Acts 13:49-52 (NIV)
The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The gospel properly presented, and the converts properly discipled led to huge success all around the area of Pisidian Antioch. This thrilled not only Paul and Barnabas, but God’s heart as well. This community would now be a solid outpost of the kingdom of God, and even after Paul and Barnabas moved on the disicples would serve as effective ambassadors.
But Paul and Barnabas’ leaving happened sooner than they planned. The Jewish leaders, dismayed by the swelling ranks of new followers of Jesus and their own diminishing numbers, went right into defense mode Rather than think, “Those guys must really be onto something,” they thought, “They have to be stopped!”
In a surprise move, these leaders enlisted the help of the gentiles: women who were God-fearers and city officials. They spread the story that Paul and Barnabas were dangerous, subverting the Jewish faith and even turning people against the empire as their primary allegiance. This was enough to cause some high-placed people in opposition to the missionaries, and they sent local officials to them to throw them out of the city, with a stern warning to leave the area and not come back.
Paul had experienced persecution before, so this didn’t surprise him at all. They were able to move on knowing that the disciples they had brought into the kingdom and helped to get started in growing and sharing would effectively continue their work in the area. So, they didn’t put up a fight. They left town but shook the dust off their feet as a warning to those who rejected their message, just as Jesus had instructed (Luke 10:14-15).
The last sentence refers to the state of the disciples Paul and Barnabas had left behind in Antioch. They were filled with joy, not that demons were afraid of them (although they were), but that their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20). And they were full of the Holy Spirit as well, serving in the very power of God from hearts made pure by faith (Acts 1:8, 15:8-9).
Father, it is common today for many Christian leaders to worry that if their people are left un-shepherded, even for a short time, they will quickly fall away. But the first-century leaders knew that it was highly likely that they would be sent away, arrested, or even killed, and their followers would be left on their own. So, they made a top priority of building, not converts, but true disciples, on helping those followers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and on teaching them very early to obey everything Jesus commanded, including His command to continue the process of kingdom growth by going and making disciples themselves. Then they knew that, if they were killed or arrested without warning, or even if the Holy Spirit simply directed them to move on, they weren’t going to be leaving behind spiritual infants who would be in danger of falling or turning away, but powerful, mature, Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus, intent on fulfilling Jesus’ commission. Help us to recapture that same vision for discipleship ourselves. Amen.
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