Acts 13:42-52 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles sought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.… The result of the preaching of Paul at Antioch was the conversion of many Jews and Gentile proselytes to the Christian faith. To these the exhortation, appropriate to all new converts, was given: "Abide in the grace of God." I. THE GATHERING OF THE MULTITUDE. There is always some reason for the gathering of the crowd. Its fancy is easily excited. It is attracted by the wonderful and the novel. Here it was no mere sensationalism; it was the desire to hear the Word of God which drew them together. At its heart the multitude loves truth. Well it may; for it craves salvation from misery, and knows that this is to be found in truth alone. Often is the multitude deceived in thought, and mistakes sound for sense; but not for long. II. THE RISE OF JEWISH ENVY. The causes of which are not difficult to explain. The new-comer has laid hold upon the people and gained their ear. It is at last the multitude to whom the teacher and the ruler must appeal, and from whom he must derive his influence. Popularity invites jealousy and attracts hate from the unsuccessful. Rare indeed is the magnanimity shown by John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease." To be willing that monopoly of privileges should pass away and that all should equally share the light and the love of God, is the spirit of the gospel, which opposes Jewish exclusiveness and jealousy. III. THE DESTINATION OF THE GOSPEL. 1. First to the Jews. Not for their own merits' sake, but because of the promises of God, who cannot deny himself, and, despite our unfaithfulness, remains faithful. But the blessings of the gospel are freely offered to free men. They may, therefore, be rejected. In the freedom of choice lies bound- less possibility of good and boundless responsibility for evil. 2. Those who reject it are self east away. "Ye cast away yourselves, and do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life." It is never that God thinks us unworthy of the best, but that we do not rise to seek it. Self-neglecting, as the great poet teaches, is a viler sin than self- love. We prefer our prejudices to the truth, our passions and pleasures to God's will, the material to the spiritual and ideal good; and thus turn against ourselves in acts that are suicidal. Men shut themselves out of heaven while they shut themselves in with narrowness and contempt of truth. 3. Opportunity passes to those who are ready for it The Gentiles in their sorrow and depression, needed comfort, and greeted the... good news of the love of God. The kingdom of God and the mission of the Messiah were for all who needed its blessings. The gospel is a light and a saving power in mankind. Those who are satisfied with their own state, outward or inward, will turn away from it; they cannot relish a message which implies the inward misery of those to whom it is addressed. But the sad and the sick hail it with joy, and find in it the power of God unto salvation. And the Word of God spreads over the whole land. 4. The influence of women in the diffusion of Christianity. Women can powerfully help or hinder the course of any movement in the world, especially any religious movement. Here certain feelings in their minds are appealed to, antagonistic to the gospel. It would be easy to misrepresent it. These proselyte women might say that they had learned to be religious without the gospel, and what could it do more for them? Or it might be represented that it subverted sound piety, whereas it really fulfils every noble ideal learned elsewhere. Among the proselytes to Judaism we see elsewhere that it received a warm welcome. The lesson from such incidents is the practical one - that we should test any new teaching for ourselves, not accept reports at second hand. The seeming new is often not true; the new and the true are ever the fulfillment of the old. - J. Parallel Verses KJV: And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. |
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