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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2019 13:54:30 GMT -6
Study Begins: June 30, 2019
Discussion Begins: July 07, 2019 |
Acts 14:1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, 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 past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
English Standard Version (ESV) |
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elacey
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Post by elacey on Jul 3, 2019 7:34:43 GMT -6
strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:22 NIV bible.com/bible/111/act.14.22.NIVWe have an obligation as mature Christians to encourage and strengthen new believers and luke warm babes (often found in church)... even when it means we might be attacked (in this culture of USA - the attacks are passive aggressive). How strong was Paul to be nearly stoned to death... then get up and march back in? Badass for Jesus. He loved Jesus. He TRUSTED Jesus. Oh Lord... please continue this work within my heart and give me the wisdom and courage that Paul shows in this passage. |
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John R
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Post by John R on Jul 3, 2019 20:04:36 GMT -6
The tenacity of the early church believers is amazing. At least three times in this chapter, Paul and his followers are attacked, stoned and or ran out of towns from Antioch to Lystra and Derbe, etc. Not a picture of the modern Christian church that has allowed the culture to rule in the nation and in most churches. The faith of these early believers was bold, because it was not watered down even in the face of great persecution. Perhaps if persecution comes to the American church, we may see real Christian growth again.
Rather than receive praise for the miracles performed in his presence, Paul would not allow himself or other gods to receive the praise due his heavenly Father. At great personal risk, Paul demonstrated what Christianity looks like. |
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John R
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Post by John R on Jul 3, 2019 20:12:13 GMT -6
The Jews were still busy trying to dissuade the people from faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah they denied when he was in their midst. Business as usual in modern day Israel as the Jewish establishment continuing to dissuade American Evangelicals most who are ignorant of the word of God and lead by preachers and world leaders who are more interested in money than preaching the gospel to Jews who may perish without trusting in their Messiah for eternal salvation. Father, walk up the deceived and open blind eyes in the Jewish community that they may turn their hearts to Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation. In Jesus name I pray.
Blessings! John
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Eric B
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Post by Eric B on Jul 6, 2019 23:00:10 GMT -6
Acts 14:1-7 "Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 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 bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel.
It is amazing how some unbelievers are not satisfied with refusing the gospel. They will do everything they can to keep others in a state of unbelief. People have not changed. Around the world and here in the U.S., people ridicule Christians who stand for Christ.
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Eric B
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Post by Eric B on Jul 6, 2019 23:29:34 GMT -6
In Acts 14:8-18, a lame man is healed and the crowd interprets this healing as evidence of their false religion. How frustrating this must have been for Paul and Barnabas. Here they were boldly proclaiming the gospel and healing a man for the glory of God, only to see the crowds miss it completely. Yet, both of these men persisted.
This challenged me, in my own walk, to persist for the gospel's sake even when I am misunderstood.
In Acts 14:19-20, a double-minded city stones Paul. These went from glorifying and deifying Paul and Barnabas, to stoning Paul. This reminds me of James 1:8 "being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." The citizens of this city were double-minded and as a result, uncertain in their ways. They were unstable and easily used by the enemies of the gospel.
Acts 14:21-22 is encouraging to me, specifically the part where it states, "...Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." I think this is easily forgotten in our modern lives. We see the trials and tribulations that may come. We understand this is promised in 2 Timothy 3:12. Yet I so often forget that it is necessary for entering the kingdom of God. Rather than praying for deliverance from our tribulations, we ought to be praying for our persecutors to come to a saving decision about Christ.
In Acts 14:23-28, Paul and Barnabas made a report to the church that sent them. There was accountability!
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JB
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Post by JB on Jul 7, 2019 19:28:08 GMT -6
Acts 14:1a Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue…
Paul and Barnabas were called to take the gospel to Gentiles, but that didn’t mean they quit ministering to Jews. The synagogue was still the natural first place to visit when they entered a town. They were Jewish Christians, and they cared about the salvation of their people.
14:1b …and they spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
The Holy Spirit was the fuel of their sermon’s fire. He enabled and empowered their witnessing.
As Paul wrote later, “My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
But Acts 14:1 implies that the way the message is delivered is also important. Effective preaching is a joint effort between the preacher (who speaks) and the Holy Spirit (who prepares hearts, inspires, and empowers).
I feel strongly that modern preaching is overly stylized - with too much emphasis on delivery, too much effort on palatability, and too little concern for conviction. It is still important that the words coming out of the evangelist’s mouth are chosen wisely and are convicting to those in the audience whose hearts are prepared by the Spirit to receive them.
14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Some Jews believed. The ones who didn’t poisoned the minds of the Gentiles. That is interesting. They didn’t focus on reclaiming their Jewish brethren who had switched sides. They focused instead on deterring Gentiles.
Notice the Paul’s and Barnabas’ responses to this riot. They didn’t go somewhere they might have more success. They stayed put for a long time and boldly continued to preached the gospel.
