Luke undoubtedly wanted his readers to note the parallel and to draw the conclusion that God was behind the second outreach to Gentiles as He had been behind the first one to Samaritans. Salamis was the largest town in eastern Cyprus, about60 miles from Seleucia. It lay on the coast, and there were enough Jews there to warrant more than one synagogue. Salamis" population was mainly Greek, but many Jews lived there as well. They undoubtedly did so because that was where the people who were God-fearers and anticipators of the Messiah assembled, both Jews and Gentiles.
Of course, this was not the first time the Christian gospel had come to Cyprus, but the Christians had only evangelized Jews earlier cf. John Mark probably provided assistance in many ways. Timothy served in a similar capacity when Paul and Silas left Lystra on Paul"s second missionary journey cf. See the map of Paul"s first missionary journey in Longenecker, p , or in Toussaint, " Acts , " p Barnabas and Saul travelled west across Cyprus coming eventually to Paphos, the provincial capital of the island.
Paphos was90 miles west of Salamis and lay on the western coast of Cyprus. Evidently word reached Sergius Paulus of the missionaries" preaching. Since he was an intelligent man Gr. By this means they often secured permanent professorships.
So when Sergius Paulus heard of Barnabas and Saul, he took them for similar professors, and having an interest in these matters he summoned them to give a declamation before his court. See Longenecker, p , for personal background on Lucius Sergius Paulus. He was a "proconsul," the highest Roman government official on the island who was there by appointment of Rome"s senate. See Bruce, "Chronological Questions. Evidently Baruch -Jesus lit.
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Son of a Savior was a Jewish false prophet in the sense that he claimed to be a prophet of God but was not. He was only a magician who may have had some Satanic power cf. The Mosaic Law forbade Jews from practicing magic Deuteronomy It describes a "sorcerer," "magician," or "fortune-teller" Gr. He may have opposed the missionaries because they brought the true message of God. Furthermore he may have felt that if Sergius Paulus believed the gospel his relationship to the proconsul would suffer. Luke now introduced Saul"s Greek name Paul, by which he referred to him hereafter in Acts.
The reason for Luke"s change at this point seems to be that here Paul"s ministry to the Gentiles really began cf. Paul"s first and family Roman names appear nowhere in Scripture. Note Luke"s reference to Paul"s being filled with the Holy Spirit. We have seen that Spirit filling marked the early believers Acts Paul was about to announce a divine miracle designed to frustrate Satan"s work in hindering the progress of the gospel cf.
A true prophet of the Lord was getting ready to pronounce a curse on a false prophet cf. This fresh filling Gr. Instead of being full of Wisdom of Solomon , Paul accused Elymas of being full of deceit and a fraud. Instead of being the son of a savior or the follower of Jesus, Baruch - Jesus was a son of the devil.
Instead of being the promoter of righteousness, this magician was making the straight way of the Lord crooked. This is the second of four incidents involving victory over demonic powers in Acts cf. Paul"s stern words recall Peter"s as he dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, and Simon the sorcerer Acts 5: Perhaps Paul hoped that when God darkened Elymas" physical eyesight He might restore his spiritual eyesight, as had been his own experience ch9.
This show of superior power convinced Sergius Paulus of the truth of Paul"s gospel, and he believed it. Notice again that belief is all that was necessary for his salvation cf. It was Paul"s teaching concerning the Lord that Sergius Paulus believed.
There is some extrabiblical evidence that Sergius Paulus" daughter and other descendants also became Christians. Howson, The Life and Epistles of St. The blinding of Elymas shows that Paul possessed the power of binding that God had also given to Peter cf. God validated Paul"s message by granting a miracle. This was especially helpful in evangelism before the completion of the New Testament. Here a Roman Gentile responded to the gospel whereas a Jew did not. This incident is significant in the unfolding of Luke"s purpose because at Paphos Paul assumed the leadership among the missionaries cf.
