Responding to the Word of the Lord

Acts 13:48-52

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

N. T. Wright, Acts for Everyone (Part Two)

The gospel doesn’t leave things intact. At the end of this first major missionary visit, we have three distinct groups: the angry and aggressive people who don’t want to know; the joyful, spirit-filled local people who had believed the message; and the two apostles, escaping persecution and scurrying on to the next town (22).

Aaron Orendorff

What is the proper response to “the word of the Lord”—i.e., the good news of God’s saving work through His Son, Jesus? The end of Acts 13 provides us with three examples.

First: believing obedience. V. 48 says it like this, “. . . as many as were appointed to eternal life [literally, the ‘life of the age’] believed.” This is perhaps one of the strongest connections made in the New Testament between belief and God’s election. Those who rightly responded to God’s word were not more spiritual sensitive than the rest, they weren’t wiser or more well educated nor were they more humble or virtuous. What distinguished them from those who disbelieved was God’s sovereign “appointment.”

Second: worship. Again, v. 48: “. . . when the Gentiles heard this, they began . . . glorifying the word of the Lord.” Hearing the message of salvation and embracing it leads immediately to spontaneous praise. We aren’t told how they glorified God’s word, whether it was through song or story, we are simply told that they did.

Third: joy. Twice in this paragraph we read “they began rejoicing” (v. 48) and “the disciples were filled with joy” (v. 52). Interestingly, while we readily understand the need to believe God’s word and give him glory, what is often overlooked is the equal necessity of joy. It is not enough to simply trust God, we must delight in Him. Nor is it the case that God is interested merely in our worship. What he desires in our joy. As Jeremy Taylor wrote, “God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy.”