Acts 13:49 · Bible study
Acts 13:49 Commentary: Study: The Word Spreads Through Ordinary Believers
Greek · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How the gospel spread after Paul's expulsion from Pisidian Antioch. Discover the role of new converts and the unstoppable progress of God's word.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The gospel message spread throughout the rural districts of Pisidia through the witness of new converts after Paul and Barnabas were expelled.
- Key words: “Spread abroad” (διεφέρετο, imperfect passive, the word was being carried continuously); “region” (χώρα, the countryside around Antioch).
- Main debate: Whether Paul and Barnabas remained in the area to continue preaching or the spread happened solely through the converts who returned home.
- Theological theme: The unstoppable progress of God’s word despite persecution; the role of ordinary believers in mission.
- Best use: Encouraging congregations that personal testimony can reach places formal ministry cannot.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the word of the Lord was spread abroad through all the region.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the word of the Lord was carried through the whole country.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y la palabra del Señor era sembrada por toda aquella provincia.
E a palavra do Senhor era divulgada por toda aquela região.
La parole du Seigneur se répandait dans tout le pays.
Und das Wort des HERRN ward ausgebreitet durch die ganze Gegend.
En het Woord des Heeren werd door het gehele land uitgebreid.
E la parola del Signore si spandeva per tutto il paese.
I roznosiło się słowo Pańskie po wszystkiej onej krainie.
И слово Господне распространялось по всей стране.
於是 主 的道 傳 遍了 那一帶 地方。
And the word of the Lord went through all the country.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 13:49
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the spreading of the word in Acts 13:49 was carried out primarily by new converts, not by Paul and Barnabas themselves. Adam Clarke notes that those who had come from different parts and were converted carried the glad tidings to their neighborhoods. John Gill is explicit: this was not done by the apostles, who seem to have gone directly to Iconium, but by those converted under their ministry, who had gifts to preach to others with success. John Calvin sees this as a demonstration of Christ's parable about leaven, the gospel's progress continues invisibly and effectively. The expulsion of Paul and Barnabas did not hinder the spread; rather, the word was carried through personal networks throughout the whole region of Pisidia. This verse shows that the gospel advances not only through commissioned apostles but through every believer who shares what they have received.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The word of the Lord spread throughout the region, demonstrating that the gospel cannot be contained by opposition.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Agency of the spread | The word spread throughout the region after Paul and Barnabas left Antioch. | Some commentators (Clarke, Gill) see the spread as carried out solely by the new converts who returned to their homes. Others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) imply the apostles may have continued some informal ministry in the vicinity before leaving. |
| Meaning of 'region' | It refers to the rural area surrounding Pisidian Antioch. | No substantive debate; χώρα consistently means countryside or district in the NT. |
| Relation to persecution | Persecution did not stop the spread; it may have accelerated it. | Christians agree this shows God's sovereignty. Some emphasize human responsibility (the converts chose to speak), others emphasize divine action (God's word carries itself). Both are affirmed. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Pisidian Antioch was a Roman colony in the province of Galatia, strategically located on major trade routes connecting the Aegean coast to the interior of Asia Minor. The surrounding region (χώρα) included rural villages and smaller towns where farmers, merchants, and local leaders lived. Many of these people had traveled into Antioch for the synagogue services or to hear Paul and Barnabas preach (Acts 13:44).
When Paul and Barnabas were expelled by the city's leading citizens (v.50), they moved on to Iconium. But the new believers from outlying areas returned home carrying the message. This pattern, persecution leading to wider dispersal of the gospel, appears repeatedly in Acts (see 8:4, 11:19-21).
Gill's extensive notes on later church history in Pisidia show the long-term impact of this early work. From the fourth to eighth centuries, bishops from churches in Pisidia attended major councils such as Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. The seed planted by these first converts continued to bear fruit for centuries, demonstrating that the word of the Lord, once sown, can take root even in rocky soil.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The verb διεφέρετο (was spread/carried abroad) is supported by all major manuscripts. The phrase “word of the Lord” (λόγος τοῦ κυρίου) is standard in Acts for the gospel message.
