What did the crowd do when Paul mentioned Gentiles?
The crowd had listened in rapt silence until the word 'Gentile' was spoken. At that word, they lifted their voices and demanded, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth,' saying it was not fit that he should live, because he had dared to use the word Gentile.
Les teaches that the crowd had been listening to Paul with rapt silence and attention until he said the word 'Gentile.' At that word, they lifted up their voices, saying, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth,' and 'It is not fit that he should live.' Their fury was because Paul had even dared to use the word 'Gentile.' Les connects this reaction to Israel's broader rejection: Moses had foretold that another nation would come into fellowship with their God, and they would hate them for it. The more the Gentiles succumbed to the Gospel, the more the Jewish people fought it, except for a few. Les notes this same attitude persists today in Israel's Law of Return, which tries to keep out Christians or Jewish believers in Christ.
More Questions
Why did the crowd in Acts 22 turn violent when Paul mentioned Gentiles?
In Acts 22, the crowd listened to Paul in silent attention until he used the word 'Gentile,' and then they violently demanded his death because he had dared to use that word.