*Acts 14:1-28
Paul and Barnabas face mixed reactions in Iconium and Lystra, with some believing their message and others attempting to stone Paul.
- Ministry in Iconium:
- Paul and Barnabas go to Iconium and speak in the Jewish synagogue, leading both Jews and Greeks to believe.
- They spend a considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirms their message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
- The city becomes divided; some side with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
- When a plot arises among both Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, to mistreat and stone them, Paul and Barnabas flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country.
- Incident in Lystra:
- In Lystra, they encounter a man crippled from birth, who has never walked.
- Paul, seeing that the man has faith to be healed, commands him to stand up on his feet. The man jumps up and begins to walk.
- The crowd sees what Paul has done and begins shouting in Lycaonian, proclaiming that the gods have come down to them in human form, referring to Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes.
- The priest of Zeus brings oxen and garlands to the city gates, intending to offer sacrifices with the crowds to Paul and Barnabas.
- Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes in distress and rush into the crowd to stop them, explaining that they are mere men and preaching the gospel, urging them to turn from these worthless things to the living God.
- Opposition and Assault:
- Jews come from Antioch and Iconium and win the crowd over. They stone Paul and drag him outside the city, thinking he is dead.
- However, when the disciples gather around him, Paul gets up and goes back into the city. The next day, he and Barnabas leave for Derbe.
- Return Journey:
- After preaching the gospel in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas return to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.
- They appoint elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commit them to the Lord.
- They pass through Pisidia and come to Pamphylia.
- After preaching the word in Perga, they go down to Attalia.
- Mission Completed:
- From Attalia, they sail back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
- Upon arrival, they gather the church together and report all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
- They stay in Antioch for a long time with the disciples.
Acts 14:1-28 teaches us to stay faithful to God, even when we face challenges. Paul and Barnabas boldly shared the good news about Jesus, but they also faced opposition, hardship, and even danger. Still, they didn’t give up because they trusted God. This reminds us that following Jesus isn’t always easy, but He gives us the strength to keep going. We can apply this by staying committed to our faith, encouraging others, and trusting that God is working through every situation, even when things get tough.
Acts 14:1-28 (WEB)
14:1 In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. 2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews and part with the apostles. 5 When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. 7 There they preached the Good News.8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9 He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked. 11 When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 16 who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”18 Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them. 19 But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.20 But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.21 When they had preached the Good News to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom. 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed.24 They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27 When they had arrived and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28 They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.