The Great Collision: Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility Text: Acts 13:44-52
Introduction: The Unavoidable Offense
We come now to a passage in the book of Acts that functions like a continental divide. On one side, you have one understanding of how the world works, and on the other, a completely different one. This is a text that sorts people out. It is a collision point where the hot-tempered rebellion of man smashes headlong into the cool, unassailable sovereignty of God. And in that collision, we see the sparks of both glorious salvation and furious opposition fly.
The scene is Pisidian Antioch. Paul has just preached a masterful sermon in the synagogue, laying out the entire history of Israel and culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. The response was electric. Many Jews and devout proselytes were intrigued and followed Paul and Barnabas. The apostles urged them to continue in the grace of God. But the word got out. The gospel is never a quiet, private affair. It is public truth, and it demands a public response. And so, the next Sabbath, the whole city turns out. This is not a small prayer meeting. This is a city-shaking event. And whenever the gospel shakes a city, you must be prepared for two things: revival and riot.
What we are about to witness is the fundamental sorting mechanism of the universe at work. It is the great sifting. The Word of God is preached, and it never returns void. It always accomplishes its purpose. It either softens hearts, or it hardens them. It is the aroma of life to those who are being saved, and the stench of death to those who are perishing. There is no neutral ground. And here, in this dusty Roman city, we see this great biblical principle unfold with startling clarity. We will see jealousy, blasphemy, and persecution on one side. We will see rejoicing, glorifying, and believing on the other. And in the middle of it all, Luke gives us the theological anchor, the divine explanation for why things went the way they did. It is a truth that our modern, man-centered age despises, but it is a truth upon which all our comfort and assurance rests.
The Text
And the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’ ” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, they went to Iconium. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 13:44-52 LSB)
Success and Its Enraged Shadow (vv. 44-45)
We begin with the scene of a massive public gathering, and the immediate, ugly reaction it provokes.
"And the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, blaspheming." (Acts 13:44-45)
The success of the gospel is immediate and overwhelming. "Nearly the whole city" shows up. This is the kind of church growth that would make any modern strategist salivate. But notice the reaction of the established religious leaders. It was not joy that God's word was going forth. It was not a sober-minded desire to debate the truth claims. It was raw, unvarnished jealousy. The crowds that used to be theirs were now flocking to hear these newcomers. Their authority, their influence, their position was threatened. And when a man's idol is threatened, he will fight dirty.
Their jealousy immediately gives birth to its foul offspring: contradiction and blasphemy. They began to argue against what Paul was saying. But it was not honest refutation. The word "contradicting" here has the sense of speaking against, of heckling. And it quickly devolved into blasphemy. They were not just insulting Paul; they were reviling the Christ he preached. This is what jealousy does. It is a sin of the spirit that cannot stand to see another blessed. It is the sin of Cain. It is the sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, for Pilate knew that it was "out of envy that they had delivered him up" (Matthew 27:18).
We must understand this pattern. Whenever the gospel advances, it will provoke this kind of spiritual animosity. If you are faithfully proclaiming the truth, do not be surprised when you are met with irrational, vitriolic, and blasphemous opposition. It is not a sign that you are doing something wrong; it is often a sign you are doing something profoundly right. The devil does not kick a dead horse.
The Necessary Turn (vv. 46-47)
In response to this hostile rejection, Paul and Barnabas make a bold and pivotal declaration.
"Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’'" (Acts 13:46-47)
Their response is not timid. They "spoke out boldly." The gospel is not a suggestion to be whispered; it is a proclamation to be heralded. They first acknowledge the divine necessity of the program: "to you first." This was God's ordained plan. The gospel is Jewish in its roots. Salvation is from the Jews. The Messiah was the hope of Israel. The covenants and promises belonged to them. It was right and necessary that they receive the first offer.
But then comes the pivot, and it is grounded entirely in the Jews' own actions. "Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life..." Notice the careful phrasing. Paul does not say, "Since God has judged you unworthy." He says, "you judge yourselves unworthy." This is the language of human responsibility. Their rejection of the message was a self-indictment. By turning their backs on the free gift of eternal life in Christ, they were, in effect, passing sentence on themselves. They were declaring, by their own actions, their unfitness for the kingdom. God's sovereign decree does not negate our responsibility; it establishes it.
