What is the meaning of Acts 13:49?

And

• The verse opens with “And,” linking it to the event that just happened in Pisidian Antioch: “When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord” (Acts 13:48).

• This connective shows an immediate continuation—God’s work didn’t pause; it advanced right away.

• Similar momentum appears in Acts 12:24: “But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.” The pattern is clear: whenever the gospel is embraced, expansion follows.

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the word of the Lord

• Luke does not say Paul’s ideas or Barnabas’ insights; he writes “the word of the Lord.”

• That phrase underscores divine origin and authority (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:25).

• The same authoritative message that created faith in Antioch of Pisidia is the one proclaimed today—unchanged, living, and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

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spread

• “Spread” pictures the gospel moving like ripples in a pond—outward, unstoppable.

• Acts 6:7 and Acts 19:20 show identical verbs and results: “So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.”

• Paul later asks the Thessalonians to pray “that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). God delights to propel His message when hearts are receptive.

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throughout that region

• The gospel did not stay in the synagogue or even the city limits; it permeated “that region,” likely the wider area of Galatia.

• Romans 15:19 describes a similar sweep: “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.”

• Wherever believers went, the message echoed (Acts 8:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:8). Geography posed no barrier because the Holy Spirit empowered ordinary people to speak.

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summary

Acts 13:49 shows the immediate, Spirit-driven expansion of the gospel. The authoritative “word of the Lord” did not stall after initial acceptance; it surged outward, touching an entire region. God’s pattern remains: when His Word is joyfully received, it inevitably spreads—crossing streets, cultures, and nations—until “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” (Habakkuk 2:14).