Acts 13:41'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.'"
The setting
Pisidian Antioch (modern Yalvaç, Turkey), ~47 AD. Paul concludes with Habakkuk's ancient warning about unbelief...
The emotion here: prophetic intensity mixed with grief over coming rejection
The original word
kataphronetes (καταφρονηταί) — scoffers, those who look down with contempt
Why it matters
Habakkuk originally warned about God using pagan Babylon to judge Israel
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 13:41
The 'work' God is doing is salvation for Gentiles — unthinkable to first-century Jews
Common misconceptionPeople think this condemns all questioning. Paul is warning against arrogant dismissal — there's a difference between honest doubt and mocking contempt.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 13:41
Bible Genome reading
Acts 13:41 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 13:41 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Habakkuk. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the letter genre of biblical literature. Key themes include judgment, unbelief. Notable phrases: you scoffers; work which you will in no way believe. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Acts 13:41 mean to you, today?
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