Bible Strands
Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul and Barnabas address a Jewish audience in Pisidian Antioch at the exact moment those listeners become jealous and begin blasphemously contradicting his message.
The words — παρρησιασάμενοι (parrēsiasamenoi) translates literally as "having spoken boldly" and denotes the unreserved, public manner of their reply.
The thread — This pivot to the Gentiles fulfills the Lord's command in Acts 13:47 and anticipates the identical declaration in Acts 28:28.
Why it lands — The text records a decisive shift in mission triggered by explicit rejection, requiring readers to acknowledge that persistent disbelief demands a corresponding redirection of witness.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Acts 28:28 Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
- Matthew 21:43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself fully to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
- Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
- Acts 3:26 When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
- Romans 2:10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek.
- Acts 13:26 Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
- Acts 22:21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
- Romans 11:11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.