II. LESSON BACKGROUND.

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1 Sunday, December 17, 2017 Lesson: Acts 14:8-11, 19-23; Time of Action: 48 A.D.; Place of Action: Galatia Golden Text: Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). I. INTRODUCTION. Our lesson this week teaches us to be steadfast in our faith. God promises to help His people persevere, no matter how bad things get. Our brother Paul was miraculously healed after being severely beaten for his faith. He taught that we should continue in the faith, for we will not enter heaven without tribulation. This is an important truth from this week s lesson. II. LESSON BACKGROUND. Our lesson takes place during Paul s first missionary journey. In Acts 13:1-5, the spiritual

2 leaders in the church at Antioch in Syria were directed by the Holy Ghost to set aside Barnabas and Saul (later called Paul) for missionary service. When they did this, the two missionaries sailed to the island of Cyprus and proceeded to Salamis where they preached the Word of God in the Jewish synagogues and also added John Mark to their team. From Salamis they went to Paphos where they received opposition from a Jewish false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-jesus, who was also called Elymas. However, Paul stood up to Elymas in front of the governor of the island who had invited Paul and Barnabas to come share their message with him. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul declared that Elymas was a child of the devil trying to distort the right ways of God. As a result, Paul said that God would cause him to go blind for a season, and he did. When the governor saw this, he believed the missionaries message of Jesus Christ. After this episode, Barnabas and Paul went on to Perga in Pamphylia where John decided to return to Jerusalem (see Acts 13:6-13). They moved on to Antioch in Pisidia (see Acts 13:14), where they received both a negative and a positive response from the people to their teaching (see Acts 13:44-50). Their message spread widely (see Acts 13:49), but jealous Jews stirred up the chief men and women in the city to persecute Barnabas and Paul and then expel them out of the city. They then shook the dust off their feet and headed to Iconium (see Acts 13:50-51). There, many Jews and Gentiles heard their words and believed (see Acts 14:1). Once again, unbelieving Jews stirred up trouble, but the missionaries were able to stay for an extended period of time sharing the gospel message. But the people of Iconium became divided, some supporting the unbelieving Jews and some supporting Barnabas and Paul. This led to an assault

3 on the missionaries by both the Gentiles and the Jewish rulers who tried to stone them. However, somehow Barnabas and Paul became aware of what was about to happen, so they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities in Lycaonia where they preached the gospel (see Acts 14:2-7). This is where our lesson begins. III. THE FIRST MIRACULOUS HEALING (Acts 14:8-11) A. A cripple man at Lystra (acts 14:8). Our first verse says And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother s womb, who never had walked. In the cities that Paul and Barnabas had preached in, they normally went to the synagogues first to preach to the Jews (see Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1). However, since no synagogues are mentioned here, there were probably not many Jews in Lystra being a Roman colony established for military purposes. Therefore, since Lystra was a Gentile pagan city, we can conclude that Paul was preaching in an open area to a crowd of people and not in a synagogue. Luke writes that in the place where Paul was preaching there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet. The term impotent means a lack of strength or power. This man had no strength in his feet, because he was a cripple from his mother s womb, who never had walked. From birth this man was never able to walk due to his condition.

4 B. An authoritative command from Paul (Acts 14:9-10). 1. (vs. 9). This verse goes on to say The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed. The phrase The same refers to the crippled man who was sitting by and heard Paul speak or preach. The word heard implies that the lame man was listening to Paul very carefully. He may have heard Paul talk about the miracle working power of Jesus Christ as part of his message. At some point Paul steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed. No doubt, Paul having the spirit of discernment noticed something special about this man and fixed his eyes steadfastly on him. Paul s earnest look was due to what he saw in this man who was listening so intently to his message. It appears that the Holy Spirit gave Paul an unusual insight into this man heart, for Luke goes on to write Paul perceiving that he had faith to be healed. The word perceiving can mean discerning. Paul discerned that this lame man was expecting a cure for his lameness, unlike the lame man Peter healed who expected nothing more than an alms or money (see Acts 3:1-7). This cripple man heard Paul preach, and was clearly affected by what he heard. He believed that these messengers had a divine power, and were therefore able to cure him of his lameness. Paul was aware of this by the spirit of discerning that he had, and therefore perceived that he had faith to be healed. Note:

5 Somehow God had already prepared the heart of this man to receive Paul s gospel message. As believers, one of the most exciting things we can ever experience is to realize that God has prepared people s hearts to hear what we have to share with them. Sometimes the realization comes through a question we are asked. At other times, a simple comment can open the door for opportunities to witness for the Lord. We must be aware when these times occur, and be ready to speak boldly for the Lord (see Romans 1:15-16). 2. (vs. 10). This verse says that Paul Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. Upon perceiving or discerning the evidence that this man had faith in the gospel message he was preaching, Paul Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. The apostle gave the cripple man a command full of authority, commanding him in a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. We are not told that the lame man had a hearing problem, so the fact that Paul gave his command with a loud voice was to make sure that everyone who was near heard and saw what was about to happen. For sure, this was going to be a test of the truthfulness of the gospel message that Paul had been preaching. Although this passage does not say that Paul invoked the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when he told the man to Stand upright on thy feet like Peter and John did (see Acts 3:6), it is certainly implied that Paul also did. At Paul s command, the cripple man leaped and walked. The lame man jumped up from where he was sitting, and not only stood upright, but to show that he was perfectly and

