The thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Acts relate the events that highlighted the missionary tour of Paul and Barnabas across the island of Cyprus and into the southeastern part of what is now Turkey. John Mark, a nephew of Barnabas, accompanied them as far as Perga, the seaport where they entered the mainland. There he left them and returned to his home in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas, however, proceeded inland to Pisidian Antioch and preached the gospel in the Jewish synagogue there. From v.5 through v.41 of this chapter Luke records in some detail the sermon Paul delivered, one that seems to have particularly affected those who were proselytes to Judaism. A week later when they convened for the Sabbath service, "nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God," (v.44), which Paul again proclaimed. Envious of the large audience, the Jews began to contradict and blaspheme Paul. They continued this hostility day after day until it became necessary for Paul and Barnabas to move on to another city, but not before "the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region," (v.49).
When they departed, the two evangelists left behind a church of Christ in Antioch to continue the work of the Lord and radiate the light of truth and salvation to the country about it. At this point the inspired writer reports that "the disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." Born in the fire of adversity, and with their mentors driven away, these young Christians were nevertheless enthused and buoyant with joy. Their response to the reception of the gospel is common in the New Testament and should likewise characterize anyone today who experiences the benefits of the gospel.
These people had lived in ignorance of the true God, but now they had learned about Him. With this knowledge they saw for the first time that the idols they had been worshiping were imaginary, vain, and impotent. These new disciples discovered that they had been living in sin, estranged from the God who loved them, and doomed to eternal destruction. But Paul had announced to them that "through Him (Christ) forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things," (vs. 38-39). Upon hearing this, they had put their faith in Christ, and in that faith had obeyed the gospel unto the remission of their sins. For these young Christians of Antioch it was as though a dark night of ignorance had suddenly passed and a bright new day of truth had dawned upon them. It was as though lost children had found their Father and been reunited with Him. It was as though they had been between the teeth of a lion (Satan) and then snatched way to safety at the last moment. As these realizations became ever clearer to them, the joy that could not be disturbed by hardship filled their souls.
The experience of the Christians in Pisidian Antioch in the mid-first century should be the same for Christians anywhere at any time. To this writer there is a difference between joy and happiness. The word "happiness" is derived from the root "hap," which expresses chance, something occurring at random. As good fortune comes to you by chance, you are made happy; but when it is followed by misfortune, as so often it is, you become unhappy. Happiness will rise and fall with the tide of daily experience. But true joy is the product of blessings bestowed by God upon those who believe and obey His word revealed by Christ. These blessings are invariable; they do not operate by chance, because their source is God with whom there is "no variation or shifting shadow," (Jas. 1:17). In war or in peace, in hunger or in fullness, in want or in plenty, Christians can still be filled with joy when they consider the great spiritual treasures and privileges they have in their Lord Jesus. It is from this perspective that Paul wrote Php. 4:11, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." With much or with little he always rejoiced that he had a Savior to secure him, a Father to love and claim him, and an eternal home in heaven awaiting him at the end of this earthly sojourn, (II Tim. 4:6-8).
