Acts 13:43-45 - Filled with jealousy

13:43

“Many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul”. So we see here that there were significant numbers of Jews  who did believe. When we read in the New Testament of “the Jews” doing this, or “the Gentiles” doing that they are generalisations, giving the overall picture. It never means that all Jews rejected Jesus, nor all Gentiles accepted Jesus. In today’s society in the West society is predominantly rejecting Christ at present. This does not mean that all Westerners are rejecting Christ. Paul and Barnabas persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. It was grace that brought them to believe, it is grace that enables us to continue to follow Christ. We must rely completely on the grace of God. But this does not mean that we become automatons, or have no part to play. Precisely the opposite. When God created the world He gave man a major role to play, and this principle occurs again and again throughout the Bible.

13:44,45

Paul and his party had made such an impression that “almost the whole city” came to hear him on the next Sabbath. This caused much jealousy among the Jews. The Jews had been dispersed through much of the world, and Gentiles were often interested in the Jewish religion. The moral side of the Jewish religion was so much stronger than the pagan world they lived in, and this actually has an attraction. The church is stupid when it decides to go along with the world’s teaching, for the commitment and honesty that the Bible teaches is good for us, and is actually something that we desire. Our natural sinful inclinations may work against it at times, but deep down we recognise what is truly good and desirable. Conversion to Judaism would involve circumcision, and this is something that put many off converting to become Jews. As we will see, circumcision became an important battle ground.

The Jews (possibly meaning mostly the Jewish leaders) were envious and opposed Paul. So we see the same pattern as in the gospels, where Jesus reached and attracted people who the traditional religion was not reaching.