Acts 14:1-28
Last week we looked at Paul and Barnabas’ stop in Pisidian Antioch and the results of that visit. Luke, the human author of Acts, moves next to summarize Paul and Barnabas’ trip through the next several cities, and only highlights a few points. These few points can serve as lessons for us today.
Keeping to their pattern each time Paul and Barnabas stop in a city they first head to a Synagogue, if there is one. If they do find one they would likely participate in the worship there and look for openings to preach. As soon as they got an opening they would begin to share. We see this in mention at least three times in this chapter (Acts 14:1,15-18, 21). Each time they do this they see people turn to Christ, and the Jews create opposition against them. We will see this pattern repeated just about everywhere we follow Paul through the book of Acts.
The first thing that I want to point out about this is the missionary team’s response in face of all this hardship. When they leave Pisidian Antioch and head east along the Roman highway they are getting further and further from civilization in to rougher country. In other words as they fled persecution they headed into potentially worse areas, not better.
At their first stop in Iconium we see that right away the Jews are bringing an attack on them. Our text says that the Jews stirred up the crowds, and poisoned them against the Christians (Acts 14:2). Following that we hit the little word “so.” This word connects Acts 14:2 and Acts 14:3 and tells us that Acts 14:3 happened as a result of Acts 14:2. Acts 14:3 tells us that Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there preaching and doing miracles, as a direct response to the persecution they were facing. In the face of opposition, its human nature to flee, but Paul and Barnabas continue their evangelism.
Eventually they are forced out of town, and they begin preaching in Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding areas. In Lystra Luke records one specific miracle, the healing of a crippled man. It is unclear why Luke picked this one miracle to record when the text describes a time of many miracles, but it could be to draw a parallel between Peter (see Acts 3:4) and Paul, which Luke does seem to do at several points. It also could be that that event was the catalyst for what happens next, which is the hailing of Paul and Barnabas as gods.
Paul and Barnabas are shocked and disgusted by this and move to counter it right away. They preach that they are merely men, just like them and use this to contrast themselves against God. Since the people at Lystra are primarily Gentile they do not know the Old Testament so Paul appeals instead to the general revelation that everyone has. All humans, no matter their personal claims to atheism, start with an understanding that there is a God and that God created the world.
This is spelled out clearly in Romans 1:18-20, Pslam 19:1-6, and many other places throughout scripture. Scripture never tries to prove God exists, because it is written with the knowledge that all humans know that God is real. An atheist then is a person who knowing there is a god, willfully rejects that knowledge and therefore is responsible for that action. 2 Peter 3:5 tells us that humans deliberately forget God and what God has done. What we need to see here is that it is a deliberate action of rejection of the truth, not innocent ignorance of what is right.
While all this is going on Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrive on the scene and stir up trouble again for Paul and Barnabas. What this shows us, and we will see this several more times as we go through Acts, is that the enemies of God will go out of their way to stop any presentation of God’s message. Think about our world today, the Christian message is being banned everywhere. No “religious” displays at Christmas or Easter, the recent declaring of the day of prayer as illegal, no prayer in schools, and so on. The vast majority of these things are completely harmless celebrations, yet people spend tremendous energy, time and money fighting against them. Think about how silly that really is. Those who claim God does not exist spend a very large amount of time and money fighting a nonexistent being. That is the pattern we see played out consistently through out all of recorded history.
This is simply because God is real, and his enemies are also very real. The Bible teaches that there is one who has amassed great power, and a great following to combat God. This adversary will eventually bring a vast army to lay siege on God’s holy city and there the adversary and his armies will be crushed. Until that day comes this adversary will do all he can to impede God’s progress while building his own armies. Do not be deceive no matter how nice the non-Christians in the world seem, they are working (unknowingly in most cases) directly for the enemy. Even though this is true, they still must be seen as captives to be freed from this enslavement, and treated gently with love and respect.
Another miracle is pointed out in this chapter, but almost as a side note. Acts 14:19 speaks of Paul being stoned, and left for dead. Then in Acts 14:20 he gets up and walks back in to the city where they just stoned him. The next day he hits the road and heads for the next town. It is hard to imagine how badly beaten he must have been for them to have mistaken him for dead, yet in that condition he not only returns to the city where his enemies are, but also plans to continue his trip. I can only assume that the only way this could work out is if Paul received some healing miracle, perhaps when the Christians gathered around him in Acts 14:20. Even assuming he was healed, it took a tremendous amount of courage to return to town after that.
This chapter is showing us several things. First it shows that wherever God moves, his enemies follow. We will continue see this not only as we go through Biblical accounts, but also in our modern day world. Second we see that in the face of these attacks we need to carry on. God’s free offer of salvation to the lost and dying world is too important not to. Paul tells the new believers in Acts 14:21-22 that hardships will characterize the path before them, and he encourages them to remain true to the faith. This message applies to all believers today.
Simply put, if you are being effective for the Gospel, then you will fall under attack. In that the reverse is implied (but is certainly not absolute), meaning that if you are not doing all you can to be effective for God, you probably will not fall under attack. The path that a Christian will walk through life to freedom is not one that was ever promised to be easy, rather it is one that will try you to your limits.
We can also see here how God always makes sure you can handle the path. Our missionary team faced bandits, malaria, dangerous roads, internal strife, riots and even stoning yet they made it all they way through their journey and back home again. Paul would eventually be killed for his faith, but God uses him for many great things before then. This is a great example of an eternal truth. God will see us through whatever he has asked us to do, we merely need to be obedient.
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