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The Book of Acts
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BIBLE STUDY ACTS 14:1-28 REVIEW: Chapter 13 begins with the choosing of Barnabas and Saul for a new ministry of missionary outreach. After being commissioned through the laying on of hands, they set out for the island of Cyprus – with John Mark to assist them. At Paphos they met a magician, identified by Luke as a “Jewish false prophet” named Bar-Jesus. This is a parallel of Luke’s earlier story of when Philip encountered Simon the magician in Samaria in Acts 8:4-25. As Pastor Josh noted, it seems that with every new outreach in the name of Jesus Christ, the church is shown to encounter new demonic resistance – but here as always, the story also illustrates the powerlessness of the devil when confronted with the power of Jesus. Luke at this point very casually notes that Saul was also know as Paul – and from now on that is what he will be called. After this, their assistant John left them and returned to Jerusalem. It seems that he “deserted” them, and that later this would become a major issue between Paul and Barnabas in chapter 15. Finally, most of the rest of chapter 13 was about Paul’s speech at the Jewish synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. His main theme is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. Needless to say, his and Barnabas’ teaching upset the power structure of the synagogue. Some indeed were interested in what they had to say, while others were stirred to jealousy and incited persecution against them. This became a continuing theme of their ministry. Also, this persecution by “the Jews” was used as a justification for them then reaching out to the Gentiles. CHAPTER 14:1-7 “Ministry in Iconium” “The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them. But the residents of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, the apostles learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country; and there they continued proclaiming the good news.” Iconium was about ninety miles southeast of Antioch of Psidia. Despite Paul’s declaration in Psidian Antioch about turning to the Gentiles, he and Barnabas repeat their earlier strategy of first going into the Jewish synagogue at Iconium – and that through their preaching a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Luke seems to be emphasizing the point that the outreach to Gentiles did not mean rejection of the Jews, but rather that this outreach to the Gentiles was because the unbelieving Jews had kept the apostles from being effective witnesses among their own people (as Paul and Barnabas had stated in Acts 13:44-52). Luke portrays Paul and Barnabas’ ministry in Iconium as being very effective – so much so that their opponents stirred up an attempt to lynch them. In the end, they left Iconium in the same way as they had departed Psidian Antioch. CHAPTER 14:8:8-18 “Paul and Barnabas Mistaken for gods in Lystra” “In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not used his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from those worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good – giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.” The description of the man who had been crippled from birth resembles that of the man who was healed by Peter in Acts 3:1-10 and also of the paralyzed man healed by Jesus in Luke 5:17-26. As Luke Timothy Johnson notes in his commentary on The Gospel of Luke, this is likely a deliberate literary signal to show that Paul is true prophet and is now doing the same deeds as Peter and Jesus. There was a local legend in Lystra that the gods Zeus and Hermes had once come to earth in disguise. No one gave them hospitality except for two peasants, Philemon and his wife Baucis. As a result, the entire population was wiped out by the gods except for these two. The gods then made them the guardians of a splendid temple and later when they died they were turned into two great trees at the entrance to the temple. This legend helps to explain the reaction of the Lycaonians to Paul’s healing of the crippled man. The people were determined not to repeat the rejection of their ancestors. Even though it was for the right reasons, they ended up desiring to do the wrong thing of offering sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. Luke stresses that the people were talking in “the Lycaonian language” to help explain why Barnabas and Paul were slow to pick up on their intentions to honor them as gods. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul (this is the only instance in Luke specifically identifies them as such) understand what is going on, they tore their clothes – to show their horror against this “blasphemy”. (This is what the high priest did in Mt. 26:65 and Mk. 14:63 after Jesus had “blasphemed” by accepting the designation of being God’s Messiah.) Finally, note how different Paul’s address to this audience is compared to how he addressed the Hellenistic Jews in Iconium in the previous chapter. It is an excellent example of adapting his message to the context of his hearers. CHAPTER 14:19-20 “Paul is Stoned” “But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.” Note what Luke is doing here in a literary sense. As he portrays it, the Gentiles (even if misguided in their thinking at times) are open to hearing the gospel message, while the unbelieving Jews become more and more opposed – so much so that they follow Paul and Barnabas from the two previous cities they had been at to stir up persecution in Lystra. Note that their chief opposition is not from the local people, but from afar. This theme will be continued in the next chapter… In a way, their persecution of Paul (and Barnabas) mirrors what Paul himself had done earlier when he had been a persecutor of the church. He had been one of a group of Hellenistic Jews from Cilicia who had “stirred up” people against Stephen (Acts 6:12) – and now Hellenistic Jews from Antioch and Iconium was stirring up the crowds against him. As Saul, he had participated in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58-8:1) – and now he is stoned for being a witness for Jesus Christ. As Saul, it was not enough just for him to persecute the Christians in Jerusalem – he had then set out for Damascus to persecute Christians there – and now unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium are doing the same in that they were not satisfied simply to drive him out of their towns, but actively follow him and Barnabas to continue their persecution wherever they might be. In all these ways, Jesus’ statement to Ananias in Acts 9:16 that “I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” is being fulfilled. Paul, although not dead, probably had been injured. Despite that, he shows great courage and unconquerable faith and loyalty in going back into the city – not so much to show his persecutors that he would not be cowed but to strengthen the courage of the disciples. Finally, Paul and Barnabas go on to Derbe – a city about fifty miles east of Lystra. Unlike the previous cities mentioned, there is no mention that they encountered any opposition or trouble. CHAPTER 14:21-28 “Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch” “After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. Then they passed through Pisidea and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. Wben they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.” To me (Pastor George) there is an interesting point that seems to have been missed by commentators I have researched. As you can see from the map below, a logical destination for their next destination would have been Tarsus – Paul’s home town – which would have been on the way back to Antioch of Syria. Instead, Paul and Barnabas choose to retrace their journey back through the previous cities they had been to. Why?
Perhaps it could have been that Paul was “too familiar” with the people of Tarsus, especially those who had previously known him as being opposed to the Christian movement. As Jesus himself had said while teaching in his hometown of Nazareth: “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.” (Lk 4:24) Luke presents their decision to return to their previous cities as being a pastoral one – to encourage the disciples they had made by letting them know that they had not been forgotten, and to appoint elders for each church. These “elders” are lay leaders, equivalent to synagogue “rulers”. Their message to each church about expecting persecutions is very honest. It not only recalls their own experiences, but also the words of Jesus himself in Lk. 9:21-27. Finally, Barnabas and Paul return to their home church in Antioch (of Syria) to report on their missionary activities. They had probably been away for about a year and a half. Luke emphasizes how that with them, “God had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.” This statement “sets the stage” for the conflict to come in the next chapter, when “certain individuals” from Judea came to teach that one must be circumcised in order to be saved. As Paul will show, faith rather than circumcision is what is necessary for salvation in Jesus Christ. -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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