6 immediately cured, he probably walked back and forth before everyone. C. An improper response to the miracle (Acts 14:11). This verse says And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. It seems that the people of Lystra or the Lystrans were amazed at what they had seen, but their response was incorrect. The problem was that they gave credit for this miracle to the wrong source. The people credited Paul with making the lame man walk again. Since the Lystrans worshiped pagan gods, they interpreted the power that Jehovah had demonstrated through Paul as coming from their own gods. The Lystrans, all at once lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. These people reverted back to their old mythology, and their native language of Lycaonia, here called the speech of Lycaonia. Note: The area known as Lycaonia is summed up as consisting of the cities of Lystra and Derbe (see Acts 14:6) and the district (including many villages) lying around them. This description refers to a particular division of Lycaonia, which only is mentioned in the Bible. In the time of Paul, Lycaonia consisted of two parts, a western and an eastern. The western part was a region or subdivision of the Roman province of Galatia. Although many people during this time spoke Greek, some researchers believe

7 that the Lycaonian language was actually a Greek dialect of an older language. In that language, the Lystrans declared that the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. In other words, they were saying that the gods identified in the next verse had taken on the likeness of men and had come down to them from Mount Olympus of Greek mythology. Note: This notion no doubt came from the Latin poet Ovid, who had told the story that the gods Zeus and Hermes had appeared as men in the neighboring area of Phrygia. Both Zeus and Hermes, which were their Greek names, were worshiped in that area. The Latin names for these gods are Jupiter and Mercurius (or Mercury) and are used in this lesson (see Acts 14:12). IV. THE SECOND MIRACULOUS HEALING (Acts 14:19-23). Verses are not part of our lesson, but they shed more light on the paganism of the Lystrans. Following through on their notion that the gods had come down to them, the people called Barnabas Jupiter (or Zeus in Latin) and they called Paul Mercurious (or Hermes in Latin). Being polytheists (worshipers of more than one god), these people found it easy to transfer their devotion to Paul and Barnabas (see Acts 14:12). The reaction of the people brought out the chief priest of the god Jupiter. He came to where Paul and Barnabas were, bringing sacrificial bulls decorated with garland and flowers willing to sacrifice with the people of the

8 city instead of in their temple (see Acts 14:13). When Paul and Barnabas realized that they were being worshiped as gods, they were disgusted and considered it blasphemous to accept worship from the people. As a result, they tore their clothes and ran into the crowd shouting their displeasure asking them: why do ye these things. The reason they were preaching to these people was to turn them from idolatry so that they could worship the true and living God who made heaven and earth (see Acts 14:14-15). Paul continued to declare to these idol worshipers that even before the gospel, God had allowed nations to walk in their own ways. But God has always had a witness for Himself, providing for humanity through nature or humanity (see Acts 14:16-17). Nevertheless, even after hearing Paul s words in favor of Israel s God and against accepting them as gods, the people still wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. However, these missionaries were barely able to prevent them from offering sacrifices in their names (see Acts 14:18). This is where the second part of our lesson begins. A. Paul is attacked (Acts 14:19-20). 1. (vs. 19). This verse says And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. There were probably some people in the crowd who wanted to hear the message from Paul and Barnabas, but we are told that there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people. In other words, these Jewish troublemakers didn t want these missionaries to

9 be successful so they followed Paul and Barnabas from Antioch and Iconium to Lystra. When these Jews arrived in Lystra, they turned the people against Paul and Barnabas and into a murderous mob. The rage of the Jews was so great against the gospel of Jesus Christ that they could not stand for it to be preached anywhere. As a result, the people stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. After stoning Paul, the people took him out of the city thinking that he was dead. Note: It s amazing how fickle and changeable the minds of carnal worldly people are. One day the people of Lystra were treating these missionaries as gods and not mere men, and the next day they were being treated worse than criminals. One day the people wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, and the next day they became the sacrifice. It was the same way with Jesus. One day the Jews were crying out Hosanna (see Matthew 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9; John 12:13), and the next they were shouting crucify Him (see Mark 15:13-14, 20; Luke 23:20-21; John 19:6, 15). The attitudes of the unsaved, and unfortunately some saved people, turn like the wind. If Paul had really been the god Mercury, he might have been enthroned, or enshrined, but being a faithful minister of Christ, he was stoned, and thrown out of the city. 2. (vs. 20). This verse says Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. The word Howbeit simply means nevertheless or but anyway. It refers back to the stoning

