Acts 13:46

Acts 13:46

                                                                 

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.

a. NLT: Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.

b. NIV: 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.

c. YLT: And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, 'To you it was necessary that first the word of God be spoken, and seeing ye do thrust it away, and do not judge yourselves worthy of the life age-during, lo, we do turn to the nations;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And Paul and Barnabas spoke out plainly and boldly, saying, It was necessary that God’s message [concerning ^[l]salvation through Christ] should be spoken to you first. But since you thrust it from you, you pass this judgment on yourselves that you are unworthy of eternal life and out of your own mouth you will be judged. [Now] behold, we turn to the Gentiles (the heathen).

e. Worrell Translation: Speaking boldly, both Paul and Barnabas said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Inasmuch as ye thrust it away from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the gentiles.

1. “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said…”

a. Then [Strong: 1161 * de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. Paul [Strong: 3972 * Paulos pow'-los of Latin origin; (little; but remotely from a derivative of 3973, meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle:--Paul, Paulus.]

c. and [Strong: 2532 * kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. Barnabas [Strong: 921 * Barnabas bar-nab'-as of Chaldee origin (1247 and 5029); son of Nabas (i.e. prophecy); Barnabas, an Israelite:--Barnabas.]

e. waxed bold [Strong: 3955 * parrhesiazomai par-hray-see-ad'-zom-ahee middle voice from 3954; to be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor:--be (wax) bold, (preach, speak) boldly.

f. and said [Strong: 2036 * epo ep'-o a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); to speak or say (by word or writing):--answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell.]

2. “…It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you…”

a. It was [Strong: 2258 * en ane imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):--+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

b. necessary [Strong: 316 * anagkaios an-ang-kah'-yos from 318; necessary; by implication, close (of kin):--near, necessary, necessity, needful.]

c. that the [Strong: 3588 * ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

d. word [Strong: 3056 * logos log'-os from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

e. of God [Strong: 2316 * theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

f. should…have been spoken [Strong:  2980 * laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

g. first [Strong: 4412 * proton pro'-ton neuter of 4413 as adverb (with or without 3588); firstly (in time, place, order, or importance):--before, at the beginning, chiefly (at, at the) first (of all).]

h. to you [Strong: 5213 * humin hoo-min' irregular dative case of 5210; to (with or by) you:--ye, you, your(-selves).]

           1). In the plan of God, the Jews were to be the first to hear the New Covenant because the New      Covenant was just an outworking and fulfillment of the Old. The Old Covenant was not the end, and this was a part of Peter’s message while preaching to the Jews in Jerusalem.

a). Acts 3:19-26 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

3:24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

2). This of course is the reasoning behind Romans 1:16.

a). Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

3. “…but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life…”

a. but [Strong: 1161 * de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. seeing [Strong: 1894 * epeide ep-i-day' from 1893 and 1211; since now, i.e. (of time) when, or (of cause) whereas:--after that, because, for (that, -asmuch as), seeing, since.]

c. you put…from you [Strong: 683 * apotheomai ap-o-theh'-om-ahee or apothomai ap-o'-thom-ahee from 575 and the middle voice of otheo or otho (to shove); to push off, figuratively, to reject:--cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).]

d. it [Strong: 846 * autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. and [Strong: 2532 * kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. judge [Strong: 2919 * krino kree'-no properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish:--avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.]

g. yourselves [Strong: 1438 * heautou heh-ow-too' from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive case (dative case or accusative case) of 846; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc.:--alone, her (own, -self), (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own(-selves), + that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them(-selves), they, thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, -selves).]

h. un- (not) [Strong: 3756 * ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

i. worthy [Strong: 514 * axios ax'-ee-os probably from 71; deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise):--due reward, meet, (un-)worthy.]

j. of everlasting [Strong: 166 * aionios ahee-o'-nee-os from 165; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):--eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).]

k. life [Strong: 2222 * zoe dzo-ay' from 2198; life (literally or figuratively):--life(-time).]

4. “…lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

a. lo [Strong: 2400 *  idou id-oo' second person singular imperative middle voice of 1492; used as imperative lo!; --behold, lo, see.]

b. we turn [Strong: 4762 * strepho stref'-o strengthened from the base of 5157; to twist, i.e. turn quite around or reverse (literally or figuratively):--convert, turn (again, back again, self, self about).]

c. to [Strong: 1519 * eis ice a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

d. the Gentiles [Strong: 1484 * ethnos eth'-nos probably from 1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

1). There are those who have said that the Jews do not need to accept Christ because they already have a Covenant with God. I think that there is enough substance in Acts 13 to set that record straight, that they do need to accept Christ and if they don’t they will not go to heaven. I remember reading the book of Acts after I got saved and began to catch little bits of knowledge. I remember reading that Paul as here would turn to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected the message of the gospel, but then later on in another city he would again go first to the Jews. It confused me for a while, until I learned that it was a local circumstance. The universal principle was that the gospel would be preached to Jews first in any locality, but if the Jews in that locality would reject the gospel, Paul would turn to the Gentiles.

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