For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.
ουτως γαρ εντεταλται ημιν ο κυριος τεθεικα σε εις φως εθνων του ειναι σε εις σωτηριαν εως εσχατου της γης
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
So that the Gentiles, hearing this, would not be saddened, as though they would not have received these blessings if the Jews had been ready. He cites the following prophecy: "I have set You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be for salvation to the end of the earth." "That You should be for salvation" means for the knowledge of salvation.
"I have set You as a light to the Gentiles," that is, for the knowledge of salvation by the Gentiles, and not only by the Gentiles, but by all. Thus the Lord's race is, in essence, the whole human race in general. Yet Israel is His own especially near race. Since He came to Israel and enlightened the other nations through the apostles, it is said: to the Israelites I gave You according to the promise made to their fathers. But I shall illumine the Gentiles through You with enlightenment, and I shall grant salvation to all. This is precisely what is meant by the words, "to the ends of the earth." And I shall put an end to the covenants made with their fathers. The word "covenant" is explained by many as an agreement or condition.
The apostles consider what was said directly to the Lord Jesus to have been said also to them. They remember that they are His members, just as He Himself said because of the unity of His body: "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4).
The report of the new gospel teaching spread throughout the whole city before the following Sabbath. Gentiles, in a great crowd, rushed to the synagogue, as did the Jews.
This sight alone was enough to arouse anger in the Jews. They were filled with a high opinion of themselves as the chosen people, and they nourished contempt for everything Gentile.
Therefore this present preaching was not received with the same goodwill and calm as the first. Paul was interrupted by contradictions and mockery.
In response, he observed that since they did not wish to receive the proclaimed salvation and were turning away from it of themselves, the preachers were free to turn to the Gentiles, who showed greater disposition toward the Gospel.
From Paphos Paul and his companions sailed to the peninsula of Asia Minor and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark returned from there to Jerusalem, while Paul, with his other companions, continued the journey and went deeper into the interior regions of Asia Minor. He came to Antioch of Pisidia.
Here the preaching of the Apostle Paul concerning Christ made a powerful impression on the inhabitants of the city and turned many Jews and Gentiles to Christ.
Yet the majority of the Jews remained deaf to the apostles’ preaching. They even stirred up a disturbance against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the city.
Therefore the apostles went on farther, shaking off the dust from their feet against them, according to Christ’s commandment (Mt 10:14).
And during the preaching they contradicted him in every way and did not restrain themselves from all sorts of slanders.
The matter reached the point that preaching became impossible. Then the apostles told their Jewish enemies the bitter truth they deserved.
Turning to the Jews, the apostles courageously said to them: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord commanded us through the prophet Isaiah, who said of the Savior that He was appointed as a light to the Gentiles and for salvation to the end of the earth."
To prove that their action was not self-willed and not contrary to the divine plan for the salvation of the world, the apostles point to the command of the Lord God, spoken long before through the prophet Isaiah (Is 49:6).
In the indicated passage, the word of God is addressed to the Servant of Jehovah, the Messiah (see the note on Mt 12:18 and following, and Acts 3:13). It says that after His appearing on earth, He will be a light for the Gentiles. That is, by His teaching and by the teaching about Him, not only Jews but also Gentiles will be enlightened (see the note on Mt 4:13-16).
It also says that He will be for salvation to the end of the earth. That is, through faith in Him, not only Jews can attain salvation, but people living throughout the whole earth, to its very ends, the Gentiles also (cf. Theophylact and Chrysostom).
This is a clear decree of God. Yet the Jews, who read the prophets every Sabbath, do not understand it correctly.
The apostles regard it as God’s command to them, since every decree of God is, in the broad sense, a command for man to fulfill.
The apostles do not refer here to the commandment of the Lord Jesus Himself to teach all nations (Mt 28:19). For unbelieving Jews, this indication would have had no force, while an appeal to the prophetic word could have full force for them.
There is no doubt that after such a decisive word to the unbelieving Jews, the apostles left their synagogue.
Cf. Isa 49:6.
Rejected by the Jews, the Apostles explained to them that, by this rejection, they themselves had acknowledged that they were unworthy of those saving gifts which lead to the receiving of eternal life.
Therefore the Apostles, fulfilling God's predestination, indicated for example through the prophet Isaiah, would now turn with the good tidings to the Gentiles. Thus the light of the knowledge of truth, given for salvation, and of faith in Christ Jesus, would shine upon them.
Against envy another envy is raised, an envy for higher blessings. But probably the time had not yet come for the Jews to be stirred by this lofty envy for the salvation of all nations except themselves (cf. Rom 11:24).
According to the explanation of Saint John Chrysostom, the Apostles spoke to the Jews as if saying: "The Gentiles must hear the word of God. Yet it depends not on us, but on you, that they will have to hear it before you. The teaching of the Lord had to be preached first to you (see Acts 1:8; 3:26; Rom 1:16). But since you refuse to hear us, then, in fulfillment of another decree of God spoken about the Messiah through the prophet Isaiah, we shall enlighten the Gentiles and order salvation for them to the ends of the earth."
And again a blow was dealt to envy. The Jews did not wish to see the conversion of their fellow citizens. Yet they had to hear that the conversion of people throughout the whole world to Christ was being prepared.
"Do you see," says Saint John Chrysostom, "how, because of the Jews' resistance, they extended their preaching farther and turned still more to the Gentiles, having justified themselves and made themselves free from accusations before their own kinsmen?"
"We turn to the Gentiles." He does not say, "We leave you," but speaks in such a way as to allow the possibility of his return to Antioch.
The expression "with boldness" is worthy of note. This boldness is mentioned because, although Jesus Christ Himself commanded them to preach to the whole world (see Mt 28:19), this was not yet a universally recognized matter.
For this reason, there were various perplexities concerning preaching among the Gentiles (see Acts 11:2-3, 15). At the same time, it must be said that Paul and Barnabas were not unaware of cases of the Gentiles' conversion (see Acts 10; Acts 11:20).
Therefore their boldness was, so to speak, firm and resolute.
The malicious attitude of the Jews toward the word of salvation gives the Apostles occasion to declare boldly, with confidence, as is proper to true ministers of the Word (see Prov 1:21), that they now turn with this word of salvation to the Gentiles.
They declare that they are now Apostles of the Gentiles (see Rom 11:13). In justifying this declaration, the Apostle Paul here expresses the same thoughts about the Jews and their relation to salvation that later received full development in the Epistle to the Romans (see Rom 10:19-21).
"According to the divine decree concerning the salvation of the human race, you were the first who had to hear the word of God and receive salvation (verse 26), so as to spread it to the ends of the earth. But since you reject this word of life (see Acts 5:20), and by this make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, whose bestowal is the purpose of the Messiah's coming, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For from eternity God appointed the Messiah to be a light for the Gentiles and salvation to the end of the earth. As proof of this thought, the Apostle cites the words from the book of the prophet Isaiah (49:6). These words also serve the Apostles as a commandment to preach among the Gentiles, because the words of God would not have been fulfilled if their preaching had not taken place."
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS