Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 13]
between people of the same calling (doctors towards doctors,
lawyers towards lawyers, preachers towards preachers). So these
rabbis boiled with jealousy when they saw the crowds gathered to
hear Paul and Barnabas. {Contradicted} (\antelegon\). Imperfect
active of \antileg•\, old verb to speak against, to say a word in
opposition to (\anti\, face to face). It was interruption of the
service and open opposition in the public meeting. Paul and
Barnabas were guests by courtesy and, of course, could not
proceed further, when denied that privilege. {Blasphemed}
(\blasph•mountes\). Blaspheming. So the correct text without the
addition \antilegontes\ (repeated from \antelegon\ above). Common
verb in the Gospels for saying injurious and harmful things.
Doubtless these rabbis indulged in unkind personalities and made
it plain that Paul and Barnabas were going beyond the limitations
of pure Judaism in their contacts with Gentiles.
13:46 {Spake out boldly} (\parr•siasamenoi\). First aorist middle
participle of \parr•siazomai\, to use freedom in speaking, to
assume boldness. Both Paul and Barnabas accepted the challenge of
the rabbis. They would leave their synagogue, but not without a
word of explanation. {It was necessary to you first} (\Humin •n
anagkaion pr•ton\). They had done their duty and had followed the
command of Jesus (1:8). They use the very language of Peter in
3:26 (\humin pr•ton\) "to you first." This position Paul as the
apostle to the Gentiles will always hold, the Jew first in
privilege and penalty (Ro 1:16; 2:9,10). {Ye thrust it from
you} (\ap•theisthe auton\). Present middle (indirect, from
yourselves) indicative of \ap•the•\, to push from. Vigorous verb
seen already in Ac 7:27,39 which see. {Judge yourselves
unworthy} (\ouk axious krinete heautous\). Present active
indicative of the common verb \krin•\, to judge or decide with
the reflexive pronoun expressed. Literally, Do not judge
yourselves worthy. By their action and their words they had taken
a violent and definite stand. {Lo, we turn to the Gentiles}
(\idou strephometha eis ta ethn•\). It is a crisis (\idou\, lo):
"Lo, we turn ourselves to the Gentiles." Probably also aoristic
present, we now turn (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 864-70).
\Strephometha\ is probably the direct middle (Robertson,
_Grammar_, pp. 806-08) though the aorist passive \estraph•n\ is
so used also (7:39). It is a dramatic moment as Paul and
Barnabas turn from the Jews to the Gentiles, a prophecy of the
future history of Christianity. In Ro 9-11 Paul will discuss at
length the rejection of Christ by the Jews and the calling of the
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