10 of Paul. Even though he was left for dead, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city. After Paul s body was placed outside the city, the disciples meaning those who had become believers in Lystra, formed a circle around him to see if he was dead or alive. All of a sudden he rose up. Although Paul was not dead, he was probably crushed, bruised, and no doubt unconscious. But God miraculously delivered him (see II Timothy 3:11) so that he came to himself quickly, and was so completely healed that he was able to walk back into the city. By doing this, the apostle showed that he didn t fear them. As he would later say, none of these things move me (see Acts 20:23-25). Note: We can rest assured that even if God s faithful servants are brought within a step of death, and may be looked upon as dead by both friends and enemies, they won t die as long as God has work for them to do. Paul probably thought about this incident when he said We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (see II Corinthians 4:8-10). Following this horrific episode, Luke tells us that the next day he (Paul) departed with Barnabas to Derbe. The missionary team left Lystra the next day and headed to the nearby city of Derbe. All the stones they threw at Paul could not keep him from his work. Being persecuted in Lystra was an indication for them to seek opportunities of usefulness elsewhere. Therefore, for the time being (see Acts 14:21; 16:1) they departed from Lystra.

11 B. The believers are strengthened (Acts 14:21-22). 1. (vs. 21). This verse says And when they had preached the gospel to that city (Derbe), and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch. We are not told how long Paul and Barnabas were in Derbe, or if they met any opposition. But Luke does write that they preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many. In other words, their time in Derbe was spent making disciples by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and also teaching many people. Once they finished their ministry in Derbe, the missionaries returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch. It s interesting that Paul and Barnabas went back through the same cities where they had faced severe opposition including stoning (see Acts 13:14, 44-52; 14:1-6, 19; II Timothy 3:10-11). Of course the Antioch mentioned here was Antioch in Pisidia not Antioch in Syria which was the home base for these missionaries (see Acts 13:1-3, 14). 2. (vs. 22). This verse says Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. This verse is a continuation of the previous verse which tells us that Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch. While in those cities, the missionaries were Confirming the souls of the disciples. In other words, the missionary

12 team was making sure that the disciples they had made on their first visit to these cities were still standing strong in their faith in Jesus Christ. The confirmation of their souls included exhorting them to continue in the faith. The word exhorting means encouraging. The exhortation or encouragement that the missionaries gave to these new believers was that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. In other words, these new disciples were being reminded that opposition to their faith was to be expected. Hardships were sure to come. The word translated tribulation means pressure. Therefore, these believers, like us, needed to realize that those who opposed them were going to push against them and apply pressure on them to stop spreading and believing the message they had received from Paul and Barnabas. The phrase enter into the kingdom of God most likely refers to the millennial kingdom Jesus will rule on earth. When declaring that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, Paul was saying that since the millennial kingdom is yet to be established, throughout our lifetime we can expect persecutions and tribulation as we are confronted by those who strongly oppose what we believe (see John 16:33; I Thessalonians 3:4; II Timothy 3:12). Note: It s true that young converts are apt to waver; especially when their old acquaintances beg them not leave them. Those who have been converted need to be confirmed, and those who have been planted need to be rooted or grounded. Therefore, we all need confirmation of our faith as well as encouragement from other believers. Those who were instructed in the truth must know the certainty of the things in which

13 they have been instructed; and those who are resolved in what they believe must be fixed in their resolutions. True confirmation is confirmation of the soul. It is the grace of God, and nothing else that can effectually confirm the souls of believers, and prevent them from apostasy or falling away from the faith. C. Churches organized (Acts 14:23). Our final verse says And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. Paul and Barnabas not only spent their time in these cities encouraging and challenging the new converts, but they also ordained them elders in every church. In other words, they helped organize the new churches. As a unified body of believers, it was important that leaders be appointed to lead them. The word ordained means appointed or chose, and the word elders refers to the leaders in the early church. They were teachers in the local congregations. In addition to ministering to the sick (see James 5:14), the elders were to rule (see I Timothy 3:4-5; 5:17); to teach (see I Timothy 5:17); to guard the body of revealed truth, God s written Word, from perversion and error (see Titus 1:9); and to oversee the church as a shepherd does his flock (see John 21:16; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 5:2). The eldership in the apostolic churches (which all the churches were in the first century) was usually plural, meaning there was more than one elder in each church. There is no instance in Scripture of only one elder in a local church.

14 After appointing or selecting the elders, Paul and Barnabas prayed with fasting and commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. In other words, through prayer, the missionaries Paul and Barnabas, put these newly appointed elders under the protection and guidance of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the One in whom they had already placed their faith. V. Conclusion. The ministry of Paul and Barnabas illustrate the need for faith to persevere in our walk with the Lord. They had met serious opposition and hatred, with their lives being threatened. They could have stopped the journey or taken a safer route home. Instead they pressed ahead ready to serve and please God. Remember, there will come a day when we will no longer face opposition or hardships. However, until then we must continue to persevere in our faith. ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***