Misguided Worship Acts 14:8-20 Lesson for December 9-10, 2017 Biff Johnson Acts 14 contains a repetition of what became each ministry s pattern. We have already seen this pattern worked out at Antioch. Now we see it in each of these three cities of Galatia. First the apostles preached, then as a result there was division, persecution, and growth. 1. Preaching - Today people are so interested in things that are spectacular that some insist that if Christians are to be effective in their evangelistic work, the one thing they must do in a targeted community is miracles. Then, after they have gotten the attention of people by doing miracles and have an open door, they can preach the gospel. From time to time in these early days, God did work miracles through the apostles. But the apostles did not go into these cities to do miracles, and then preach. Rather it was the other way around: They went to preach; then sometimes there were healings. The miracles proved that the apostles were God s true messengers. It was how God authenticated them when there was no New Testament. Verse 3 says, The Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. Paul in another place speaks of signs, wonders and miracles as the things that mark an apostle (2 Cor. 12:12). 2. Division - When the Word is preached it always produces a division. Division happened from Jesus and Paul s ministries, and it happens when the gospel is preached today. When the Word of God comes into a dark area, whether a dark human heart or a darkened environment, it does what light always does. It causes things to grow; in the case of the gospel it produces a warming of the heart and a bringing forth of the fruit of the spiritual life God has already put there. And it causes the creatures of the dark to scatter; Jesus said that some people would not come to the light because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). 3. Persecution - On the side of the rejection of the message, there is a quickly developing opposition that becomes so intense that it results at last in the persecution of the messengers. We find this case again and again. Gentiles from this or that area (or Jews from this or that city) got so stirred up that they moved against Paul and his associates. He had to flee from city to city, but they even pursued him to new cities to create opposition there. 4. Growth - In spite of the division and consequent persecution, the apostles always left a growing church behind. We know it was growing in this area because after Paul and Barnabas had visited and been thrown out of the cities of Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe the first time, when they went back to visit those they had left, in each case they found the church prospering. How can that be? The apostles had left behind only a tiny core of believers, and these had hardly been taught anything, since the apostles had been there at best for only a few weeks. How could this little group survive? It survived because the work was actually being done by God. The church was his church. Therefore, years later, in spite of persecution (and perhaps even neglect, since there were not many workers in those days), we still find these churches thriving. 1 1 Boice, J. M. (1997). Acts: an expositional commentary (pp. 251 252). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
EXPOSITION Having been driven out of Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:50), Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, about eighty miles to the southeast. Iconium was a cultural melting pot native Phrygians whose ancestors had occupied the area from ancient times, Greeks and Jews who dated back to the Seleucid period (312 65 B.C.), and Roman colonists who had arrived more recently. When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Iconium they, as was their custom in evangelizing a new city, immediately entered the synagogue of the Jews. If they went to Gentiles first, they would not be able to go to the synagogue. There they spoke in such a manner that a great multitude believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. The missionaries preaching was no doubt premised on the Old Testament and aimed at proving that Jesus was the Christ. It bore much fruit because it was done in the power of the Holy Spirit. As at Pisidian Antioch, however, jealousy rapidly appeared in all its ugliness. Those Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the unbelieving Gentiles, and embittered them against the brethren. Disbelieved is from apeitheō and could be translated disobeyed. The New Testament equates unbelief in the gospel with disobedience (John 3:36; Rom. 2:8; 15:31; Eph. 2:2; 5:6; 2 Thess. 1:8; Titus 3:3; 1 Pet. 4:17), since God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30 31). Those who refuse to do so are disobedient to God s command. Embittered translates kakoō, which can mean to poison. While Paul and Barnabas spent a long time at Iconium speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, their enemies slowly poisoned public opinion against them. As it had at Pisidian Antioch, the missionaries preaching gradually polarized the population of Iconium. That is the expected result when the gospel is properly presented. Luke s use of the term therefore to begin verse 3 appears puzzling at first glance. The word implies a logical connection with what precedes it, yet the connection with verse 2 is not immediately apparent. Because of that, some have argued that verse 2 was not part of the original text of Acts, or that it belongs in another location. In their view, it interrupts the logical flow of the text from verses 1 to 