And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Jesus met Paul in a vision while he was praying earnestly in the temple at Jerusalem and told him to hurry and leave the city quickly because the Jews there would not receive his witness about Him. Paul hesitated and pleaded to remain for his Jewish brethren, thinking his changed life would persuade them and that boldly vindicating the truth Stephen died for would wipe out his part in imprisoning and beating believers and consenting to Stephen's death, even willing to stay at the cost of his life. Jesus then answered more decidedly to depart because He would send him far away from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. That sending was a divine appointment and not a course Paul had chosen, giving him a broad and distant field among the Gentile world distinct from Peter, James, and John who were to labor among their own countrymen, after the Jewish rejection opened salvation to the wider world. Obeying required giving up familiar ties and earthly hopes to sow truth through toil, tears, and sacrifice even to imprisonment and death, while the announcement of Gentile blessing provoked Jewish fury and exposed their false idea that the light of truth belonged to themselves alone.
Vision and Order to Depart
The words were spoken by Jesus to Paul in a trance or vision while Paul was praying earnestly in the temple at Jerusalem. Jesus first told him to make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because the Jews there would not receive his testimony concerning Jesus. That warning closed his present testimony to the Jerusalem Jews and turned him toward an appointed work elsewhere.
Paul hesitated and pleaded to remain, anxious to labor longer for his Jewish brethren. He believed the great change in himself would persuade them, and he longed to wipe out the stain of his part in Stephen's martyrdom by boldly vindicating the very truth Stephen had died for. To press his plea he reminded Jesus that the Jews knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue. He added that they knew he had stood by consenting to Stephen's death and had guarded, or kept, the clothes of those who slew him, thinking this history would make them listen.
He was lingering unwilling to leave, feeling that to flee was cowardice, even though the Jews were plotting to kill him and the disciples were urging him to go. He was willing to remain even at the cost of his life, but the command taught that his life was not to be needlessly exposed to danger. Jesus then answered more decidedly with the order to depart, because He would send him far away to the Gentiles.
When the brethren learned of the vision they understood that he was a chosen vessel to bear the truth to the Gentiles. They hastened his secret escape for fear of assassination, and his departure protected him from danger. That removal suspended the violent Jewish opposition for a time and gave the church rest, during which many were added to the believers.
Appointment to Gentile Mission
The verse commissions Paul to leave Jerusalem and go far away to carry the gospel to the distant Gentile world, establishing his mission beyond Jerusalem and beyond Israel. His departure followed God's purpose, his life was not to be needlessly exposed in Jerusalem, and his going helped suspend violent opposition for a time. His work among the Gentiles was a divine appointment and not a course he had chosen, for he had wanted to labor for his own people, but God appointed him as Christ's ambassador and chosen messenger to the Gentiles. His past imprisoning and beating of believers and his part in Stephen's death did not cancel this mission, for God had chosen him to bear the truth to the Gentiles.
His missionary field was broad, extensive, far from home, and important, confirming his special work in the Gentile world. This commission shaped his later work beyond Jerusalem, including his mission in Berea and Athens, and explains why he continued among Gentile peoples and moved from place to place despite opposition. His calling was distinct from that of Peter, James, and John, who were appointed to preach Christ among their own countrymen at home, while Paul was prepared for extensive work among other peoples. To prepare him, God brought him into close communion and connection with himself while he was praying in the temple and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of heaven's beauty and glory, making the broad field clear to him with remarkable distinctness.
The commission came after the Jewish nation rejected the gospel and persecution drove Christ's followers from Jerusalem, so the message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jews but was carried to the wider world, and his call and commission marked an era in the progress of the gospel. It meant Gentiles would share religious privileges the Jews had regarded as belonging only to themselves, and their welcome of the gospel showed they were to share in them; given in vision in the temple with his conversion, it prepared Paul to turn to the Gentiles when the Jews rejected the message and confirmed his duty to carry the gospel to them. The announcement that he would be sent to the Gentiles provoked the Jews' fury and their violent cry that he was not fit to live. It exposes the false Jewish idea that the Gentiles were not to have the light of truth, and the unkind, persecuting spirit produced by belief of a falsehood is of Satan, not God.
Sacrifice in Following Christ
The command told Paul to leave Jerusalem and go far away to preach to the Gentiles. To carry that message he had to give up familiar associations and ties and surrender his own earthly plans and hopes. His call shows that those who follow Christ and are called to serve Him may likewise have to leave what is familiar in order to carry the message. His example illustrates that such sowing of the seed of truth is done through toil, tears, solitude, and sacrifice.
Paul obeyed the command to carry the gospel to the Gentiles at the cost of imprisonment and finally death. This shows that followers of Christ are sorely tried and afflicted. God leads His children through much tribulation to perfect trust and to entry into the kingdom of God.
