1. Acts 13:1–12 (ESV)
  2. Structure and outline

Form and Structure

Acts 13:1–12 (ESV)

1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

  • The main movements in the book of Acts are as follows:1

    • Prologue, foundations for the church and its mission (Acts 1:1–2:41)

    • The church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42–6:7)

    • The church expands to Samaria and elsewhere (Acts 6:8–9:31)

    • Peter and the first Gentile converts (Acts 9:32–12:24)

    • Paul turns to the Gentiles (Acts 12:25–16:5)

    • Further penetration into the Gentile world (Acts 16:6–19:20)

    • On to Rome (Acts 19:21–28:31)

  • With regards to Paul’s turning to the Gentiles, a further division can be made:2

    • The mission on Cyprus (Acts 13:1–12)

    • The mission in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:13–52)

    • The mission in Iconium (Acts 14:1–7)

    • The mission in Lystra (Acts 14:8–20)

    • The mission in Derbe and Perge (Acts 14:21–28)

    • The Apostles’ council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:1–33)

    • Disagreements, travels and missionary plans (Acts 15:35–16:5)

  • In Acts 13:1–28:31, the focus moves onto the ministry work done by Jesus Christ through Saul/Paul.3 Luke will show how the gospel message spreads throughout the regions of the eastern Mediterranean and how Gentile believers are accepted as full participants in the new covenant community. This is the third major section of Acts and the focus of this section is the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.4

  • Acts 13:1–12 gives details regarding the beginning of Paul’s first missionary campaign. He will conduct three campaigns in total: Acts 13:1–14:28; Acts 15:36–18:23a and Acts 18:23–20:38.5 Throughout these campaigns he would typically stay in one location until the church community is firmly established or he is forced to move elsewhere.6