Because of this rejection, the apostles announce a historic shift: "behold, we are turning to the Gentiles." This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. This was not Plan B. Paul immediately grounds this action in the Old Testament Scriptures, quoting from Isaiah 49. This has always been God's plan. The Messiah was always intended to be a light to the nations, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth. The rejection by the Jews did not thwart God's plan; it fulfilled it. It was the very means by which the floodgates of the gospel would be thrown open to the entire world. God, in His infinite wisdom, uses the sinful rebellion of some to accomplish the glorious salvation of others.
The Great Sorting (v. 48)
Now we come to the heart of the passage, the verse that separates the Calvinists from the Arminians, the verse that provides the divine commentary on the whole scene.
"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48)
The Gentiles hear the good news that the door is open to them, and their response is explosive joy. They were glorifying the Word of the Lord. The same Word that the Jews blasphemed, the Gentiles glorified. The same message produced two opposite effects. Why? The next clause tells us precisely why. "And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
Let us be very clear about what this says and what it does not say. It does not say that as many as believed were then appointed to eternal life. That would put the cart before the horse. It does not say that as many as made a good decision with their free will were then added to the list. The grammar is unambiguous. The verb "appointed" is a passive participle. They had been appointed. This was a prior condition. Their believing was the result, not the cause, of their divine appointment.
This is the doctrine of election, or predestination, stated as plainly as it can be. God, from before the foundation of the world, in His sovereign good pleasure, chose a people for Himself. He set His affection upon them and appointed them to eternal life. And at the appointed time, when the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit effectively calls these chosen ones, regenerates their dead hearts, grants them the gifts of repentance and faith, and they believe. Salvation is of the Lord, from start to finish. We believe because we were chosen; we are not chosen because we believed.
This truth is not a wet blanket on evangelism; it is the very engine of it. It is the reason Paul and Barnabas could be so bold. They knew that God had a people in that city, and that His word would not fail to gather them in. It is the truth that keeps us from despair when we see widespread rejection. Our success is not ultimately dependent on our eloquence or the sinner's receptivity, but on God's eternal decree. He will save His sheep.
Persecution and Joyful Resilience (vv. 49-52)
The passage concludes with the two inevitable results of faithful gospel ministry: the spread of the Word and the stirring of opposition.
"And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district." (Acts 13:49-50)
The gospel cannot be contained. Like a holy fire, it "was being spread through the whole region." But as the light spreads, the darkness organizes its counter-attack. The Jews, unable to win the argument, resort to political maneuvering. They go after the influential people, specifically the "God-fearing women of prominence" and the "leading men." It is a classic tactic of the enemy: if you cannot refute the message, silence the messenger. They stir up persecution and succeed in getting Paul and Barnabas expelled.
So what do the apostles do? They perform a symbolic act of judgment.
"But having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, they went to Iconium." (Acts 13:51)
This was an action Jesus Himself had commanded (Matthew 10:14). It was a solemn testimony against those who rejected the gospel. It was a way of saying, "We have done our duty. We delivered the message. Your blood is on your own heads. We take nothing from this polluted place with us, not even its dust." It is a declaration of a clean conscience and a pronouncement of coming judgment.
But the story does not end in defeat. Look at the final verse. It is a glorious, defiant statement of Christian joy.
"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 13:52)
Their leaders have just been run out of town. A persecution has been launched against them. And what is their state? They are not discouraged. They are not hiding. They are "continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." This is not a natural human response. This is supernatural. This is the joy that James talks about, counting it all joy when you fall into various trials. This is the joy that is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a joy that is not dependent on circumstances, because it is rooted in the unshakable reality of their salvation. They have been appointed to eternal life. They have been united to the risen Christ. They are filled with the Holy Spirit. What is a little local persecution compared to that?
Conclusion: Our Unshakable Hope
This passage lays it all out for us. The gospel will go forth with power. It will create a great divide. It will be rejected by those whose hearts are filled with jealous pride, who in their rebellion judge themselves unworthy of the free gift.
But it will be received with joy and glory by others. And the ultimate reason for this difference is not found in the cleverness of the preacher or the inherent goodness of the hearer, but in the eternal counsel of God. "As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
This is the bedrock of our confidence. This is why we preach, why we send missionaries, why we are bold in the face of opposition. We know that God has His people everywhere, and He will use our faithful proclamation to call them out of darkness into His marvelous light. And when the opposition comes, as it surely will, we are not to be dismayed. We shake the dust from our feet, we move on to the next town, and we do it all, like the disciples in Antioch, continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. For our joy is not in the success of our ministry, but in the sovereignty of our God.