Jesus met Paul in a vision while he was praying earnestly in the temple at Jerusalem and told him to hurry and leave the city quickly because the Jews there would not receive his witness about Him. Paul hesitated and pleaded to remain for his Jewish brethren, thinking his changed life would persuade them and that boldly vindicating the truth Stephen died for would wipe out his part in imprisoning and beating believers and consenting to Stephen's death, even willing to stay at the cost of his life. Jesus then answered more decidedly to depart because He would send him far away from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. That sending was a divine appointment and not a course Paul had chosen, giving him a broad and distant field among the Gentile world distinct from Peter, James, and John who were to labor among their own countrymen, after the Jewish rejection opened salvation to the wider world. Obeying required giving up familiar ties and earthly hopes to sow truth through toil, tears, and sacrifice even to imprisonment and death, while the announcement of Gentile blessing provoked Jewish fury and exposed their false idea that the light of truth belonged to themselves alone.
Vision and Order to Depart
The words were spoken by Jesus to Paul in a trance or vision while Paul was praying earnestly in the temple at Jerusalem. Jesus first told him to make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because the Jews there would not receive his testimony concerning Jesus. That warning closed his present testimony to the Jerusalem Jews and turned him toward an appointed work elsewhere.
Paul hesitated and pleaded to remain, anxious to labor longer for his Jewish brethren. He believed the great change in himself would persuade them, and he longed to wipe out the stain of his part in Stephen's martyrdom by boldly vindicating the very truth Stephen had died for. To press his plea he reminded Jesus that the Jews knew he had imprisoned and beaten believers in every synagogue. He added that they knew he had stood by consenting to Stephen's death and had guarded, or kept, the clothes of those who slew him, thinking this history would make them listen.
He was lingering unwilling to leave, feeling that to flee was cowardice, even though the Jews were plotting to kill him and the disciples were urging him to go. He was willing to remain even at the cost of his life, but the command taught that his life was not to be needlessly exposed to danger. Jesus then answered more decidedly with the order to depart, because He would send him far away to the Gentiles.
When the brethren learned of the vision they understood that he was a chosen vessel to bear the truth to the Gentiles. They hastened his secret escape for fear of assassination, and his departure protected him from danger. That removal suspended the violent Jewish opposition for a time and gave the church rest, during which many were added to the believers.
Appointment to Gentile Mission
The verse commissions Paul to leave Jerusalem and go far away to carry the gospel to the distant Gentile world, establishing his mission beyond Jerusalem and beyond Israel. His departure followed God's purpose, his life was not to be needlessly exposed in Jerusalem, and his going helped suspend violent opposition for a time. His work among the Gentiles was a divine appointment and not a course he had chosen, for he had wanted to labor for his own people, but God appointed him as Christ's ambassador and chosen messenger to the Gentiles. His past imprisoning and beating of believers and his part in Stephen's death did not cancel this mission, for God had chosen him to bear the truth to the Gentiles.
His missionary field was broad, extensive, far from home, and important, confirming his special work in the Gentile world. This commission shaped his later work beyond Jerusalem, including his mission in Berea and Athens, and explains why he continued among Gentile peoples and moved from place to place despite opposition. His calling was distinct from that of Peter, James, and John, who were appointed to preach Christ among their own countrymen at home, while Paul was prepared for extensive work among other peoples. To prepare him, God brought him into close communion and connection with himself while he was praying in the temple and opened before his enraptured vision a glimpse of heaven's beauty and glory, making the broad field clear to him with remarkable distinctness.
The commission came after the Jewish nation rejected the gospel and persecution drove Christ's followers from Jerusalem, so the message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jews but was carried to the wider world, and his call and commission marked an era in the progress of the gospel. It meant Gentiles would share religious privileges the Jews had regarded as belonging only to themselves, and their welcome of the gospel showed they were to share in them; given in vision in the temple with his conversion, it prepared Paul to turn to the Gentiles when the Jews rejected the message and confirmed his duty to carry the gospel to them. The announcement that he would be sent to the Gentiles provoked the Jews' fury and their violent cry that he was not fit to live. It exposes the false Jewish idea that the Gentiles were not to have the light of truth, and the unkind, persecuting spirit produced by belief of a falsehood is of Satan, not God.
Sacrifice in Following Christ
The command told Paul to leave Jerusalem and go far away to preach to the Gentiles. To carry that message he had to give up familiar associations and ties and surrender his own earthly plans and hopes. His call shows that those who follow Christ and are called to serve Him may likewise have to leave what is familiar in order to carry the message. His example illustrates that such sowing of the seed of truth is done through toil, tears, solitude, and sacrifice.
Paul obeyed the command to carry the gospel to the Gentiles at the cost of imprisonment and finally death. This shows that followers of Christ are sorely tried and afflicted. God leads His children through much tribulation to perfect trust and to entry into the kingdom of God.