42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. (Acts 13:42-51 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. The apostle having ended his sermon to the Jews, the Gentile proselytes desire to hear more of this subject the next sabbath-day. Such to whom the word of God is savoury and sweet, are not soon cloyed with it, but hunger after it. Neither do they loath the heavenly manna because it is rained down frequently about their tents.
Observe, 2. The apostle readily complies with their desire ; he preaches again the next sabbath, when almost the whole city came together to hear the gospel. But this angered the devil, and occasioned great envy and persecution to the apostles.
Learn thence, That a crowd of hearers, but especially of young converts, is very hurtful to Satan, and doth usually stir up abundance of rage in his servants against the ministers of Christ: When the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.
Observe, 3. The instruments Satan makes use of to carry on his fierce persecution against the apostles: He stirred up the devout and honourable women, and chief men of the city.
Learn thence, 1. That the powerful and successful preaching of the gospel usually stirs up violent persecution against the preachers of the gospel.
2. That devout women and great men, nourished up in ignorance, are oftentimes great opposers of the truth, and instruments of persecution: The Jews stirred up the devout women, &c.
Observe, 4. How the apostle with great boldness and courage acquaints them with their sin and danger: Ye judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. But how so? Not directly and formally, but interpretatively and practically. They thought very well of themselves, no doubt, and judged themselves worthy of eternal life, but their practice pronounced them unworthy, and gave sentence against them, whilst they acquitted themselves; for this their contempt of the grace of the gospel, did declare them unworthy of eternal life.
Observe, 5. The emblematical action performed by the apostles to signify God’s rejection of this miserable people; They shook off the dust of their feet against them.
This signified, 1. That the very earth was polluted where such refusers of the precious gospel did inhabit, nad was therefore to be shaken off as a filthy thing.
2. That they were a base people, vile as the dust, and that, as such, God had now shaken them off.
3. That the dust of the apostles’ feet there left, might be as a witness against them, that the gospel had been preached to them. This action of shaking off the dust of their feet, was a dismal signification of a forsaken people. Observe, 6. With what joy and gladness the poor Gentiles entertained the glad tidings of the gospel: When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad; and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. That is, when the Gentiles heard the good news, and understood their own interest in it, they rejoiced exceedingly; and as many as were by the Holy Spirit of God prepared and disposed to seek after eternal life, believed.