Question 1:
Thematic Analysis Essay 3
Acts 13:1-28:31
BIBL 364-B01
Dawn Livingston
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”1 This is our
key verse that sets the stage for the entire book of Acts. Acts 1:1-7:59 gave us the theme of the
baptizing of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem and Acts 8:1-12:25, the baptism in the Spirit of Judea
and Samaria. Our final chapters, Acts 13-28, are the final themed segment presented in Acts 1:8.
The last and final command from Jesus before His ascent into heaven was that they would
witness to the “ends of the earth”. They are promised power and witness by the Holy Spirit, the
same one that was with Jesus when He was on earth, in order to complete this task.
Question 2:
Polhill identifies 11 themes that are throughout the book of Acts. The themes being
displayed in these chapters, 13-28, are world mission, the power of the Holy Spirit, providence
of God, restoration of Israel, faithful witness, the triumph of God, and Inclusive Gospel. The
world mission, in my opinion, is seen throughout this whole section. Paul and Barnabas
witnessing in Antioch, Lystra, and other areas that are towards the end of the earth. Paul’s
determination to continue to witness for God so that Jesus’ mission is fulfilled.
The Power of the Holy Spirit can be seen in verses such as, Acts 13:10-11 where Paul blinds the
sorcerer, Elymas, for opposing the Apostles as a false profit.2 14:8-10, the crippled man was
1 The Holy Bible, NIV Study Bible (Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), Acts 1:8.
2John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary, Vol. 26, Acts, (B & H Publishing, 1992), 293-294.
healed through his faith. In Acts 28:7-10, the power of the Spirit is seen through Paul healing the
sick.
Acts 26 shows the theme, providence of God, by Paul declaring his reason for being in Agrippa.
Paul was there to preach the word of God.3 Paul is pointing out that it is the will of God for him
to be there. The restoration of Israel is demonstrated through the missionary journeys of Paul,
Silas and Timothy. Their witnessing through Macedonia to Ephesus and Paul ending the
journey in Jerusalem. Chapter 28:24 is an example of this restoration by some being convinced
of what Paul had said.4
Faithful Witness is a recurring theme in the book of Acts. We saw this faith in Chapter 10 with
the witnessing to Cornelius and in Chapter 2 with the witnessing to 3000 people. Faithful
witness is also seen in the cities of Antioch, Lystra, and Derbe by the witnessing of the Apostles.
Paul and Barnabas witnessed to those cities and establish leaders in those cities to oversee the
churches. Paul witnessing until he was imprisoned no matter how many times he was denied or
persecuted.
The triumph of God in chapter 13-28 is shown by the destruction of sin reversed by the Holy
Spirit through the Apostles. When the Gentiles of Antioch rejoiced and glorified the Lord in
Acts 13:48; and in Acts 21:20 the glorifying of God by the brethren of Paul for his report on the
Gentiles.5 The relationship to the world was fulfilled by the magistrates in Philippi when they
released Paul and Silas from prison (Acts 16:35-36) as an example of this relationship.
3Holy Bible, NIV Study Bible, (Grand Rapid, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2002), Acts 26.
4 Ibid, Acts 28:24
5 Polhill, pp. 307 & 446
The last theme that I have noticed in these chapters is the inclusive gospel. Inclusive Gospel was
demonstrated in Antioch by Paul and Barnabas with the preaching the Word of God. The Jews
began contradicting Paul because of jealousy. Paul and Barnabas responded firmly to the Jews
for rejecting God’s Word and, by God’s command, they turned to the Gentiles.6
Question 3:
Acts is full of sermons and speeches. Paul gives 3 evangelical speeches in these chapters.
They are in Acts 13, 14, and 17. In Acts 13:16-41, Paul is proclaiming Jesus is the Messiah who
fulfilled the prophecy of crucifixion and resurrection. Also, the forgiveness of sin by repentance
is available to those who believe and call on Him. Paul gives a warning to those that keep
rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, will be rejected by God.
