Affirmations in Acts 13:46
by Dan Richardson
“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch of Pisidia, invited to speak at the Jewish synagogue for a second time. The whole city was assembled to hear the gospel, but the Jews, seeing the attention given the strangers, “were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (verse 45). At this point Paul and Barnabas responded in the scripture recorded above. Several affirmations can be observed in verse 46, of which we need reminded today.
THE FUTURE REALITY OF ETERNAL LIFE. “Eternal life” speaks of the reward of heaven promised to the faithful by the eternal God according to His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, “… in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Titus 1:2). Thus, the promise of eternal life is rooted in the very character of God - faithful, true, and able by His infinite power to fulfill what He promises.
Jesus prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is promised to those who intimately “know” God and Jesus in their lives. Of his own life, Paul wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord … that I may gain Christ and be found in Him … that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-11).
It is by Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection that we may have hope of eternal life, as revealed in His gospel, “… which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Timothy 1:10). Heaven will be home for they who refuse to be at home in this world (Hebrews 11:13-14). It will be the victor’s “crown” for they who run the Christian’s race with all endurance to the end (Hebrews 12:1-2; II Timothy 4:6-8). Heaven will be the eternal rest for they who have worked tirelessly in the Lord’s vineyard (John 9:4; Revelation 14:13). It will be the ultimate communion with our Lord, whom though now we by see by faith (the conviction of the unseen, Hebrews 11:1), will for eternity be in His presence and “see Him even as He is” (I John 3:2). Eternal life will not just fall into the lap of he who wishes for it, nor will it be granted by God unconditionally. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
THE POWER OF MAN’S FREE WILL TO CHOOSE. Paul said these opposing Jews, “judge themselves unworthy of eternal life.” God created man with capability to exercise free will (i.e., Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God, Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6). Man is not coerced by God to be saved, as one would manipulate a puppet by strings, but man’s willpower is clearly supported throughout the Bible. Joshua charged Israel, “… if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). God, by His prophet Jeremiah, pleaded with the apostate Israel, “Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk in it” (Jeremiah 6:16). Jesus wept, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37). As powerful as God’s gospel is to save (Romans 1:16), man’s will can refuse it. There are also many today who, by their choices, have judged themselves unworthy of eternal life.
THE NECESSITY OF GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIVES. The entire incident described in Acts 13 centered around God’s word being preached. That’s why Paul and Barnabas were there. They said boldly to these Jewish antagonists, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.”
The word of God is necessary for every generation of people because it is just that - GOD’S word. It is the mind of God disclosed through men inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because there is no comparison to be made between God and man, relating to ability, knowledge, wisdom, etc. (Isaiah 5:8-9), God’s word is essential to man. It is not a revelation of mere general principles to be loosely applied by human wisdom, but a specific message to man in which the specific words used are chosen by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10-13). Consequently, a point of truth in Scripture may rest upon whether a word is singular or plural in number (Galatians 3:16). Jesus’ argument before the Sadducees, regarding the truthfulness of man’s resurrection, rested entirely upon the tense of a verb (“I am” versus “I was,” Matthew 22:31-32).
The gospel preached by Paul and Barnabas is a message of how God’s love, especially observed in Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-4) has been revealed to us, sinful humanity, that we may be saved (Romans 1:16-17; I Corinthians 1:21).
THE JEWS TODAY ARE NOT GOD’S EXCLUSIVELY CHOSEN PEOPLE. The Jews rejected the gospel preached by Paul and Barnabas, so they “turned to the Gentiles.” Jesus’ resurrection from death marked the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, “in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Now in Christ, Jew and Gentile can be saved. God’s grace has appeared to bring salvation to “all people” (Titus 2:11). Paul shows that, of those who were baptized into Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). These are God’s chosen now.
It is a fallacious foundation on which many in religion and politics write their creeds and policies, to believe God still favors Israel in some special way above everybody else. It’s simply not so. The distinguished place the Israelites had in the Old Testament, under Moses’ law, has been nullified and replaced with a new and better covenant through Jesus’ cross (Colossians 2:14-17). Therefore, the favor of God today is bestowed on whosoever will be redeemed by Jesus’ blood, through gospel obedience and faithful service. Many Jews in Jesus’ day rejected Him and established their own righteousness which could not save (Romans 10:2-4). Sadly, many are doing the same thing today.