Blessing and Conflict at Antioch

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 13:42-52

 

Acts 13:51-52

But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

(NKJV)

 

As Paul and Barnabas begin their ministry in Antioch, they have spoken to the Jews in the region at the synagogue. The next Sabbath, a great crowd comes wanting to hear more, but this makes the Jews in the region envious, leading to Paul and Barnabas leaving the city. However, this opposition did not take away their joy in the Holy Spirit.

 

After speaking to the Jews in the synagogue, the Gentiles want to hear Paul speak the next Sabbath (Acts 13:42). Many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas and when they spoke with them, they were persuaded to continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43). When the next Sabbath came, almost the entire city came together to hear the word of God (Acts 13:44).

 

When the Jews saw this great multitude, they became envious, contradicting and blasphemous, contradicting what Paul spoke (Acts 13:45). This caused Paul and Barnabas to become bold, telling those contradicting them that the word of God needed to go to them first, but since they rejected it, they had judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. For this reason, Paul and Barnabas will now turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). This fulfills Isaiah 49:6, with the Jews becoming a light to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (Acts 13:47).

 

While this angered the Jews, the Gentiles were glad and glorified the word of the Lord with those appointed to eternal life believing (Acts 13:48). This caused the word of the Lord to spread throughout the region (Acts 13:49). The contentious Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and chief men of the city who raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, expelling them from the region (Acts 13:50). Paul and Barnabas shook the dust of the city off their feet in a testimony against them and went on to Iconium (Acts 13:51). The disciples continued with Joy and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52).

 

There is blessing as the gospel is shared with many coming to believe, but this also causes envy, bringing persecution. The church in the book of Acts was laser-focused on taking the gospel to the world in fulfillment of Acts 1:8. They accomplished this without the benefit of social media, advertising, billboards, or email campaigns. All they had was word-of-mouth and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. While the media tools available today are useful and should be used for the glory of God, we must learn from the church of the Book of Acts and make sure we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God behind our ministries. We are in a spiritual battle that requires the power of the Holy Spirit and the foundation of the truth from the word of God to stand against opposition.

 

Since we are in a spiritual battle for the souls of fallen humanity, when the gospel is spread and people come to Christ, we should expect and prepare for opposition. In Ephesians 6:10-18, we are given the weapons needed to engage the enemy in spiritual warfare, which are different than the conventional weapons of war. The enemy we face in spiritual warfare is not an enemy we can see, but an unseen enemy doing battle in the spiritual realm. We wear the belt of truth, the truth of God’s word, and the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), not our righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) but the righteousness of God through Christ (Romans 3:21-22). With our gospel shoes on, taking the gospel with us wherever we go (Ephesians 6:15). The shield of faith to deflect the opposition and oppression of Satan (Ephesians 6:16). Finally, we have the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). The helmet protects our mind against doubts of our salvation which is through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, which is our offensive weapon against the enemy. We use this armor by praying always in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18).

 

Satan does not want anyone to be saved but has the objective of killing, stealing from, and destroying people (John 10:10). Jesus does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), so the battlefield is for the souls of lost men and women. If you are reading this and have not prayed to accept God’s gift of salvation through His grace, I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

This prayer is not some magical prayer but must be a genuine expression of your heart. If that is why you prayed, rest assured, your sins are completely forgiven, and you have eternal life. I now encourage you to let someone know of your decision. I also urge you to find a church of truth that teaches from the Bible and is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.