Acts 13:47, commentary and pictures

The Lord commanded Paul and Barnabas to carry the gospel as a light to the Gentiles for salvation to the ends of the earth. In its full meaning the promised Messiah was appointed to be not only the glory of Israel but light and salvation to the Gentiles and the farthest parts of the earth. At Antioch in Pisidia the word was spoken first to the Jews, but when they contradicted it with envy and blasphemy and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life, the work turned without hesitation to the nations. The Gentiles rejoiced that Christ received them as children of God, welcomed the word with grateful hearts and believed, and carried it throughout the region. That same command now sends God's people to give all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples the light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, laboring unitedly under the Holy Spirit for the harvest in foreign fields and in the darkness of heathenism even while need remains great at home.

Paul Turns to Gentiles

The Lord's command to be a light to the Gentiles and to bring salvation to the ends of the earth was taken up by Paul and Barnabas as the warrant for their gospel mission. When the Jews at Antioch rejected the message, they applied that command by turning to the Gentiles, who welcomed the word while believers carried the gospel throughout the region. The word of God had to be spoken first to the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, where Jesus had been preached as the promised Saviour of the seed of David on one Sabbath. On the next Sabbath the whole city gathered, with many Gentiles present.

When the Jews put the word from them and contradicted it with envy, jealousy, blasphemy, rage and derision, they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. That rejection showed the gospel work had moved beyond Judaism to the nations, with the Gentiles' joyful response proving them recipients of salvation to the ends of the earth. Their opposition sprang from holding that God's blessing and religious privileges were reserved for themselves alone, so that they could not endure Gentiles enjoying them on equality with them.

Paul was prepared to turn to the Gentiles by his conversion, his vision in the temple at Jerusalem, his appointment by God to preach to the Gentiles, and the success already given his work among them. Paul and Barnabas therefore gave a bold answer, clearly discerning their duty to turn without hesitation to preach Christ to the Gentiles. They left the Jews to bigotry, blindness of mind and hardness of heart, turning also in the face of Jewish hatred to proclaim salvation to the Gentiles. The Gentiles rejoiced exceedingly that Christ recognized them as children of God, welcoming the word with grateful hearts, glorifying it and believing. They then carried the gospel throughout the region, fulfilling God's purpose to bring them into His people.

Christ, Light to Nations

The promised Messiah was appointed to be not only the glory and comfort of Israel but a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the farthest parts of the earth. That appointment was God's command to carry salvation to the Gentiles to the ends of the earth, declared at Antioch in Pisidia after the Jews put the word from them and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. There Jesus had been preached as the promised Saviour of the seed of David on one Sabbath, and on the next Sabbath the whole city gathered with many Gentiles. The Jews opposed with envy, jealousy, blasphemy, rage and contradiction because they held that God's blessing and religious privileges were reserved for themselves alone and could not endure Gentiles enjoying them on equality with them. The offense was that Christ was to be a light to the Gentiles as well as the glory of Israel, recognizing Gentiles as children of God, so the apostles turned without hesitation to preach Christ to the Gentiles, leaving the Jews to bigotry, blindness of mind and hardness of heart, and the Gentiles' welcome fulfilled God's purpose to bring them into His people.

That promise of a light to the nations was known from the Hebrew Scriptures. The wise men of the East as seekers for light waited eagerly for its fulfillment and looked for this light. These Gentile strangers were guided to the newborn King. At the same time priests, rabbis and religious leaders in Jerusalem remained in darkness.

The Lord Jesus' invitation has thus come to all classes of people. The command to turn to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected the message supports the gospel's worldwide mission to bring salvation to people throughout the earth through faith in Christ. That worldwide message announces His first coming, points to His return in glory, and offers the hope of sharing the saints' inheritance. In its final proclamation it also announces that His second coming is near and that the hour of God's judgment has come.

Worldwide Mission Today

The command to be a light to the Gentiles for salvation to the ends of the earth rests now upon God's people and church, to give the world the light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and let it shine to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. By that shining God's way becomes known upon the earth and His saving health among all nations, so that men may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. This work requires sent preachers to proclaim the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things and of the grace of God, so that those who have not heard may believe and call on the Lord and be saved. It is to be done with Christian united to Christian and church to church, human instrumentality cooperating with the divine with every agency subordinate to the Holy Spirit, all combined in united labor for the plenteous harvest.

The field is the world, demanding zealous, unsparing effort for foreign fields and for those in the midnight darkness of heathenism, in moral darkness and gross darkness, whom God will speak to and address. Workers must seek out the unenlightened and cry aloud and spare not, letting the light shine amid that darkness. This zeal for lands abroad holds even when wickedness and need remain great at home and though thousands at home neglect this great salvation and prove themselves unworthy of eternal life. Every nation under heaven must have its day of merciful visitation, and those educated in schools must be sent forth to raise the standard of truth and righteousness higher and still higher and give light to the unenlightened. Time and means are not to be spent on those who have abundance of light, for they are to work for others, and men will not receive increased light until they go to work and diffuse what they already have, and then they will have grace for grace.

The call of the Gentiles after the Jews put the word of God from them and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life fulfills the work of the servants in the highways and hedges, so that the wedding is furnished with guests. Though the message is despised and the messengers cruelly treated, the Gentiles hear it with gladness, glorify the word of the Lord, and believe. The chapter containing this command is instruction against false theories and a low standard, to lead God's people to seek Him earnestly and humble their hearts. That requires raising the moral standard in all printing establishments, sanitariums, and every line of work, with every sanitarium cleansed, sanctified, refined, and purified, and this cleansing and reformatory work extending throughout, bringing conversion of the entire church. Then the message of warning goes forth widely as a burning lamp along the highways and byways and into the highways and byways.