Reception History
Early church writers saw this verse as an example of the gospel’s rapid spread through personal networks. During the Reformation, Calvin used it to illustrate the hidden, effective power of God’s word working like leaven. In the centuries after, missionaries cited Acts 13:49 to encourage indigenous evangelism. Gill’s detailed account of the later church history in Pisidia (from the 4th to 8th centuries) shows that the seed planted here produced lasting fruit, with bishops from the region participating in major councils. The verse has thus served as a long-term promise that gospel work, even when begun under pressure, can establish enduring churches.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Ordinary people carry the word. The gospel did not depend on apostolic presence. New converts naturally told what they heard and experienced.
- Opposition cannot contain the gospel. The expulsion of Paul and Barnabas became the means for broader reach. Human rejection does not stop God's purpose.
- Personal networks become mission fields. The region was reached because believers returned to their homes and spoke. The most effective evangelism often happens through relationships.
Five-point outline
- Context: The word is rejected in the synagogue but embraced by many Gentiles (vv.46-48).
- Method: The message was not tied to a building or a preacher; it traveled with people wherever they went.
- Agents: New believers, not trained apostles, became the primary spreaders of the word.
- Obstacle: Persecution and expulsion did not stop the spread, it accelerated it.
- Result: Churches were established throughout Pisidia that lasted for centuries, as Gill notes from later church history.
Illustration hooks
- The way good news travels through a neighborhood when someone is healed or a child is born, it moves through conversation, not publicity.
- A refugee community settling in a new country and sharing their faith with neighbors, despite the hardship of displacement.
- The spread of a helpful rumor or a viral video through word-of-mouth: people share what they care about, and it circles outward.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I share my faith when I am not a pastor or Bible teacher?
- Does opposition or difficulty mean God's work is failing?
- What is my role in helping the gospel reach beyond our church building?
Leading a Discussion
In Acts 13:49, a few sentences sum up a movement: after the apostles were expelled, the word of the Lord spread throughout the entire region. This verse invites us to think about who spreads the gospel and how ordinary believers can be part of God's mission.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse tell us about what happened after Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of Antioch?
- According to the commentaries, how did the word spread, who carried it and where did they go?
- Why do you think Luke included this detail in his narrative? What point is he making?
- How does this verse challenge common assumptions that only clergy or missionaries spread the gospel?
- What can we learn about the power of God's word from Calvin's comment that it works like leaven?
- When have you seen a setback or opposition actually lead to greater opportunities for the gospel?
- How can we, as a group, help the word spread beyond our regular circle of contact?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 6:7 | The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. |
| Acts 9:42 | This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. |
| Acts 12:24 | But the word of God grew and multiplied. |
| Acts 19:10 | This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. |
| Acts 19:26 | You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands. |
| Philippians 1:13 | so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, |
| Philippians 1:14 | and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the human chain of transmission: converts from different regions carried the message back to their own communities. The word spread not through a single preacher but through many new believers telling their neighbours what they had heard and received.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads this as the fulfillment of Christ's parable about leaven: the gospel spreads beyond the city into the surrounding countryside. He highlights the geographical progress of the word, showing how the seed of true doctrine moved outward from its initial center to reach a whole region.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that God's word was not silently contained but openly and thoroughly proclaimed across the entire country. The focus falls on the complete and public nature of this proclamation, reaching every part of the land.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the gospel spread through the region not by Paul and Barnabas directly but by the converts they made, who were gifted and successful in preaching. He then traces the church at Antioch of Pisidia through several centuries, showing its endurance and influence in church history.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the phrase "published throughout all the region" implies more than a single event. It suggests the apostles settled in Antioch for a time and carried out active missionary work in the surrounding countryside.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that those who believed were ordained to eternal life by God's ordering, not by an unconditional decree or by their own self-determination. He insists this divine appointment does not cancel human free will, which Scripture affirms elsewhere. The passage emphasizes that conversion depends on God's providential ordering, not on chance or human whim.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that this account defends Paul against Jewish critics who accused him of rashly turning to the Gentiles. He shows that Paul proceeded with deliberate caution and careful consideration before taking that step, as this very episode demonstrates.