The mission of the church also became more Gentile oriented. Jewish response continued to be rejection, symbolized by Elymas" blindness cf. Furthermore, this was the first appearance of Christianity before Roman aristocracy and high authority, a new benchmark for the advance of the mission. Paul"s conflict with Elymas is also reminiscent of others in the Old Testament in which prophets with rival messages made presentations to kings and people cf1Kings22; Jeremiah This is what Luke clearly sets forth as the great innovative development of this first missionary journey Acts Earlier Cornelius had been converted apart from any prior commitment to Judaism, and the Jerusalem church had accepted his conversion to Christ.
But the Jerusalem church never took Cornelius"s conversion as a precedent for the Christian mission and apparently preferred not to dwell on its ramifications. However, Paul, whose mandate was to Gentiles, saw in the conversion of Sergius Paulus further aspects of what a mission to Gentiles involved and was prepared to take this conversion as a precedent fraught with far-reaching implications for his ministry.
Thomas William Robertson
It is significant that from this point on Luke always calls the apostle by his Greek name Paul and, except for Acts For after this, it was Paul"s insight that set the tone for the church"s outreach to the Gentile world. Pamphylia was a Roman province that lay west of the kingdom of Antiochus, which was west of Cilicia, Paul"s home province. Perga modern Perge stood12miles inland from the major seaport of Attalia modern Antalya, cf. Paul did not approve of his decision Acts The commentators have deduced several reasons including homesickness cf. Paul purposed to cross these mountains to get to Antioch of Pisidia.
Others have cited the changes that were taking place in the mission"s leadership from Barnabas to Paul. Another probable explanation is disagreement over the validity of a direct approach to and full acceptance of Gentiles. John Mark , of course, had strong ties to the Jerusalem church and could well have resisted this approach as so many other Jews did. Having evangelized Barnabas" homeland the missionaries next moved into southern Asia Minor modern western Turkey.
From Cyprus Paul and Barnabas struck east to the newly founded colony of Pisiddian Antioch, miles away from any Cypriot"s normal route. Modern scholars have invoked Paul"s wish to reach the uplands of Asia and recover from a passing sickness We know, however, that the family of the Sergii Pauli had a prominent connection with Pisidian Antioch They explain very neatly why Paul and Barnabas left the governor"s presence and headed straight for distant Pisidian Antioch.
He directed them to the area where his family had land, power and influence. The author of Acts saw only the impulse of the Holy Spirit, but Christianity entered Roman Asia on advice from the highest society. Fox, Pagans and Christians, pp Normally the synagogue service began with the Shema "Hear, O Israel, Then leaders would read two passages from the Old Testament aloud, one from the Mosaic Law and a related section from the Prophets section of the Hebrew Bible. Then some competent person whom the synagogue rulers designated would give an address.
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The service would conclude with a benediction. On this occasion the synagogue leaders, who were local Jewish laymen, invited Paul and Barnabas to give an address if they had some encouraging word to share. Paul initiated his typical pattern of ministry in Antioch of Pisidia. In every town with a sizable Jewish population that he visited, except Athens, according to Luke , the apostle first preached in the synagogue to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.
When the Jews refused to listen further, he then went to Gentiles directly with the gospel. Evidently Paul went to the synagogues first because his audience there had a theological background that made it easier for them to understand and believe the gospel. If they had begun evangelizing among gentiles first, the synagogue would have been closed to them. Paul and Barnabas proceeded north from the coast about miles to Antioch of Pisidia. The road took them from sea level to3 , feet elevation through bandit-infested country. Paul later wrote to the Galatians that he had preached the gospel to them at first because of a weakness of the flesh Galatians 4: This seems to indicate that Paul was not in good health when he ministered in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.
Many commentators followed the theory of William Ramsay, who argued that Paul suffered from malaria, which he contracted on the lowlands of Perga. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, p Roman colonies stood at strategic places in the empire along frequently travelled roads.
As such, Antioch would have been a good place to plant a church. Acts tells us that it also had a sizeable Jewish population. People referred to this town as Pisidian Antioch Antioch of Pisidia because it was close to the geographical region of Pisidia, though its site was in the geographical region of Phrygia. They called it Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from another Antioch in Phrygia. This town was in the Roman province of Galatia and was the chief military and political center in the southern part of the Galatian province.
