Acts 13:52Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But even this did not harm the disciples. On the contrary, they were still more strengthened in the word of God. The writer shows this by adding: "And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." The sufferings of the teacher do not halt the zeal of the disciple, but make him still more fervent. Then he says something even more striking: "And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." The teachers were persecuted, yet they rejoiced. Do you see the character of the Gospel preaching, and what great power it has?

The teachers were persecuted, yet the disciples rejoiced. Such is the power of the Gospel. The suffering of the teacher does not take boldness away from the disciple, but makes him more vigorous.

Thus Barnabas and Paul, together with the believing Gentiles, left the synagogue and chose another place for the assembly of believers and of those expressing a desire to believe. From there Christianity spread throughout the whole surrounding area. But the Jews succeeded in stirring up the most distinguished inhabitants of the city against them through proselyte women. Through the women's influence on their husbands, they raised an open persecution against Paul and Barnabas, so that they were forced to leave the city.

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).

But the Jews were powerful in the city, where they held all trade in their hands. Therefore they even managed to have the Roman authorities take their side. The apostles had to withdraw from Antioch and set out for the city of Iconium. There they could rest from the distress they had endured, because the authority of the Roman propraetor no longer extended there. The disciples whom they left in Antioch "were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."

The disciples, that is, the Pisidian Christians, not only did not lose heart because of this persecution against the apostles, but were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. What a contrast with the Jews, who nourished envy and hatred toward the preachers of Christ. "The teachers were persecuted, and the disciples rejoiced. Such is the power of the Gospel. The suffering of the teacher does not take boldness away from the disciple, but makes him more vigorous" (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom).

The apostles’ parting from the unbelieving Pisidians is significant. Fulfilling the Lord’s commandment (see Mt 10:14), they shook the dust from their feet as a sign that they wished to receive nothing from them. Therefore they returned to them even the dust that might have been carried away on their sandals.

The shaking off of dust could also signify the ending of all relations because of their great hostility toward the teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.