“On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 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. 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.’

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Acts 13:44-48

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FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Paul’s sermon in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch began with the assertion that God chose the patriarchs to create a people for Himself. The Jews were cognizant of their special relationship with God. They held different values and practiced different religious and cultural rituals, making them well known among the cities and nations where they lived. The downside of this awareness of their special relationship with God was a sense of entitlement as His chosen people, which (in their minds) did not extend to the Gentiles. The Jews practiced a lifestyle of separation from the pagan Gentiles, whom they regarded as unclean and outside of God’s purview of blessing.

When word got out that Paul and Barnabas were preaching God’s grace, through Jesus, to all people, a huge crowd assembled—“almost the whole city” the text says! The Jews saw the situation as completely out of hand. The word of encouragement the synagogue rulers had initially requested was meant for their congregation alone, not the whole city!

Yet this was God’s timing for His good news to explode from a small Jewish minority with a few Gentile converts to the whole world. Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the heart of God for all of humankind, Jew and Gentile alike, as they quoted the prophet Isaiah.

“I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6b)

Every Gentile believer in the world today owes a debt of gratitude to the faithfulness of Paul and his companions, led by the Spirit of God to take the gospel to the Gentiles, and hence to the ends of the earth.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • Are there people or people groups that you consider unworthy of the gospel?
  • What makes you worthy of the gospel or is anyone really worthy of the gospel?
  • What might be some ways in which you could be involved in bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth or across your street?

Church Reading Plan:

  • Today, February 14: Genesis 47; Luke 1:1-38
  • Saturday, February 15: Genesis 48; Luke 1:39-80
  • Sunday, February 16: Genesis 49; Luke 2