They reached all levels of society. Paul stood up and motioned with his hand, both gestures typical of synagogue exhortations. He addressed his Jewish hearers as "Men of Israel," and he called the Gentile God-fearers who were present "you who fear God. Luke recorded three of Paul"s evangelistic messages to unbelievers: This is the longest of the three, though Luke quite certainly condensed all of them. This one takes most people less than a minute to read. The keynotes of Paul"s theology as found in his Epistles appear in this sermon. This sermon is very similar to Peter"s sermon in Acts 2: For comparison with two other important initiation speeches, namely, Jesus" in Luke 4: For comparison of this address with Stephen"s, see Rackham, pp Toussiant, " Acts , " p Luke probably recorded this address to help us see how Paul preached to people who knew the Hebrew Scriptures.
See also David A. Since this speech is carefully crafted to be persuasive to a Diaspora Jewish audience, it not only has the form of deliberative rhetoric but it reflects the patterns of early Jewish augumentation. Paul first reviewed God"s preparation for Israel"s redemption from Abraham through David cf. He highlighted five important points that the Jews often stressed in their confessions. God was the God of the Israelites Acts God chose the patriarchs Acts God created the Israelite nation, redeemed His people out of Egypt, and patiently led them through the wilderness Acts He then gave them Canaan as an inheritance Acts The "about" years mentioned Acts See the diagram "References to Israel"s Years in Egypt" at my notes on7: For a different explanation based on a different textual reading, see Eugene H.
It was particularly David"s heart for God resulting in his carrying out God"s will that Paul stressed Acts These qualities marked David"s successor, Jesus Christ, too. Paul then announced that the promised Messiah had come and that He was Jesus. The promise in view seems to be the one in Isaiah Most of the Jews of the dispersion knew of John the Baptist"s ministry.
Often the early Christian preachers began the message of Jesus with John the Baptist, who announced and prepared for His coming cf. John clarified that he was not the Messiah but was His forerunner Luke 3: If such were the case, it would account for Paul"s strong emphasis here on John"s role as merely the herald of the Messiah. Before proceeding to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, Paul paused to address his hearers by groups again cf. He noted that the gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles.
Acts 13 Commentary - Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
He then proceeded to narrate the rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus cf. He pointed out that all these experiences were fulfillments of Old Testament predictions, which most of the Jews living in Jerusalem did not recognize at the time Acts He also noted Jesus" innocence of the charges brought against Him Acts Paul stressed Jesus" resurrection particularly as God"s vindication of Him Acts God had vindicated and prepared Him to reign by raising Him from the dead. This is the fifth time in Acts that the apostles claimed to be witnesses of Jesus Christ"s resurrection cf.
Paul"s point was that David"s promised heir, the Messiah, had come cf. Paul supported the fulfillment of this promise by quoting three Old Testament Messianic passages: These Old Testament texts all found fulfillment in the raising up of Jesus. However, Paul used "raised up" in two different senses in this speech. Second, Paul spoke in Acts Progressive dispensationalists believe that Paul meant that Jesus is now ruling over David"s kingdom.
Acts - , Revelation , " p Since Jesus rose from the dead, God can give people the blessings that He promised would come through David Acts It was followed by "Jam 2" with the same personnel minus Robertson and Danko.
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Stephen Stills , who showed up late, took a guitar solo and Carl Radle joined on bass. The Band then came out at around 2: It was the last time the group performed under the name "The Band" with its classic lineup. The five joined stage at a Rick Danko concert in John and Joe Cocker. The stage and lighting were designed by Boris Leven , who had been the production designer on such musical films as West Side Story and The Sound of Music. With Bill Graham 's assistance, the set from the San Francisco Opera 's production of La traviata was rented as a backdrop for the stage.
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Crystal chandeliers were also hung over the stage. John Simon, who ran the rehearsals for the show, would give Scorsese details as to who sang what and who soloed when for each song. Scorsese meticulously storyboarded the songs, setting up lighting and camera cues to fit the lyrics of the songs. But despite his planning, in the rigors of the live concert setting, with the loud rock music and the hours spent filming the show, there were unscripted film reloads and camera malfunctions. It was not possible for all songs to be covered. Notably omitted from the film is Stephen Stills , who only performed in a jam session.
