Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Acts of the Apostles, the history of the early church, by Luke the physician - Acts 13:42-52 comments: Paul makes a bold declaration

 


Acts 13:42 ¶  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43  Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49  And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50  But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

 

The Gentiles here that Paul encounters are hungry for his preaching again. There seems to be a stark division here between the Jews who leave and the Gentiles who stay and beseech them for more preaching the following Sabbath. But, even many Jews and new converts to Judaism follow want Paul and Barnabas to continue to preach as well. Proselytes of the Jews came in two divisions, noted Strong, those who committed to keep the whole Law and those who lived among the Jews and followed certain general precepts of the Bible only.

 

On the next Sabbath day unbelieving Jews argued against their speech. The messengers then give a bold sermon against the Jews which results in the powerful people of the city running Paul and Barnabas out of town. They shook the dust of their feet against them.

 

As Jesus gave instruction;

 

Matthew 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

 

John Gill noted in his commentary that certain Jewish authors had declared even the dust of Gentile lands to be polluted so this could be reflective of a very Jewish tradition of condemning infidels.

 

Paul and Barnabas announce that because of Jewish resistance to Christ they will go to the Gentiles. It has already been noted that the idea of the Gentiles being included in salvation from God was shocking as I noted in my comments on Acts, chapter 11, with Peter’s experience.

 

Paul will even declare that his ministry was to the Gentiles…

 

Romans 15:16  That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

 

…something Peter also will declare in Acts 15, coming up. But, Paul will insist on preaching to the Jews and this will cause him no little difficulty.

 

Iconium in the Roman province of Asia is now Konya, the seventh most populous city in Turkey. It is located in Southwest Turkey.

 

Paul refers to these events;

 

2Timothy 3:11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

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