Acts 13:14

12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

At Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and ^aJohn, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

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.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Acts 13:14 Mean?

Following Christ's Sabbath-keeping example, Paul imitated Him and instructed believers to imitate him in turn. Paul preached to both Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath, demonstrating that the Sabbath is intended for everyone, not exclusively the Jews. The Gentiles observed the Sabbath alongside the Jews in the synagogue on the seventh day, not on Sunday.

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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