Both jam sessions were omitted from the film entirely. While Bob Dylan had agreed to perform in concert, he did not want his appearance filmed because he feared it would detract from his own film project Renaldo and Clara. Backstage negotiations took place during an intermission. Robertson assured Dylan that the concert film's release would be delayed until after his film, and with that Dylan relented and agreed to be filmed. Promoter Bill Graham was also involved in the talks. According to Scorsese, Dylan made the stipulation that only two of his songs could be filmed: He comes from the same streets as you.
Don't let him push you around. Scorsese has said that during this period, he was using cocaine heavily. The Band's performance of " The Weight " with the Staple Singers was included in the film instead of the concert version. The Band and Harris performed "Evangeline", which was also included in the film. Finally, according to musical director John Simon, during post-production the live recording was altered to clean up "playing mistakes, out-of tune singing, bad horn-balance in the remote truck. A Profile of Steven Prince , the film's release was delayed until The film has been hailed critically, listed among the greatest concert films.
Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Wilmington calls it "the greatest rock concert movie ever made — and maybe the best rock movie, period". Levon Helm , in his autobiography This Wheel's on Fire , expresses serious reservations about Scorsese's handling of the film, claiming that Scorsese and Robbie Robertson who produced the film conspired to make The Band look like Robbie Robertson's sidemen.
He states that Robertson, who is depicted singing powerful backing vocals, was actually singing into a microphone that was turned off throughout most of the concert a typical practice during their live performances.
Helm also discusses Manuel's and Hudson's minimal screen time, such as when Manuel sings during the closing number " I Shall Be Released ", but Manuel is hidden behind the phalanx of guest performers. There are several shots catching Ronnie Hawkins looking around but not singing, yet Manuel remains invisible. However, during the same segment, in the background, it appears that a cameraman is attempting to get a shot of Manuel at the piano but gives up due to technical problems or the impossibility of the shot.
Helm went so far as to say that Last Waltz was "the biggest fuckin' rip-off that ever happened to the Band", citing that he, Manuel, Danko and Hudson never received any money for the various home videos, DVDs and soundtracks released by Warner Bros. For the concert's 25th anniversary in , the film was remastered and a new theatrical print was made for a limited release to promote the release of the DVD and four-CD box set of the film soundtrack. It opened in San Francisco's Castro Theatre , [13] with the release later expanded to 15 theaters. The DVD features a commentary track by Robertson and Scorsese, a featurette , Revisiting The Last Waltz , and a gallery of images from the concert, the studio filming and the film premiere.
A bonus scene is footage of "Jam 2", which is cut short because they had run out of replacement sound synchronizers for the cameras after ten hours of continuous filming. The original DVD release was packaged as a "special edition". In addition to the extra features on the disc, the Amaray case came in a foil-embossed cardboard sleeve, and inside was an eight-page booklet, featuring a five-page essay by Robertson entitled "The End of a Musical Journey". In , the DVD was re-issued with different artwork and stripped of the outer foil packaging, inner booklet and coupon; the disc's contents remained unchanged.
In , The Last Waltz was among the first eight titles released in Sony 's high definition Blu-ray format. The original soundtrack album was a three-LP album released on April 16, later as a two-disc CD. John Casado designed the packaging and logotype trademark. Robbie Robertson produced the album, remastering all the songs. The set includes 16 previously unreleased songs from the concert, as well as takes from rehearsals. The soundtrack recordings underwent post-concert production featuring heavy use of overdubbing and re-sequencing.
Bootleg collectors have circulated an original line recording of the concert as a more accurate and complete document of the event. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the rock concert and film. For other uses, see The Last Waltz disambiguation. Original theatrical release poster. Robbie Robertson Jonathan Taplin. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved November 25, Archived from the original on October 13, The Last Waltz liner notes.
Has he finally become hip? Retrieved January 6, Archived from the original on Archived from the original on August 25, Retrieved 30 January The New York Times. This Wheel's on Fire. Retrieved 7 March Retrieved 12 October Retrieved 27 July