Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 13:49

"And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region." — Acts 13:49 (ASV)

Many of the Gentiles responded with thanks for the apostles’ ministry and with openness to their message. “All who were appointed [GK 5435] for eternal life believed” suggests that belief in Christ is not just a matter of one’s faith but primarily involves divine appointment. And through the conversion of many of the Gentiles, who brought the message of salvation to others, “the word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” This spreading of the word, along with the apostles’ own outreach to the cities named in chs. 13 and 14, probably led to the agitation of the so-called Judaizers that resulted in the problem Paul dealt with in Galatians.