What is the meaning of Acts 13:44? On the following Sabbath • The phrase anchors us in real time. One week earlier, Paul and Barnabas had preached in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, and the people begged for more (Acts 13:42–43). • Returning on the next Sabbath shows Paul’s pattern of consistent, weekly proclamation (Acts 17:2; Luke 4:16). • God honors orderly rhythms of worship; He designed the weekly Sabbath as a space for concentrated attention on Him (Exodus 20:8–11). nearly the whole city • Word spread beyond the synagogue to the wider population, indicating that the gospel is never meant to remain an insider message. • Gentile hunger for truth is on display, foreshadowing the salvation of the nations (Acts 13:48; Isaiah 49:6). • Similar moments of citywide response appear elsewhere—Samaria under Philip (Acts 8:5–8), Nineveh under Jonah (Jonah 3:5), and Capernaum around Jesus (Mark 1:33). God delights to draw crowds when His truth is proclaimed. gathered • The verb pictures a physical coming together, reflecting the church’s calling to assemble (Hebrews 10:25). • Corporate presence amplifies faith; shared expectation often precedes a move of God (Acts 2:6; Acts 10:27). • Gathering also implies intentionality—people rearranged schedules to be present, modeling priority for us today. to hear • Their motive was not spectacle but listening. Faith “comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). • The Lord opens ears that are willing (Acts 16:14; Luke 10:39). • Biblical precedent runs deep: Israel stood hours to hear the Law read (Nehemiah 8:2–3). Listening remains the conduit for transformation. the word of the Lord • Luke emphasizes that what Paul proclaimed was not his own philosophy; it was God’s authoritative message (1 Thessalonians 2:13). • Scripture carries inherent power: “So My word… will not return to Me empty” (Isaiah 55:11). In Acts it repeatedly “continued to spread and multiply” (Acts 6:7; 19:20). • When people give ear to God’s word, entire communities can be reshaped. This verse is a snapshot of that potential. summary Acts 13:44 records an explosive response to faithful, week-by-week preaching. One Sabbath of clear proclamation led almost an entire city—Jews and Gentiles alike—to assemble the next Sabbath, eager to listen to God’s living word. The scene affirms the value of regular gathering, attentive hearing, and confidence that Scripture, when lifted up, can draw and transform whole populations today just as surely as it did then. |
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