ^buntil Samuel the prophet.

21 ^aAnd afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them ^bSaul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22 And ^awhen He had removed him, ^bHe raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ^c‘I have found David the son of Jesse, ^da man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

23 ^aFrom this man’s seed, according ^bto the promise, God raised up for Israel ^ca Savior—Jesus—

24 ^aafter John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ^a‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, ^bthere comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Acts 13:16 Mean?

Acts 13:13-16

First, notice that Paul does this on the Sabbath day in a synagogue. He speaks to "brethren." In this context, brethrendoes not mean fellow church members but "fellow Israelites"—Jews, Levites, Benjamites, or whatever tribes they were from. They were brethren in terms of their ethnic relationship.

Second, he also speaks to those described as "you who fear God." This term was used of Gentiles who were proselytes of Judaism, Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. Here is a congregation in a synagogue, consisting of Jews and Gentiles already converted to Judaism—keeping the Sabbath. By the way, this took place in the environs of Galatia.

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Four)

Acts 13:14-16

Christ set the Sabbath-keeping example for his apostles, and Paul, following His example, tells us we are to imitate him as he imitates Christ (I Corinthians 11:1). Paul preached to the Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath because the Sabbath is for everyone, not just the Jews. These Gentiles were keeping the Sabbath in the synagogue with the Jews on the seventh day, not Sunday.

Martin G. Collins
The Fourth Commandment

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What Does Acts 13:16 Mean?

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