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Acts 13:44
Verse
Context
A Light for the Gentiles
43After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.44On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
Sermons
Alan Redpath
George Verwer
Richard E. BieberSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The next Sabbath day - The good news had spread far and wide, by means of the converted Jews and proselytes. Almost the whole city - Jews, proselytes, and Gentiles, came together to hear τον λογον του Θεου, this doctrine of God, this Divine teaching, by which so many of their kindred and acquaintance had become so wise and happy. It is not by public discourses merely that people are converted to God; but by the private teaching and godly conduct of those who have received the truth; for, as these are scattered throughout society, they are a leaven in every place.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
the next sabbath came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God--the intervening days having been spent in further inquiry and instruction, and the excitement reaching the Gentiles, who now for the first time crowded, along with the usual worshippers, into the synagogue.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For so hath the Lord commanded us,.... For though Christ in his first commission restrained his disciples from going into the Gentiles, and preaching to them, yet when he enlarged their commission after his resurrection, he bid them go into all nations, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and told them, that they should be his witnesses to the uttermost part of the earth; see Mat 28:19 unless this should rather be thought to refer to what follows: saying; or "as it is written", as the Syriac version supplies; or "because so saith the Scripture", as the Ethiopic version, namely in Isa 49:6. I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles; to enlighten the Gentiles that sit in darkness, by the preaching of the Gospel to them, and the Spirit of God attending it: this supposes the Gentiles to have been in darkness; as they were about divine things, before the times of the Gospel: they had no true knowledge of God himself; for though they knew there was a God, they did not know, at least but few of them, that there was but one God; and none of them knew anything of him as in Christ; they had not a revelation of his will, they were without the written law, and were strangers to the true manner of worshipping the divine Being; they knew nothing at all of the Messiah, and of his righteousness and salvation by him; nor of the Spirit of God, and the operations of his grace, nor of the resurrection of the dead, and were very ignorant of a future state: it was therefore an unspeakable mercy to them, that Christ was appointed to be a light to them; not in a way of nature, as he is that light which lightens every man that comes into the world; but in a way of grace, through the ministration of the Gospel, and by the special illuminations of the divine Spirit; whereby they see there is a righteous judge, and that there will be a righteous judgment; and that sin is exceeding sinful, and cannot be atoned for by them, and therefore they are in themselves miserable and undone; and they further see, that pardon and righteousness are only by Christ, and that salvation is alone in him. The words are spoken by God the Father to his Son, and express the eternal decree of God, and the designation of Christ to be the light of his people; the mission of him in time as the light of the world, and the exhibition of him in the Gospel, for the illumination of men by his Spirit and grace. In the Hebrew text it is, "I will give thee", &c. for all this springs from the free grace of God; Christ in all respects is the gift of God, as he is the head of the church, and the Saviour of the body, so as he is the light of men; and it is necessary that he should be light, in order to be salvation, as follows; for though men may go to hell in the dark, yet not to heaven; the way of the wicked is darkness, but the path of just is shining light: those whom God rives, he enlightens with the light of life: that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth; impetratively as the author of it, and applicatively by means of the Gospel, which publishes salvation by Christ; and is the power of God unto salvation, to Gentiles as well as Jews, even to all that believe, in what part of the world soever they live: thus what was decreed and resolved on by God the Father, and was declared by him to his Son, is applied to his ministers and ambassadors, who represented him; so that what they did, he may be said to do; and who by them was to go, and did go to the Gentiles, and enlighten them with the light of the Gospel, and became salvation to them; so that this prophecy is produced by the apostles, to vindicate their conduct, as well as to show the agreement between the command of Jesus Christ to his disciples, and the decree of God the Father; as also to illustrate and confirm the particular order, which the Apostle Paul had, to go to the Gentiles, and to which he may have a regard here; see Act 26:17. In the Hebrew text it is, "my salvation": provided, promised, and sent by God, the Saviour of his people.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
13:44-49 The excitement caused by the apostles’ preaching led to a mass turnout on the following week. This response provoked the jealousy of some of the Jews (cp. 4:1-2; 5:17), whose ability to win converts to Judaism (13:43) was being dwarfed by Paul’s ministry. They verbally attacked Paul and his ministry (cp. 6:8-12; 18:6; 19:9; Matt 23:13). Paul met this hostility with a bold declaration that these Jews had had their opportunity to hear the word of God, and that since they had rejected it, the offer of salvation would now be given to the Gentiles (cp. Acts 10:34-35), in accord with the Lord’s command in Scripture. The local Gentiles welcomed the Good News and many responded to it, so the Lord’s message was carried throughout that region.
Acts 13:44
A Light for the Gentiles
43After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.44On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
(Sermon Preparation) Lecture 03
By Alan Redpath5.0K48:59Sermon Preparation2KI 4:4MAT 6:33LUK 6:12ACT 13:44ACT 13:48In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power and authority of the word of God. He highlights how the word of God spread and had a profound impact on people's lives. The preacher also discusses the importance of having a strong attitude towards sin and not compromising with it. He emphasizes the need for personal holiness and warns about the dangers of money and sex. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the significance of making wise choices, particularly in choosing a spouse, as it can greatly impact one's ministry.