Acts 14:8-21 begins with Paul in Lystra. He heals a man who was lame since birth. The Lystrans
tried to honor them as Gods, which prompts a sermon from Paul, proclaiming they were just
men. They were there to spread the truth of the one true living God and to turn away from all
other Gods. Lystrans turned against Paul and stoned him, but that did not stop the power of God.
Paul did not die and continued his mission set forth by God.
Paul and Barnabas travel to Athens to preach to a culture that worships many Gods. Luke writes
about this in Acts 17:22-31. There has been much debate on whether this was an Old Testament
or Greek Philosophy inspired speech.7 Polhill states that most of this speech is Old Testament
Driven.8 “The main theme is God as Creator and the proper worship of this Creator God.”9 Paul
6 Holy Bible, Acts 13:45-48
7 Polhill, p. 369
8 Ibid, 369
9 Ibid, p. 370
discloses the purpose of the “Unknown God” altar, which became his opportunity to preach to
the Athenians. Paul preaches that God is the unknown God and He is their Creator. He tells them
to repent for God will deny them if they deny His Son.
Comparing these 3 speeches, Pisidian Antioch speech emphasized on the forgiveness of God;
The speech in Lystra speaks that God is the Creator of all; and, in Athens, Paul explains the
nature of God and the reality of His judgment.
During Paul’s defense against Governor Felix (Acts 24:10-21), Paul defends his
innocence against the Jews’ accusations, his firm belief in the Law of the Prophets, and then
preached a mini-sermon about the resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. He believes
he is on trial for this belief of the salvation of those that have sinned. When Paul comes before
Governor Festus (Acts 25:8-12), he continued to maintain his innocence and chose to appeal his
case to Caesar. Festus was unwilling to proclaim his innocence for fear of being out of favor with
the Jewish community. Finally, Paul’s speech to King Agrippa 2 (Acts 26:1-29) was the climax
to his defense. “It reaches back to all his previous arguments before the Jewish crowd, the
Sanhedrin, and the Roman procurators and states his final statement on the Christian position in
relation to Judaism.”10 This speech to Agrippa was Paul’s fulfillment of Jesus’ commission given
to the Apostles, by witnessing to witness to kings and that the Holy Spirit would give them the
words to say to make it bold.11
Acts 13, Paul is preaching to the Jewish community and God-fearing Gentiles, who were not
ignorant to God’s word and understood the way of the Old Testament. So, introducing Jesus as
the Messiah, should have been easy for them to understand, but they still rejected it. When
10 Polhill, p. 495
11 Ibid, 498
12 Polhill, p. 544
13 Polhill, p. 544
preaching to the pagans in Chapters 14 and 17, there was no knowledge of the Old Testament or
the history of the Jewish people. I believe that this would have been a little difficult for them to
understand if Paul wasn’t doing his best to translate what the Holy Spirit was leading him to say.
Question 4:
Acts 13:46-47, 18:6, and 28:25-28 shows that in each instance, the Jewish community
was open to listen but hardened by the message. They would reject Paul’s message about Jesus
and turn to the Gentiles and minister to them. This pattern shows that each time Paul spoke to
the Jewish community first and when they rejected him, he would turn to the Gentiles.
“Throughout Acts he has be depicted as having great success among the Gentiles.”12 Luke made
a point to comment that there were some Jews in every instance that believed in Paul’s message.
“The same pattern of acceptance and rejection appears in the present theme”13 (28:25-28) like it
did in the other themes presented in Acts 13:46-47 and 18:6. Although Paul was rejected
everywhere he went, he kept his faith in God and hope in the Jewish community
Bibliography:
Polhill, John B. The New American Commentary - Acts. Vol. 26. (Nashville, TN: B&H
Publishing Group), 1992.
The Holy Bible, NIV Study Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House), 2002.