When I was a church consultant and pastoral coach, I encountered a number of pastors - especially in small rural towns - who felt like giving up and moving on. Their work seemed to have little effect. It was important for them to recognize that if they abandoned ship, the unregenerate around them would stand little chance. Keep going until God calls you elsewhere. Boldly proclaiming the truth is your responsibility. The results aren’t.
14:4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.
Division is important. The only other options are that everyone believes or that no one does. Neither is likely. Division sets the sheep apart from the goats.
14:5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Bible teachers and commentaries often refer to Paul’s “Missionary Journeys.” This begins the first of those.
In the previous chapter, Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by John, rebuked evil and preached the gospel in synagogues all around Paphos and Antioch – speaking a strong message to both officials and regular folks as opportunity allowed and the Spirit directed. While at an Antioch synagogue, after scripture readings, the synagogue rulers invited Paul and Barnabas to preach. Paul preached a no-holds-barred history of Israel’s leadership (Samuel, Saul, David) leading up to Christ, His crucifixion and His resurrection. The crowd attending that sermon included both Jews (men of Israel in vv. 16b and 26) and Gentiles (“you who fear God” in vv. 16 and 27). The people were excited about the message. Some Jews and some Jewish converts encouraged Paul and Barnabas to continue in God’s grace (which showed they understood the message) and begged them to come back next Saturday.
They did, and nearly the whole city showed up. The Jewish leaders, probably regretting asking Paul and Barnabas to speak last week, got jealous because the people were following them. A debate broke out with Paul and Barnabas on one side and the Jewish leaders on the other. Paul wrapped it up by saying “We had to present these truths to you first, but since you reject it, we’re done with you. We’re turning to the Gentiles.”
14:8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
There’s some interesting history here. There was folklore in Lycaonia that the gods Zeus (whom Romans called Jupiter) and his son Hermes (whom Romans called Mercury) had once visited the region around Lycaonia disguised as peasants. No one except a man named Philemon and his wife Baucus gave them any hospitality. So those gods destroyed the city, but turned this couple’s home into a shrine and turned them into gods. [You can read more at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baucis_and_Philemon]
Here in Acts, because of their powerful words and great miracles, the locals assumed the gods had returned – that Barnabas was Zeus/Jupiter and Paul was his son Hermes/Mercury.
14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out...
They could have easily soaked up the glory. But their minds and hearts were fully consumed by the mission and commission of Christ to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded them because they knew that He was with them always to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). No glory man offered could compare with the glory of Christ’s kingdom. Nothing else mattered in life.
14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, 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 past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
“The nations” is translated from the Greek term “ethnos”(ἔθνος), which normally referred to Gentiles. In other words, until Christ, God focused upon the Law and saving the Jewish people, leaving Gentiles to find their own righteousness according to natural law, as Romans 2:14 describes. But Christ died to save all nations apart from the law (Romans 3:21).
14:18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
The message of God’s grace should have shifted their focus off of Paul and Barnabas and onto Christ, but they still missed the point. They were still convinced Paul ad Barnabas were gods, resulting in them offering sacrifices to the beggars rather than to the Feeder.
14:19a But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium…
Barnabas and the scattered Christians had already made Jewish and gentile disciples in Antioch (Acts 11:19-26). Paul and Barnabas had already made disciples in Iconium (Acts 14:1). So the Jews were jealous and miffed.
14:19b … and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20a But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city...
Don’t read that too quickly. The Jews stoned him so badly that they believed he was dead. They dragged him outside the city. And after all that Paul got up and went where? Right back into the city! He was determined to preach the gospel to these Lycaonians. And then…
14:20b and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
Get a Bible atlas and look it up… Derbe was at least 30 miles away from Lycaonia.
Beaten and left for dead, dragged out of the city, went back into the city, and then set out for a 30 mile hike to take the gospel to a new place. What amazing perseverance and strength! My faith is so small!
14:21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Making disciples is only Part 1. Strengthening, equipping and growing disciples for ministry is Part 2. Paul could tell them firsthand the type of tribulations to expect as faithful Christians.
Honestly, I face very little tribulation that is related to my faith. Sometimes I wonder if I should expect it. We do live in a free country, and Christians throughout the world do experience tribulations like Paul’s and Barnabas’. If I shouldn’t expect it, I must at least ensure my dedication to Christ is strong enough to withstand it if it comes. Because I believe the church must endure the Great Tribulation, I could face it sometime. Am I ready?
14:24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
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Eric B
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Post by Eric B on Jul 8, 2019 20:45:48 GMT -6
John,
I appreciate how you brought out the tenacity of the early church believers. I agree with you regarding church growth. Believers tend to thrive under persecution. There are some who fall away, but the core group grows in Christ. For evidence of this, look at the Chinese and Vietnamese churches that are growing in the face of severe persecution. |
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