Bible Study series: Acts 13:42-52 At the end of the discourse, Paul and Barnabas were run out of town, though many had been saved.
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At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 13:42-52
42 While they were exiting, they encouraged them to speak these words to them the next Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue was dismissed, many Jews and worshipping proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 When the Sabbath came, almost the entire town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began speaking opposition to the things spoken by Paul and were blaspheming. 46 But both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. Since then you reject it and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, look! We are turning to the Gentiles, 47 for the Lord has commanded us in this manner:
‘I have appointed you as a light to the Gentiles,
So that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” [Is. 49:6]
48 When the Gentiles heard, they glorified the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.
49 The word of the Lord spread around throughout the whole region.
50 But the Jews incited God-fearing, prominent women and leading men of the town and provoked persecution against Paul and Barnabas and ejected them from their district. 51 So, after they shook off the dust from their feet at them, they went to Iconium. 52 The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:42-52)
Comments:
42-43:
As Paul and Barnabas were exiting the synagogue, the people were open and hungry and encouraged them to speak these words again, the next Sabbath. Why wouldn’t they be? The gospel is winsome; law-keeping is burdensome.
“Worshipping proselytes”: it means they were “devout converts to Judaism,” but they followed the two missionaries out the door to a public space. The two men told them to continue in the grace of God, as distinct from the works of the law. Righteousness and God’s acceptance comes by grace, not by self-effort and works and the law of Moses.
Grace has these meanings, depending on the context: graciousness, attractiveness; favor, gracious care, help or goodwill, practical application of goodwill; a gracious deed or gift, benefaction. In some contexts, it means “exceptional effects produced by divine grace,” in other words, empowerment to accomplish a task. In this case it means his ability to do wonders and great signs. God gave him the grace and power to accomplish them.
Here is a quick definition. God’s grace means he gladly shows his unmerited goodness or love to those who have forfeited it and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation.
Good news! We do not have to suffer condemnation for our past sins because God hands us his grace.
In this context, as noted, Paul is contrasting the law of Moses with faith in Jesus.
“continue in the grace of God”: does this mean that they could fall away? Possibly. They could have gone back to the legalism embedded in Judaism—back to the law. Paul and Barnabas are eager to ensure that they follow the resurrected and vindicated Christ, not all the rules and regulations.
44:
It is no surprise that almost the entire town was assembled to hear. Where are the revivals today, where almost entire towns are touched by the gospel? People have recently prophesied that revival is coming, which will be much greater than the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s and through all of the 1970s. This website is designed to teach the new generation to learn basic Bible in the power and fulness of the Spirit.
45:
If you do not get opposition in your proclamation of the gospel, then something is missing from your gospel. It is watered down, but no, it should not be hard and angry and mean-spirited. See v. 46 for how you should respond to this opposition: boldness.
“Jews”: these are the leaders. They felt threatened, because the proselytes could become full members of the People of God and not feel like second-class add-ons. Whether Jew or Gentile, everyone must now go through the conversion to Jesus; each one must be personally born again. Each one must surrender to Jesus and his Lordship. Each one enters the kingdom of God on a level playing field.
John uses the term “Jews” in his Gospel. Clearly it is relevant for new converts out in the provinces, so both John and Luke (in Acts) uses it.
“filled with jealousy”: this verb stands in contrast to the Spirit’s infilling. Call it a satanic or a soul-power infilling.
“blaspheming”: Paul said he did this before his Damascus road encounter with the risen Jesus (1 Tim. 1:13). I wonder if his mind flashed back to his similar behavior.
46-47:
“spoke out boldly”: Paul had been an over-zealous Pharisee, and now his zeal was channeled and tempered by the Spirit towards preaching Jesus. Paul and Barnabas were emboldened and did not cower in fear.
Please, please, don’t shrink away when you encounter opposition. Jesus was bold when the Pharisees and teachers of the law challenged him. He answered their questions and challenged them right back (Mark 2:6; 2:16; 7:1-5; 8:31; 9:14; 10:33; 11:18, 27-28; 14:1, etc.). People over-interpret his silence before his accusers during his trial (Matt. 27:12-14; Mark 14:60-61; 15:4-5; John 19:8-9). These interpreters don’t take into account that he was destined to give up his life, although he could have asked the Father for twelve legions of angels (Matt. 26:53).
