John Kilgallen, «Hostility to Paul in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13,45) — Why?», Vol. 84 (2003) 1-15

Throughout Acts 13–14 Luke brings to the reader’s knowledge opponents of Paul who are called " the Jews" . The present essay attempts to clarify the meaning of this short-hand identification of Paul’s Jewish opponents. It seems best to understand these particular Jews in the light of zealotry which has its roots in centuries of vigorous defense of Jewish religious convictions.

(13,15), for its success depends on its wide-ranging and adroit use of a proper reading of the Jewish Scripture.

        The opening of the homily traces the history of the People¹³ as a history of God’s¹⁴ work among them, a history drawn totally and allusively from the Writings so well known to Paul’s audience. This divine, continual effort is reflected in a harmonious way in the completion of the homily, when, at the end of the discourse and using the authoritative words of the prophet Habakkuk¹⁵, the audience is asked not to ignore a ‘work’ of God, a ‘work’ which fits nicely into the history of all God’s other works for Israel. God is the real subject of the homily; it is God who gives encouragement and consolation to His People¹⁶. It is God who works for His People.