Acts 13:42-48 - Activated Will

Chad Werkhoven
1 day ago
4 min read

God supernaturally uses our efforts to save those He's appointed to eternal life.

Two cartoon men in ancient robes ride a red roller coaster, smiling widely. Background shows blue sky and clouds. — Evangelism was often a roller coaster for Paul & Barnabas - it is for us too!

Acts 13:42–48 (NIV)

CONTEXT: Paul had the opportunity to tell the gospel story in a synagogue in Antioch...

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. ⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” ⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Point 2 - Limited Atonement

Point 3 - Total Depravity

Point 4 - Irresistible Grace

Article 12: Regeneration a Supernatural Work

Regeneration, is the new creation, the raising from the dead, and the making alive

so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,
which God works in us without our help.

But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,

it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.
Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,
1. one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,
2. a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.
3. As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way
  1. are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.
  2. And then the will, now renewed,
    1. is not only activated and motivated by God,
    2. but in being activated by God is also itself active.

For this reason, people themselves,

by that grace which they have received,
are also rightly said to believe and to repent.

Summary

What a roller coaster for Paul and Barnabas. As was their habit - as ours should be as well - they assembled with God's people on the Sabbath, where Paul was invited to tell the group how everything in Israel's history pointed to Christ, and how even though the people of Jerusalem didn't recognize Jesus as their Messiah and turned Him over for execution, God raised Him for the salvation of all who believe.

That's a story you've heard so many times it hardly even phases you, but imagine hearing it for the first time; most people needed to chew on that a bit before swallowing. So the synagogue service ended, and while most probably filed out consumed by their thoughts on what they'd just heard, some followed Paul and Barnabas, and talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

It didn't take long for word of what Paul had proclaimed the previous Sabbath to spread around town, and on the next Sabbath, every preacher's dream came true: almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

But rather than leading the congregation in rejoicing that God had gathered so many, when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. That had to be crushing for Paul to experience as he instantly went from the joy of seeing so many come to the pain of sheer rejection.

Dig Deeper

But Paul, inspired and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, doesn't skip a beat to wallow in self pity. He and Barnabas answered them boldly, flat out telling these obstinate Jews that their rejection of the gospel indicated that they obviously did not consider themselves worthy of eternal life. He wastes no more time debating them and instead immediately turned to the Gentiles.

Upon hearing this, the Gentiles were much more than just glad, as the NIV translates it, they rejoiced at what they heard and honored - literally: glorified - the word of the Lord. Think about that phrase today: what opportunities do you have to rejoice in what you've heard? How will you glorify the word of the Lord as your day unfolds?

But it's the last line of the last verse in today's passage that captures our attention: all who appointed for eternal life believed. It wasn't Paul's awesome preaching or the efforts of those who spread the word throughout the city before that second service at the synagogue that convinced these pagan gentiles to trust in Jesus. They believed because they'd been appointed to do so before God had created anything else.

But yet God used Paul and those who had spread the word in order to bring His will into being. That's the beautiful tension (tensegrity) that the Bible holds us up with: Conversion to Christ certainly does not happen only by [our] outward teaching, by moral persuasion (although our evangelistic efforts are often necessary), but by an entirely supernatural work in which people's will is activated and motivated by God.

AAA Prayer (About)

ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who appointed His elect to eternal life;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would both rejoice and honor the Word of the Lord in your life;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: