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ToBeLikeHim.com Return
to Acts Series The Book of Acts Series Acts, Chapter 14 John Baugh November, 2009 Acts
14 (New American Standard Bible) Acceptance
and Opposition 1In Iconium they entered the
synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large
number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. 2But the Jews who disbelieved
stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the
brethren. 3Therefore they spent a long
time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to
the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their
hands. After
leaving Psidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas traveled
to Iconium. The city was located on the As
noted in Chapter 13, it would become Paul’s habit to first go to the
synagogue when arriving in a new city and this is what he did in Iconium,
first presenting the gospel to the Jews and then to the gentiles. Paul’s (and
Barnabas’) presentation was compelling (the Holy Spirit was definitely at
work) and “a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks”. As
with other places, there were Jews at Iconium who were offended; in such
disbelief that they fought the message that the missionary team was
delivering. Luke does not indicate what the Jews said about Paul and
Barnabas, only that they stirred up the gentiles against the two missionary
men (the brethren). Luke
reports that that Paul and Barnabas continued on in spite of the Jewish
opposition to their message, indicating that they spent a long time in
Iconium, “testifying to the word of His (Jesus’) grace
granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” It
is interesting that Luke says that the opposition to their teaching meant
little to Barnabas and Paul. When he discusses this (in verse 3), Luke tells
us: 3Therefore they spent a long
time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to
the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their
hands. According
to Dr. Luke, the pair committed themselves to a considerable time commitment
of effort, in spite of the sustained campaign by the Jews to discredit
them. Luke gives few details of their
preaching here, and compresses the work of several months into a few
sentences. This
does not mean that there was little effort. Luke does say that they preached
“the message of His grace”. The
preaching of Paul and Barnabas is accompanied by "miraculous signs and
wonders". Paul later refers to these miracles in a letter to the
churches in the 4But the people of the city
were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some
with the apostles. 5And when an attempt was made
by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone
them, During
the time that Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Iconium, God was validating
their efforts by performing miraculous signs and wonders through them. In
spite of all of this, the population of Iconium was divided over the actions
of the two missionaries. "Some sided with the
Jews, others with the apostles" . Eventually,
the Jews and some of the Gentiles who were in opposition to the pair work up
a plan to stone Paul and Barnabas. Apparently, they intend to gather a mob,
beat up Paul and Barnabas, and then stone them to death. Paul
and Barnabas learn about the plot, perhaps through some sympathetic Jews who
have accepted the gospel message, and “the apostles” leave the city before
the plotters can capture them. Verses
4 and 14 contain the only reference in Acts to Paul being an apostle. This
may seem odd in view of the fact that Paul often stresses his apostleship.
(See the first verse of many of his letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.) Apparently,
Luke restricts his use of the term "apostle" as a special
"office" to the Twelve. They are the ones who were with Jesus from
the beginning of his ministry and who are witnesses of his resurrection (Acts
1:21-25; Acts 10:39-42). Luke probably thinks of Paul and Barnabas as
"apostles" only in a general sense, as special emissaries, envoys,
or messengers commissioned by the church at Antioch (Acts 13:3-4), and in
this sense were apostles, or people "sent out." 6they became aware of it and
fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe,
and the surrounding region; 7and there they continued to
preach the gospel. As
the plot against Paul and Barnabas grew close to being placed into action,
the pair learned about it and to avoid stoning, they left Iconium, traveling
to "the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and
Derbe" (Acts 14:6). Here, they continue to preach the gospel. The
first city in Lycaonia to which Barnabas and Paul
come is Lystra, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south-southwest of Iconium. 8At Lystra a man was sitting
who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never
walked. 9This man was listening to
Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he
had faith to be made well, 10said with a loud voice,
"Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. Luke
tells one story about what Paul and Barnabas encounter in Lystra. The story
he chooses to share involves the healing of a crippled man lame from birth.
Paul is speaking to what is probably a crowd of Gentiles. Luke does not tell
us that the location of this miracle is a synagogue, indicating that Lystra does
not have one. Luke
says that Paul is drawn to this man, and perceives that he has faith to be
healed. Paul interrupts his address to the crowd and says (shouts) to the
cripple: "Stand upright on your feet!" At Paul’s words, the man
jumps up and begins to walk. It is interesting that, according to Luke, this
is no tentative statement from Paul. Luke says that he tells the man to stand
upright in a loud voice, perhaps a shout. Luke’s
story portrays Paul as a messenger of God in the tradition of Peter, who also
healed a lame man (Acts 3:1-10). Luke uses parallel expressions in the two accounts:
"lame from birth," "looked directly at him," "jumped
up and began to walk." Both Peter and Paul are shown to be using the
same power as did Jesus, when he healed a crippled person (Luke 5:17-26). One
commenter says the following: “This
incident, selected by Luke for detailed description from among the
"signs and wonders" of the Galatian
mission (verse 3), parallels the similar cure by Peter in chapter 3, and
doubtless was chosen for this reason. In opposition to those who would
challenge Paul’s claim to apostolic authority based on his direct commission
from the risen Christ, Luke is concerned to show that his hero shares with
the chief apostle the healing power vested in his disciples by the Lord
himself. (William Neil, The Acts of the Apostles, page 163)” 11When the crowds saw what
Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian
language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."
12And they began calling
Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose
temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and
wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. Luke
tells us when the miracle occurs and the beggar jumps up and walks, something
Barnabas and Paul did not expect, happens. When the people in Lystra see the
beggar stand, they begin shouting, "The gods have come down to us in
human form!". They believe that Barnabas is
Zeus, and Paul is thought to be Hermes, because he is the main speaker. (Hermes
is called the messenger of Zeus and the patron of orators.) Hearing
what has happened, the Priest of the temple outside the city also sees the
men as Gods and attempts to offer sacrifices to them. The
Lystrans think that they are experiencing a divine
visitation. The idea of gods coming to earth in human form is familiar in
this region because of a legend where Zeus and Hermes come and take offense
when the people do not realize who they are. The existence of this ancient
legend may explain the wildly emotional response of the Lystrans
to the healing of the cripple by Paul and Barnabas. 14But when the apostles
Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the
crowd, crying out 15and saying, "Men, why
are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and
preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a
living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN
THEM. 16"In the generations
gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17and yet He did not leave
Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven
and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." 18Even saying these things,
with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. When
he realizes what the crowd believes, Paul makes an earnest plea to them in
hopes of stopping the Lystrans from worshiping him
and Barnabas. Paul’s speech, in verses 14-17, is an example of how the gospel
might be introduced to purely pagan audiences. Paul
makes a similar speech in Acts 17: 22-31. With
a purely pagan audience, the speaker has to assume the need to address the
understanding that there is one true God. In his speech to the Lystrans, Paul begins by explaining that the one God is
the Creator of all living things (14:15). Even before this, however, Paul and
Barnabas are forced to deny that they are gods. When they understand what the
Lystrans think — and that they are going to sacrifice
to them — they race into the crowd yelling for them to stop. "We
too are only men, human like you," Paul shouts (14:15). (This assumes
that Paul gives the speech, as he is chief speaker.) More literally, the original
Greek he used means we are "of the same nature as you." As he
speaks, Paul is saying that he and Barnabas share the human condition with
the Lystrans and they have no special qualities
about them. The
Bible rejects the idea that humans have any spiritual uniqueness worthy of
special consideration. We should understand that this is true for even the
greatest of God’s servants. James says to Jewish Christians that Elijah was
"a man just like us" (Acts 5:17). Peter refuses any special
reverence from Cornelius when he says, "I am
only a man myself" (Acts 10:26). Even angels are not to be given special
adoration (Revelation 19:10). Paul
and Barnabas urge the Lystrans to give up their
idolatry and "turn from these worthless things to the living God" (Acts
14:15). The rejection of idolatrous worship practices is a basic test of
conversion for Gentiles. Of course, these Gentiles should also accept Jesus
Christ as their Savior. But knowing God is the starting point for
pagan Gentile conversion. As Paul would later write, the Gentile
Thessalonians understand this and turn "to God from idols to serve the
living and true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:9). At
Lystra, Paul identifies the true God as the One "who made heaven and
earth and sea and everything in them" (Acts 14:15). Paul and Barnabas
are beginning their sermon on an elementary level, starting with nature
rather than Scripture. They are saying that nature itself testifies to the
existence of a Creator. If people understand and accept that God is the
Creator of everything, they are also led to worship him. It
is said that there are two books of God. One is his word, the Bible. The
second is nature, and the lessons about God that people should draw from it.