If you find yourself timid before opposition, you can pray every day for the inner strength and anointing and power to stand and not to flag or fold during satanic and broken human attacks. I pray this almost every day, and it works!
You know the Spirit is flowing through you when you have boldness. God has not given you a spirit of fear or timidity (2 Tim. 1:7).
“first”: Paul says the gospel went to the Jew first:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Rom. 1:16, NIV)
Now the gospel goes to the Gentiles.
“reject”: it comes from the Greek verb apōtheō (pronounced ah-poh-theh-oh) and means “push away” or “shove aside.” People can reject the message of the gospel, which seemingly contrasts with what we are about to read in v. 48 about people being appointed to believe. But does it contrast with v. 48?
“do not judge yourself worthy”: Paul is using irony here. “You actually think you’re too good for the gospel, but you’re the ones who are self-deceived. The gospel is for everyone, except for those who think too highly of themselves.”
“eternal life”: God offers people who love and know him eternal life in the here and now, so it means both life now and life in the age to come.
“to you first”: Paul said the gospel goes to Jews first in Rom. 1:16. In Acts, Luke is accurately describing Paul’s ministry.
In v. 47, the gospel is for everyone, and now Paul is fulfilling the other side of the same coin. One side is Jews, the other side Gentiles. Both camps have to receive the ministry of God through the good news.
48:
“glorified”: this really just means they celebrated the word of the Lord, which is glorious. They “honored” the word of the Lord. Using Bible-based thinking, I like to imagine the women getting out their tambourines and other instruments and the men getting out their musical instruments and dancing before the Lord, and no longer before old pagan deities near temples.
The rest of my comments on v. 48 can be found here:
Does Acts 13:48 Teach Divine, Hard Determinism?
49:
“word of the Lord”: logos, one last time in this chapter! Luke loves the word! And of course it spread around the entire region. Regular folk of the first century were very religious, unlike certain people of the modern Western world. It is a blessing that the vast majority of people around the globe are prone to religious belief. Now the gospel can penetrate without too many intellectual roadblocks, which, by the way, can be overcome or lowered with good old fashioned rational thinking and argumentation and apologetics (defense of the faith).
Polhill summarizes how vv. 46-48 are programmatic for Paul. He never gave up on his fellow-Jews.
But he never gave up on his fellow Jews. It was very much the problem he wrestled with in Rom 9–11. In spite of the overwhelming rejection of the gospel by his own people, Paul could not bring himself to believe that the rejection was final and that God had deserted them. His great successes in witness were indeed among the Gentiles, but he never abandoned his witness to Jews. The ambiguity of the witness to the Jews persists to the very end of Acts and is never definitively settled (cf. 28:17–28). The contemporary church can learn from Paul’s persistence. His actions caution against a mission policy that only targets those who are most receptive to the gospel message. (Comment on vv. 46-48)
It was a painful for him to confront such hostility from them (Rom. 9:1-5). But he never gave up on them!
Never give up on your most stubborn relative / family member. Keep praying!
50:
“Prominent women”: Here it means “presentable, proper; prominent, of high standing, repute, or noble” (BDAG, p. 414). In other words, picture women who had extremely fabulous jewelry and clothing and expensive carriages and servants walking alongside them in an entourage. People cleared the way for them when they walked down the street or more likely rode in their carriages.
Inscriptions and literary references demonstrate beyond doubt that the women were rich in their own right and power, without being subjected to male guardians or tutors. They handled their own money. They contributed to public works from their own wealth in this or that town, and the town in turn honored them with inscriptions. They also occupied high local political offices.
Incidentally other women of this high rank will convert (Acts 17:12). Once again, the book of Acts, like the four Gospels, is elliptical. Luke assumes his first-century readers could fill in the social blanks with social data they understood firsthand.
Please see my 2004 article Lifestyles of the Rich and Christian:
2004 Arlandson article Lifestyles of Rich and Christian
“leading men”: it means “first.” Greek inscriptions and literary references also prove the same thing about them as they do about the women. They had lots of local power and showed it off by acts of generosity with their own money.
