Acts 13:44-47 44And on the coming Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to speak against the things spoken by Paul, slandering him. 46And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to you first. But since you rejected it and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, in order that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
Word about what Paul and Barnabas had said spread the following week. Luke might be exaggerating a bit with his mention that almost the whole city came out to hear Paul and Barnabas the following Sabbath. However many people this involved, it indicated the impression that Paul made in his message. God’s grace was drawing many people to the gospel. The large crowd that had gathered was likely Gentiles who may have heard from the God-fearing converts about what happened in the synagogue with Paul’s message of forgiveness and salvation. The people of the city wanted to hear more about this message. The harvest was ripe for harvest with a great opportunity to proclaim the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verse 45, the Jews responded in three ways the next Sabbath. First, they were jealous of the crowds’ interest in Paul and Barnabas. The reason they were jealous is not specifically stated, but they may have thought the message was for them only. The Messiah was theirs and not for others. They had the same problem as ancient Israel, which had become closed-minded and protective rather than instruments of God’s grace to the world. Second, the Jews showed their jealousy by speaking against Paul and Barnabas. They contradicted (antelegon) the message, probably trying to prove that Paul’s words were wrong. Third, they were slandering the message. The participle used here could be translated as” blaspheming” (blasphēmountes). Luke’s choice of this word shows the seriousness of the Jews’ opposition to what God was doing.
Paul and Barnabas responded to the Jews with strong words that came from a boldness given by the Holy Spirit and founded on their conviction that they spoke the truth. They felt it necessary to go to the Jews first. They expected the Jews to respond with openness and acceptance since what they preached was the fulfillment of God’s plan and was spoken in Scripture. The Jews should have understood and accepted their Messiah. But by rejecting Paul’s message, they were rejecting God’s offer of eternal life. The phrase worthy of eternal life implies the option to accept and believe the good news of Jesus. Worthiness comes in a positive response. Everyone is unworthy before God’s holiness, but the offer of worthiness comes to those who accept God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Paul and Barnabas had reached a crucial point in their mission and made a significant decision to take their message to the Gentiles, who were willing and eager to listen to them. Paul cited Isaiah 49:6 to indicate that the Gentiles were part of God’s plan. This verse echoes Jesus’ mission statement in 1:8 (see Luke 24:47). The light of Jesus was not just for a small group but for everyone. The Jews had put God in a box of their own making and made their religion something they could comfortably control and manipulate to make them feel good.