Acts 13:5 kjv
And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
Acts 13:5 nkjv
And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
Acts 13:5 niv
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
Acts 13:5 esv
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.
Acts 13:5 nlt
There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
Acts 13 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 13:4 | So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia... | Sent by the Spirit |
| Acts 14:1 | Now it happened at Iconium that they went together to the synagogue... | Pattern of preaching |
| Romans 1:16 | For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God... | Power of the Gospel |
| 1 Corinthians 9:20 | To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win the Jews... | Strategy to the Jews |
| Acts 18:4 | And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. | Synagogue ministry |
| Luke 4:16 | And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. | Custom of synagogue |
| John 1:11 | He came to his own vardı and his own people did not receive him. | Rejection of Christ |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you... | Spirit empowers mission |
| Isaiah 58:1 | Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet... | Proclaim God's Word |
| Matthew 10:5 | These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go not to the Gentiles... | Initial Jewish focus |
| Mark 1:38 | And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." | Purpose of mission |
| Acts 2:42 | And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship... | Devoted to teaching |
| Acts 9:20 | And immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. | Early proclamation |
| Romans 10:14 | How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? | Preaching is essential |
| Acts 20:20 | How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable or from teaching you in public and from house to house. | Public and private teaching |
| Genesis 12:3 | by you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. | Blessing to Gentiles |
| Acts 1:9 | ...and you will be my witnesses... | Witness mandate |
| Acts 13:16 | And Paul stood up, and gesturing with his hand said, "Men of Israel... | Addressing Jewish audience |
| John 4:23 | ...the Father is seeking such people to worship him. | True worship |
| Matthew 28:19 | Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... | Great Commission |
| 1 Peter 3:15 | ...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you... | Ready to explain hope |
Acts 13 verses
Acts 13 5 Meaning
Acts 13:5 states that in Salamis, Paul and his companions preached the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. This verse signifies the beginning of their missionary journey, targeting Jewish communities first, a pattern established by Paul.
Acts 13 5 Context
This verse occurs at the beginning of Paul's first missionary journey, as described in Acts chapters 13 and 14. Paul and Barnabas, having been set apart by the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1-3), are directed by the Holy Spirit. They travel to Seleucia and then set sail for Cyprus. Upon arriving in Salamis, a prominent city on the island, they immediately began their ministry, as was their custom, by entering the local Jewish synagogues to share the message of Jesus Christ.
Acts 13 5 Word Analysis
“And when they had reached Salamis”:
- Salamis: A major city and port on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It was a significant trading center and had a considerable Jewish population.
“they proclaimed the word of God”:
- proclaimed (ekeryxon): A strong verb meaning to announce publicly, to preach, to herald. It signifies a bold and public declaration.
- word of God (ton logon tou theou): Refers to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, encompassing the Gospel. This phrase often includes both the spoken word and Scripture.
“in the synagogues of the Jews”:
- synagogues (tois synagōgais): Places of worship and community for Jews. Preaching in synagogues was a standard practice for Jewish missionaries like Paul and Barnabas, a strategic approach to first reach their own people.
- Jews (tōn Ioudaiōn): Highlights the primary audience they sought to evangelize initially.
words-group by words-group analysis:
- “proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues”: This phrase encapsulates the core mission of the apostles – to boldly share the Gospel in places where people were already gathered to hear religious teaching, starting with the Jewish community. It reflects their zeal and intentionality in fulfilling their commission.
Acts 13 5 Bonus Section
The choice to begin in synagogues wasn't merely habitual; it was a theological and missiological strategy. It allowed the apostles to build upon the Jewish audience's existing knowledge of God and Scripture. When the Gospel was preached in this context, it could be presented as the completion of God's covenant promises. The expectation was that Jewish people, being well-versed in prophecy, would be the most receptive to recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah. However, as history would show, rejection from Jewish leadership and people in many places would often lead them to focus more intensely on Gentile evangelism. This pattern of initial outreach within Jewish communities, often met with resistance, ultimately broadened the scope of the early church's mission to encompass the Gentiles, fulfilling the broader redemptive plan of God for all nations, as foreseen in passages like Genesis 12:3.
Acts 13 5 Commentary
The initial evangelistic efforts of Paul and Barnabas were strategically directed towards the Jewish synagogues in Salamis. This approach aligned with Paul's own practice and conviction, as seen in his statement in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Preaching in synagogues was the natural first step, allowing them to present Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy to those who were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. This demonstrates a consistent pattern of outreach that prioritized engaging with established religious communities, seeking to convert them by presenting Christ as the Messiah they awaited.