It was clever of the persecutors to incite the rich and powerful leaders. Win the leaders, win the region. But is the opposite true? Lose the leaders, lose the region? Not here, because the Word of the Lord spread around the district.
51:
“shaking the dust off”: Jesus said to do this (Matt. 10:14 // Mark 6:11 // Luke 9:5 and 10:11). Originally it symbolized placing people or a town under divine judgment, and even their dust or the dust of their town had to be shaken off in case the judgment stuck to the dust, but here it just means it was time to go (see also Acts 18:6, 22:22). They would come back a short time later, so there was no divine judgment placed on the town (Acts 14:21). However, individuals who reject the gospel throughout their lives are in danger of the judgment of God, when they die.
But back here in this town, sometimes it’s good to show a little sass in front of false accusers who stir up opposition. It shows the opposite of fear and intimidation.
Further, shaking the dust off of their feet is what Jews did when they left pagan territory, so they could remove the ceremonial uncleanness. But the ceremonial uncleanness is not the point here because the missionaries were preaching to Jews. Instead it means “you—not we—take responsibility for your decision!” It signifies that rejecting the kingdom of God is deadly serious. Nehemiah shook the dust out of the fold of his garments when he made the returning Israelites give back the property and children who were sold into slavery, in a promise that apparently required the shaking. “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!” (Neh. 5:13, NIV). In Macedonia Paul spoke to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah, but they rejected and mocked him. “When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them: ‘Your blood be upon your head! I am clear! From now on I shall go to the Gentiles!’ (Acts 18:6, my translation).
52:
Is this a “throw-away” summary verse? No. Let’s take it as Luke intended: this actually happened.
“Full of joy”: If you ain’t got joy, you ain’t got the Spirit (so to speak). Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). It flows out of your heart and soul naturally. You don’t have to ginger it up. However, if you have a body chemical imbalance that makes you depressed, go to a doctor who can help you (hopefully without prescribing bad antidepressants).
In any case, as I noted in v. 48, using Bible-based and Spirit-filled imagination, I like to imagine that the women and men broke out the musical instruments, like tambourines, and danced before the Lord, no longer before old pagan deities housed in temples. A new Christian community was forming. Good to see (or read about) this! Here are other verses in which disciples were full of joy and the Holy Spirit during persecution: Acts 2:46; 4:31; 5:31; 7:55; 8:39; Rom. 5:3-5; 15:13; Phil. 2:17.
“Full … of the Holy Spirit”: Is it possible to be full of the Holy Spirit with Paul and Barnabas on the scene and not have some kind of manifested gift, like Spirit-inspired languages? Recall that Paul said he would like everyone to speak in their prayer languages (1 Cor. 14:5). He proclaimed that he spoke in his prayer language more often than the Corinthians did (1 Cor. 14:18). He said not to forbid speaking in Spirit-inspired prayer languages (1 Cor. 14:39). Luke does not openly state that Barnabas got his prayer language, but he was full of the Spirit (Acts 11:24), and he was Paul’s associate, so it is inconceivable that he would not have his heavenly language. The same must be true of the disciples in the town of Pisidian Antioch and its surrounding region.
Once again, Acts is elliptical (omits details), so we the reader must fill in the ellipses with the full power of the Spirit and manifested gifts because the entire book of Acts is very charismatic.
Baptized, Filled, and Full of the Spirit: What Does It All Mean?
I like how Bock summarizes v. 52 and the interaction between Barnabas and Paul:
We also see how Barnabas and Paul worked together: Barnabas was able to share the stage with Paul and eventually trained him to be able to step ahead. Good leadership can often be measured by whether it leaved a trail of successors behind it. Barnabas not only encouraged Paul, he also enabled him. Barnabas did not feel the need to be always the front man. So, although Paul is the focus in this text, in many ways Barnabas is a hero in the passage because of the way he teamed with his partner. (comment on v. 52)
GrowApp for Acts 13:42-49
1. The people received the gospel gladly and openly. How long did it take you to receive the gospel? Rapidly or gradually?
2. The disciples who received the word were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. When did you first experience joy and the Holy Spirit? Tell your story.
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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