Acts 13:46
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45 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.
47 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.
48 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.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
- ASV
- And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
- DARBY
- And Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and said, It was necessary that the word of God should be first spoken to you; but, since ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the nations;
- BLB
- And Paul and Barnabas, having spoken boldly, said, “It was necessary [for] the word of God to be spoken first to you⁺. But since you⁺ thrust it away and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
- ÅB
- Da tok Paulus og Barnabas til orde og sa dem rent ut: Det var nødvendig at Guds ord ble talt først til dere; men siden dere støter det fra dere og ikke akter dere verdige til det evige liv, så vender vi oss nå til hedningene.
- OTB
- Da talte Paulus og Barnabas frimodig: "Det var nødvendig å tale Guds ord til dere først. Siden dere avviser det og ikke anser dere selv verdige til evig liv, vender vi oss nå til hedningene.
- B1930
- Da tok Paulus og Barnabas til orde og sa dem rent ut: Det var nødvendig at Guds ord blev talt først til eder; men siden I støter det fra eder og ikke akter eder verdige til det evige liv, så vender vi oss nu til hedningene.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Acts 28:28
Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Read in contextMatthew 21:43
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Read in contextActs 18:5–6
And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
Read in contextActs 26:20
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Read in contextActs 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.
Read in contextRomans 2:10
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Read in contextActs 22:21
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Read in contextRomans 11:11–13
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Read in context