What is the meaning of Acts 13:50? The Jews, however - Luke records that a specific segment of the Jewish community opposed the Gospel in Pisidian Antioch. This is not a blanket condemnation of all Jews; rather, it highlights a group resistant to the message of salvation in Christ (cf. Acts 14:2; Acts 17:5). - Their resistance fulfills Jesus’ warning: “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well” (John 15:20). - The phrase “however” contrasts their reaction with the many Gentiles who “rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord” the previous Sabbath (Acts 13:48). incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city - Opposition enlisted people of influence—“religious women of prominence” and civic leaders. Social status did not shield them from spiritual manipulation (cf. Mark 15:11, where the chief priests “stirred up the crowd”). - Religious women likely had access to synagogue life and could sway public sentiment. Leading men held civic authority, making the opposition both cultural and political. - This coordinated effort shows how spiritual conflict often harnesses societal power structures (Ephesians 6:12). They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas - Persecution escalated from verbal contradiction (Acts 13:45) to organized hostility. - Similar pattern: • Acts 14:5 – Gentiles and Jews plan to stone Paul and Barnabas. • Acts 16:22–24 – mob action leads to imprisonment. • 2 Timothy 3:12 – “Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” - God’s promise stands: persecution cannot thwart His purpose; instead, it advances the spread of the word (Philippians 1:12). and drove them out of their district - Forced expulsion ended one chapter of ministry but opened another: “So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium” (Acts 13:51), obeying Jesus’ directive in Luke 9:5. - This act signified deliverance from accountability for the hearers’ rejection while trusting God with the results. - Despite the hostility, “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52), underscoring that outward opposition cannot rob believers of inner assurance (John 16:33). summary Acts 13:50 portrays a real historical moment when influential Jews, supported by prominent women and civic leaders, orchestrated persecution to silence Paul and Barnabas, finally expelling them from the region. The passage demonstrates the predictable clash between the Gospel and entrenched religious or social power, yet it also reveals God’s sovereign pattern: opposition propels the mission forward, believers respond with steadfast obedience, and the joy of the Holy Spirit triumphs over hostility. |
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