Satan continued to hinder the work of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch in Pisidia and continues to do so in many places in the world today. We left Paul and Barnabas last at the point where the Jews who did not accept the gospel message were filled with envy, contradicted, blasphemed and opposed the things spoken by Paul. They made it clear that they wanted nothing presented in the gospel message (Acts 13: 44, 45).

Then Paul and Barnabas said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you [Jews] first; but since you reject it, and judge [determine] yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

When the congregation dispersed many of the Jews and devout Gentile converts followed Paul and Barnabas. Having accepted their message Paul urges them to continue in the grace of God. This implies that those who accepted the gospel message were in God’s grace otherwise they could not continue in it. If they did not continue in God’s grace or remain faithful in their commitment they would be lost, or fall from the grace of God. If this were not so there would have been no need to persuade them to “continue in the grace of God” if grace is irresistible and cannot be lost as taught by Presbyterians and Baptists.

Their turning to the Gentiles as we see was by the commandment of the Lord. The word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region but Satan used the Jews to stir up prominent women and men of the city who expelled Paul and Barnabas from the region. Those who were saved however, were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit in their salvation.

It cannot be repeated too often that the term “believed” as used in verse 48, and elsewhere, is used as a synecdoche, a summary term to indicate that they had obeyed all the commands of the Lord concerning their salvation. It does not mean that they had only believed and nothing else. Such reasoning is a contradiction of the teaching of many passages concerning salvation. We must always take all that the Lord has said on any point under consideration. To leave out or take from part of what the Lord has said, is to sin, as is plainly stated in Deuteronomy 4:2. To be saved one must also repent of ones sins and be immersed in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin as is seen in Acts 2:38.

The expression “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” in verse 52 is a reference to certain disciples receiving the miraculous powers of the Holy Spirit. How they received the miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit is seen in Acts 8:17 and 19:6. In both cases it was through the laying on of hands of an apostle by which the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were given. The apostles were the only ones who could impart these miraculous gifts. When the last apostle died, it was not possible for anyone else to receive miraculous powers from the Holy Spirit. Some still today, claim that miraculous powers from the Holy Spirit are received, but they can only make the claim, they cannot confirm the claim. Anyone can assert anything, but where is the proof. Satan deceives many into believing what can only be asserted, but not proved. Read all the scriptures given in their context.