Spiritual Evangelism

Acts 13:42-52

Paul’s message showing that Jesus was the Messiah, and that salvation was through believing in Him had a tremendous impact on those who heard it. Many Jews and Jewish converts Believed the message.

“And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:42-44)

Paul and Barnabas encouraged the people who followed them to continue in the “grace” or gift of God, believing in Christ Jesus. The Gentiles wished to hear the message for themselves, and the following Saturday, almost the entire population came to hear the message.

The Holy Spirit inspired a curiosity in the minds of the unsaved, and a desire to share in the hearts of the believers, resulting in almost the entire city coming. There was no advertising program or organized visitation program, just the Holy spirit working in people’s hearts. How often does our modern methodology indicate our lack of spiritual power and understanding? It seems that modern Christians have developed human substitutes for real Spiritual power in almost every area.

“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” (Acts 13:45)

The Jews did not question what Paul had said until they saw that the crowd was larger than theirs. It was the same when the chief priests and Pharisees called for Jesus’ crucifixion in Mark 15:10, when Pilate questioned them. “For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.” The flesh naturally attacks those who appear poised to do better than oneself. Pride resents others doing well. As Proverbs 13;10 states, “Only by pride cometh contention:…” Conflict is always the result of the sin of pride, regardless of the trigger. The Jews rejected God’s word because of their pride, not because of doubt that it was true.

“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:46-47)

Because they considered themselves too good to receive ssalvation like the others, they said in effect they didn’t deserve it. Jesus told the disciples, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city,” in Matthew 10:14-15. That is exactly what Paul and Barnabas did, quoting Isaiah 49:6 as the reason for going to the Gentiles.

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” (Acts 13:48-49)

All the Gentiles were glad to know that salvation was available to them as well, but only those who were ordained were saved. Romans 8:29-30 declares, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” I cannot pretend to know all that is involved, but I understand that because of what God knew about me before hand, I was ordained unto salvation. Both the Calvinist and the Arminian positions are contrary to what God says about himself. I Peter 1:2 declares we are “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:”

“But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.” (Acts 13:50)

A well run campaign can overcome and change public opinion, but the results are not always right. The Jews focused on convincing the core people that Paul and Barnabas were dangerous to the established way. Sincere, respected and respectable people fell for the Jewish claims and forced Paul and Barnabas to leave.

"But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.” (Acts 13:51)

Paul and Barnabas obeyed Matthew 10:14-15, but the Holy spirit was not limited by their leaving. The church remained and grew.

“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 13:52)