43. After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshipped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them.
44. The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord.
45. When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
46. But Paul and Barnabas bravely said:We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles.
47. The Lord has given us this command,“I have placed you hereas a lightfor the Gentiles.You are to takethe saving power of Godto people everywhere on earth.”
48. This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord.
49. The message about the Lord spread all over that region.
50. But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of that part of the country.
51. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium.
52. But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.