(The Book of Acts) Session 10
By George Verwer1.3K00:00ActsACT 2:12ACT 4:12ACT 5:41ACT 13:14ACT 13:22ACT 13:44ACT 13:49In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of spreading the vision of the word of God and becoming mission mobilizers. He encourages the audience to take free cassettes to share the message with others. The sermon focuses on the Macedonian call and how the word of God was preached in Europe despite opposition. The speaker also highlights the need for boldness and the power of the Holy Spirit in spreading the kingdom of God. Additionally, he reads a passage from Corinthians that describes the hardships faced by the apostle Paul in his mission.
Life
By Richard E. Bieber01KI 17:17LUK 9:59LUK 10:10LUK 12:13ACT 13:44Richard E. Bieber preaches on the importance of not being consumed by the things of this world, such as material possessions or family disputes, but to focus on proclaiming the kingdom of God. Jesus' words in Luke 9:59-60 and Luke 12:13-21 emphasize the need to prioritize spiritual matters over earthly concerns, reminding us that our time on earth is temporary and we should be rich toward God. Through examples like Elijah reviving the widow's son and the resurrection of the church, the sermon highlights the call to awaken from spiritual death and pursue a life dedicated to God's kingdom.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The next Sabbath day - The good news had spread far and wide, by means of the converted Jews and proselytes. Almost the whole city - Jews, proselytes, and Gentiles, came together to hear τον λογον του Θεου, this doctrine of God, this Divine teaching, by which so many of their kindred and acquaintance had become so wise and happy. It is not by public discourses merely that people are converted to God; but by the private teaching and godly conduct of those who have received the truth; for, as these are scattered throughout society, they are a leaven in every place.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
the next sabbath came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God--the intervening days having been spent in further inquiry and instruction, and the excitement reaching the Gentiles, who now for the first time crowded, along with the usual worshippers, into the synagogue.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For so hath the Lord commanded us,.... For though Christ in his first commission restrained his disciples from going into the Gentiles, and preaching to them, yet when he enlarged their commission after his resurrection, he bid them go into all nations, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and told them, that they should be his witnesses to the uttermost part of the earth; see Mat 28:19 unless this should rather be thought to refer to what follows: saying; or "as it is written", as the Syriac version supplies; or "because so saith the Scripture", as the Ethiopic version, namely in Isa 49:6. I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles; to enlighten the Gentiles that sit in darkness, by the preaching of the Gospel to them, and the Spirit of God attending it: this supposes the Gentiles to have been in darkness; as they were about divine things, before the times of the Gospel: they had no true knowledge of God himself; for though they knew there was a God, they did not know, at least but few of them, that there was but one God; and none of them knew anything of him as in Christ; they had not a revelation of his will, they were without the written law, and were strangers to the true manner of worshipping the divine Being; they knew nothing at all of the Messiah, and of his righteousness and salvation by him; nor of the Spirit of God, and the operations of his grace, nor of the resurrection of the dead, and were very ignorant of a future state: it was therefore an unspeakable mercy to them, that Christ was appointed to be a light to them; not in a way of nature, as he is that light which lightens every man that comes into the world; but in a way of grace, through the ministration of the Gospel, and by the special illuminations of the divine Spirit; whereby they see there is a righteous judge, and that there will be a righteous judgment; and that sin is exceeding sinful, and cannot be atoned for by them, and therefore they are in themselves miserable and undone; and they further see, that pardon and righteousness are only by Christ, and that salvation is alone in him. The words are spoken by God the Father to his Son, and express the eternal decree of God, and the designation of Christ to be the light of his people; the mission of him in time as the light of the world, and the exhibition of him in the Gospel, for the illumination of men by his Spirit and grace. In the Hebrew text it is, "I will give thee", &c. for all this springs from the free grace of God; Christ in all respects is the gift of God, as he is the head of the church, and the Saviour of the body, so as he is the light of men; and it is necessary that he should be light, in order to be salvation, as follows; for though men may go to hell in the dark, yet not to heaven; the way of the wicked is darkness, but the path of just is shining light: those whom God rives, he enlightens with the light of life: that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth; impetratively as the author of it, and applicatively by means of the Gospel, which publishes salvation by Christ; and is the power of God unto salvation, to Gentiles as well as Jews, even to all that believe, in what part of the world soever they live: thus what was decreed and resolved on by God the Father, and was declared by him to his Son, is applied to his ministers and ambassadors, who represented him; so that what they did, he may be said to do; and who by them was to go, and did go to the Gentiles, and enlighten them with the light of the Gospel, and became salvation to them; so that this prophecy is produced by the apostles, to vindicate their conduct, as well as to show the agreement between the command of Jesus Christ to his disciples, and the decree of God the Father; as also to illustrate and confirm the particular order, which the Apostle Paul had, to go to the Gentiles, and to which he may have a regard here; see Act 26:17. In the Hebrew text it is, "my salvation": provided, promised, and sent by God, the Saviour of his people.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
13:44-49 The excitement caused by the apostles’ preaching led to a mass turnout on the following week. This response provoked the jealousy of some of the Jews (cp. 4:1-2; 5:17), whose ability to win converts to Judaism (13:43) was being dwarfed by Paul’s ministry. They verbally attacked Paul and his ministry (cp. 6:8-12; 18:6; 19:9; Matt 23:13). Paul met this hostility with a bold declaration that these Jews had had their opportunity to hear the word of God, and that since they had rejected it, the offer of salvation would now be given to the Gentiles (cp. Acts 10:34-35), in accord with the Lord’s command in Scripture. The local Gentiles welcomed the Good News and many responded to it, so the Lord’s message was carried throughout that region.