How does this verse connect to Jesus' teachings on rejection in Matthew 10:14? Setting the Scene—Acts 13:51 “So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.” Jesus’ Original Word—Matthew 10:14 “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.” Direct Parallels • Same symbolic act—shaking off dust. • Same circumstance—rejection of the gospel message. • Same purpose—a visible testimony that responsibility now rests on the rejecters (cf. Ezekiel 3:19). Why Paul and Barnabas Imitate Jesus’ Instruction • Obedience: They treat Christ’s earlier command as still binding (Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5). • Clarity: The gesture distinguishes between persistent evangelism and fruitless entanglement (Matthew 7:6). • Warning: It signals approaching judgment while there is still time for repentance (Acts 18:6). Practical Lessons for Today • Share faithfully; acceptance or rejection lies with the hearer (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). • When hearts harden, move on without bitterness, trusting God to keep working (2 Timothy 4:5). • Let visible integrity, not resentment, mark your response (Romans 12:17–21). Additional Scriptural Echoes • John 15:18–20—Expect opposition; Christ was rejected first. • 2 Timothy 4:3–4—Some will “turn their ears away from the truth.” • Acts 20:26–27—Paul can say he is “innocent of the blood of all men” because he proclaimed the whole counsel of God—another outworking of Matthew 10:14’s principle. |
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