Paul and Barnabas didn't just passively attend the synagogue service; by sitting down, they took on the expected role of potential teachers or speakers, signaling their readiness to engage and share God's message. This wasn't merely joining a crowd, but strategically positioning themselves to fulfill their mission, even within the Jewish community.
but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After leaving Perga, Paul and Barnabas journeyed inland to Antioch in Pisidia, a significant city in Asia Minor. On the Sabbath, they entered the local synagogue, a common practice for Jewish travelers, where their presence, and especially their choice to sit, signaled a readiness to teach or speak to the congregation. This sets the stage for Paul's pivotal sermon, the first recorded by him in the Book of Acts, addressed to the Jewish community there.
Paul and Barnabas weren't just wandering; their journey had a strategic goal. Discover why Antioch was a crucial stop.
A Deliberate Detour
Luke tells us that after leaving Perga, Paul and Barnabas headed to Antioch in Pisidia. This wasn't a random choice. Antioch was a significant Roman colony with a substantial Jewish population.
This highlights a key strategy in their missionary work: seeking out existing Jewish communities as the initial place to proclaim Jesus. They understood the importance of presenting the Gospel first to those who already had a foundational understanding of God's promises.
Why the synagogue on the Sabbath? It wasn't just a day off; it was a prime opportunity.
More Than Just Attendance
"And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down." This simple action speaks volumes.
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Their presence wasn't accidental; it was a purposeful engagement, leveraging a specific time and place to fulfill their divine commission.
Understand the original words
shabbat · Hebrew Noun
The seventh day of the week, set apart by God in the Mosaic Law as a day of rest, cessation from labor, and corporate worship for the covenant people of Israel.
synagōgē · Greek Noun
A gathering place for Jews to pray, read the Scriptures, and hear them explained. It became the central institution for Jewish communal life and religious instruction in the Diaspora.
Torah · Hebrew Noun
The foundational revelation given to Moses (the Torah), constituting the moral and civil framework for Israel, which also serves to reveal the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humanity.
nābî' · Hebrew Noun
Inspired messengers of God who spoke on His behalf to Israel. Their writings foretold future events, rebuked sin, called for repentance, and pointed toward the coming Messiah.
paraklēsis · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, it refers to a word of exhortation, comfort, or strengthening that calls believers to act upon the truth of the gospel. It is the application of God's Word to encourage faith and godliness.
Israēl · Greek Proper Noun
A general reference to the Jewish people, often signifying their status as the chosen people of God to whom He revealed His covenant and promises. It is a title of spiritual identity and national heritage rooted in the patriarch Jacob.
phoboumenoi · Greek Participle
Refers to those, both Jewish and Gentile, who possess a reverent awe and deep respect for the Creator, characterized by obedience and trust in Him. It denotes a person whose heart is oriented toward God in faith, even before full knowledge of the Gospel.
This verse marks Paul and Barnabas's arrival in Antioch of Pisidia, a Roman colony with a significant Jewish population. Their deliberate attendance at the synagogue on the Sabbath shows their strategy of sharing the Gospel with Jews first, a pattern established by Jesus and followed throughout the early church.
c. AD 46
Paul and Barnabas Sent from Antioch
The Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for missionary work, and they are formally commissioned by the church in Antioch of Syria.
c. AD 46
Journey to Seleucia and Cyprus
Barnabas and Paul travel to Seleucia, the port of Antioch, and then sail to Cyprus, Barnabas's homeland.
c. AD 46
Arrival in Perga
The missionaries arrive at Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark, their companion, leaves them here.
c. AD 46— this verse
Arrival and Synagogue Visit in Antioch of Pisidia
Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch of Pisidia, a significant Roman colony, and attend the Sabbath service in the local synagogue.
c. AD 46-47
Preaching and Expulsion from Antioch
Paul preaches powerfully in the synagogue, leading many Jews and Gentiles to believe, but faces fierce opposition from unbelieving Jews, resulting in their expulsion from the city.
c. AD 47
Ministry in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe
The apostles travel to Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, facing persecution and miracles, before returning to organize the churches.
c. AD 47
Return to Antioch of Syria
Having completed their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch of Syria to report on their work.
This passage shows Jesus entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sitting down, just as Paul and Barnabas do, establishing a pattern of engaging with Jewish worship and community.
Matthew 5:1Jesus sat down to teach His disciples, a posture often associated with teaching in Jewish tradition, mirroring the action of Paul and Barnabas which signified their intent to speak.
Acts 17:2Paul's consistent practice of going to the synagogue first on the Sabbath day to reason with the Jews is highlighted again, demonstrating his deliberate strategy of reaching Jews with the gospel.
Acts 13:42This verse immediately follows the synagogue service, showing the result of Paul and Barnabas speaking, which included both Jews and devout converts, illustrating the purpose behind their attendance.
Genesis 12:3The inclusion of Gentiles, as seen later in Acts 13:42 and following, fulfills God's promise to Abraham that all peoples on earth would be blessed through his offspring, a theme Paul often emphasized.
ellicottActs 13:14: "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down."
(14) They came to Antioch in Pisidia. —The town was one of the many cities built by Seleucus Nicator, and named after his father, Antiochus. It lay on the slopes of Mount Taurus, which the travelers must have crossed, had obtained the “Jus Italicum”—a modified form of Roman citizenship—under Augustus, and had attracted, as the sequel shows, a considerab…
barnesActs 13:14: "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down."
They came to Antioch in Pisidia - Pisidia was a province of Asia Minor, and was situated north of Pamphylia. Antioch was not in Pisidia, but within the limits of Phrygia; but it belonged to Pisadia, and was called Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria - Pliny, Nat. Hist., 5, 27; Strabo, 12, p. 577 (Kuinoel; Robinson's Calmet). The c…
Paul and Barnabas didn't just passively attend the synagogue service; by sitting down, they took on the expected role of potential teachers or speakers, signaling their readiness to engage and share God's message. This wasn't merely joining a crowd, but strategically positioning themselves to fulfill their mission, even within the Jewish community.
After leaving Perga, Paul and Barnabas journeyed inland to Antioch in Pisidia, a significant city in Asia Minor. On the Sabbath, they entered the local synagogue, a common practice for Jewish travelers, where their presence, and especially their choice to sit, signaled a readiness to teach or speak to the congregation. This sets the stage for Paul's pivotal sermon, the first recorded by him in the Book of Acts, addressed to the Jewish community there.
After leaving Perga, Paul and Barnabas journeyed inland to Antioch in Pisidia, a significant city in Asia Minor. On the Sabbath, they entered the local synagogue, a common practice for Jewish travelers, where their presence, and especially their choice to sit, signaled a readiness to teach or speak to the congregation. This sets the stage for Paul's pivotal sermon, the first recorded by him in the Book of Acts, addressed to the Jewish community there.
"but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Bro…" — Paul and Barnabas didn't just passively attend the synagogue service; by sitting down, they took on the expected role of potential teachers or speakers, signaling their readiness to engage and share…
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Last reviewed October 2026
