And the next sabbath day
came almost the whole city together
to hear the word of God.
But when the Jews saw the multitudes,
they were filled with envy,
and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul,
contradicting and blaspheming.
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.
For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles,
that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad,
and glorified the word of the Lord:
and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women,
and the chief men of the city,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them out of their coasts.
But they shook off the dust of their feet against them,
and came unto Iconium.
Acts 13:44-51
"Centuries before, the pen of inspiration had traced this ingathering of the Gentiles; but those prophetic utterances had been but dimly understood. Hosea had said: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God." And again: I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." Hosea 1:10; 2:23." Acts of the Apostles p.174 E.G.W.