In short, the existence of the creation demonstrates that God exists and is
the creator. But nature does not tell us about a Savior —that is normally
communicated through evangelism. Even
further, Paul and Barnabas insist that the works of creation should lead one
to understand that God is kind and merciful (Acts 14:17). God does not fall
into a rage in response to minor matters as Zeus and Hermes supposedly did
when they destroyed people who failed to show them hospitality. Paul
says that God’s kindness is shown in his providing rain in due season for
crops. The one true God, the missionaries insist, "provides you with
plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy" (Acts 14:17). God
demonstrates his presence through the good things we enjoy. The goodness of
God in providing rainfall and bountiful harvests is an Old Testament theme
(Genesis 8:21-22). It is also a common theme in pagan religions. The idea is
that the gods supply bounteous harvests. Since Paul’s audience is probably
composed largely of farmers, they understand the importance of food — and that they were dependent on God for its supply. As
a beginning for the preaching the gospel of salvation, Paul’s speech is a
good start. At best, however, this sermon based on natural theology is only a
preamble to the gospel. The speech is incomplete, for it doesn’t go on to
discuss the death and resurrection of Jesus and its meaning for the
listeners. Luke doesn’t say if Paul and Barnabas go on to relate this vital
aspect of the gospel. Perhaps their immediate intent is simply to stop the
crowd from sacrificing to them. Luke implies that the Lystrans
don’t really understand Paul’s message; his words barely achieve the
immediate goal of stopping the townspeople from sacrificing (Acts 14:18). 19But Jews came from Antioch
and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him
out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20But while the disciples
stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away
with Barnabas to Derbe. 21After they had preached the
gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and
to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of
the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying,
"Through many tribulations we must enter the Luke
tells us that the problems Paul and Barnabas encountered in Paul later remembers what
happened in Lystra In
his letter o the Galatians, Paul later writes, “From now on let no one cause
trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.” (Galatians 6:17).
It may be that Paul is thinking about the stoning in Lystra when he writes
this. Again in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, 23Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more
so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without
number, often in danger of death. 24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three
times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. (2 Corinthians 11: 23-25) It
is probably the stoning at Lystra that Paul understands as one of the times
during which he is almost killed. Even at the end, when he is imprisoned in a
Roman prison cell and close to the day of his execution at the hands of Roman
guards, Paul recalls what happened in Lystra in his letter to Timothy as he
writes about the "persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things
happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.
Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them" (2 Timothy 3:11). Paul and Barnabas go to
Derbe After
Paul revives, he goes back into Lystra, and then he and Barnabas leave the
next day for Derbe. Though there is some doubt about its exact location,
Derbe is probably about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Lystra, on the
eastern end of the Lycaonian region of Apparently
the missionaries do not suffer any persecution in Derbe. Luke records none,
and 2 Timothy 3:11 implies that there isn't any. The
time in Derbe marks the end of the first missionary journey as far as
preaching the gospel to outsiders is concerned, except for a brief mention of
Perga in Acts 14:25. The
return to Antioch Paul
and Barnabas prepared to return to Syrian Antioch (the sponsor church) after
finishing their missionary activity. They could have returned by continuing
eastward along the Via Sebaste, and then south
through the Cilician Gates, a mountain pass near Instead,
the missionaries backtracked and returned by way of Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. They revisited each city, not to make
more converts, but to support their previous efforts in those cities. Their
objective was to provide support by "strengthening the disciples and
encouraging them to remain true to the faith" (Acts 14:22). The
missionaries must have believed this type of encouragement was necessary for
the Galatians. Paul would later write his strongest letter to the churches in
this area because they were accepting false teaching. "I am astonished,"
he writes, "that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by
the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel" (Galatians
1:6). Presumably
Paul and Barnabas exhorted the disciples not to fall back into either Judaism
or paganism during their return through the cities. They probably understood
the new converts would be persecuted by their relatives and friends for
abandoning their ancestral faiths and would need to be given realistic
warnings that the path into the Luke
mentions the " Appointing Elders as they
return to Antioch 23When they had appointed
elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended
them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.
25When they had spoken the
word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed to
Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work
that they had accomplished. 27When they had arrived and
gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had
done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they spent a long time
with the disciples. Paul
and Barnabas also appoint "elders for them in each church" (Acts 14:23).
They commit the Galatian elders to the Lord with
prayer and fasting. Paul and Barnabas must feel that these individuals have
enough spiritual maturity to serve their fellow disciples. These individuals
are not brought in from outside, such as from This
is the first reference to "elders" outside of the Barnabas
and Paul’s responsibility was to plant churches, not to water or pastor them.
Paul would later instruct the people responsible for appointing elders to be
careful about their qualifications (1 Timothy
3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). After
revisiting the churches they had planted, Paul and Barnabas traveled south
through Pisidia and Pamphylia.
Luke does not mention if the gospel was preached in these regions. The two
missionaries finally reach the coastal city of When
they leave Perga, Paul and Barnabas travel a few
miles south to the Mediterranean After
arriving back in Luke
ends the account of this first missionary journey by saying that Paul and
Barnabas "stayed there a long time with the disciples" (Acts 14:28).
They may have stayed there for a year or more. Copyright © 2009, by ToBeLikeHim
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