3. Such a view is shortsighted, however, as John Polhill explains: Verse 3 is in deliberate tension with the preceding and emphasizes the power of the Christian witness and the divine enabling behind it. Even though there was strong resistance to the Christians (v. 2), still they were able to maintain their witness. The two apostles were not about to back down. They had the power of the Holy Spirit to speak boldly for the Lord (cf. 4:29 31). Far from being intimidated, they were inspired to even bolder witness. (The New American Commentary: Acts [Nashville: Broadman, 1992], 311) The mounting opposition did not intimidate Paul and Barnabas but energized them to speak out boldly. Nor did it deter them from spending a long time ministering at Iconium. Boldness is that essential quality without which nothing significant can be accomplished for the gospel. Boldness is what enables believers to persist in the face of opposition. Boldness certainly defined the apostle Paul. To the Thessalonians he wrote, After we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition (1 Thess. 2:2; cf. Acts 9:27 28; 13:46; 19:8). That he would continue to speak boldly was his constant concern (Eph. 6:19 20; Phil. 1:19 20). 2
Boldness also marked the other early preachers. Sternly warned by the Sanhedrin to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19 20). Peter and John then reported the Sanhedrin s threats to the rest of the church. The church s response was to pray for even greater boldness: Now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence (Acts 4:29). Such boldness has been basic to effective Christian service throughout the centuries. As the missionaries continued to courageously and faithfully proclaim the gospel, the Lord was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. These amazing acts of divine power through them affirmed that they spoke for God. The designation the word of His grace is appropriate, since the message of the gospel is about God s grace granted to unworthy sinners so that they might be reconciled to Him. That grace is the heart of the gospel. Miraculous signs and wonders were the confirmation that the message of grace for sinners that Paul and Barnabas spoke was truly from God. As marvelous as the message was, and as powerful the confirmation, there was opposition again from the unbelieving Jews. As a result, the multitude of the city was divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. Like Pisidian Antioch, Iconium had become a polarized, smoldering cauldron. It was not long before the city erupted in response to the confrontational preaching of the two men. The smoldering opposition to Paul and Barnabas eventually burst into flame. At the instigation of their Jewish opponents, an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to mistreat and to stone them. Attempt translates hormē, which literally means a rush or an assault. The verb form of hormē appears in Acts 19:29, where it describes the assault on Paul s companions by the mob at Ephesus. No doubt a similar scene of mob violence took place at Iconium, as the unruly crowd sought to mistreat and to stone the two missionaries. The attempt to stone Paul and Barnabas proves that their Jewish opponents were the instigators. Stoning was a Jewish form of execution, usually for blasphemy. Paul and Barnabas were bold, but not foolish. When they became aware of what was happening, in sensible self-preservation they fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region. Their flight was an act of prudence, not cowardice (cf. Matt. 10:23). There was obviously nothing more they could accomplish by remaining at Iconium, so it was time to move on to new territory where the gospel was needed. As it had done earlier in Acts (8:1 4), persecution merely pushed the good news of forgiveness and salvation into new regions. The cities of the region of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, to which Paul and Barnabas fled, were quiet, provincial towns, well off the beaten path. Both were located in the Roman province of Galatia. Lystra was about eighteen miles from Iconium and was the home of Lois, Eunice, and Timothy (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5), who may have been saved during this visit by the apostle. Derbe was forty miles southeast of Lystra. Since no synagogue is mentioned in Lystra, it probably had a very small Jewish population. That did not deter the missionaries, however, and they immediately proclaimed the gospel. From this effort in Lystra, Luke records three remarkable events: the healing of the man who had never walked, the bizarre incident of pagans worshiping the preachers, and the stoning of Paul 2 2 MacArthur, John F. Acts 13-28 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Macarthur New Testament Commentary Serie) (Kindle Locations 917-989). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. 3
For half a century Lystra had been a Roman colony; its own citizens were accorded privileges as citizens of Rome. It emphasized its local culture and its Roman character alongside Pisidian Antioch and against the Greek cities of the region. Although some philosophers lectured in halls or served wealthy patrons, most preached their philosophical wares on street corners or in marketplaces; powerful speakers like Dio Chrysostom criticized philosophers like Epictetus who reserved their lectures for the classroom. Like an ancient philosopher, Paul here preaches on the street rather than in a synagogue (perhaps Lystra has none; see 14:19). Paul s approach should not surprise us; his own letters indicate that he shares some of this philosophical ideal (1 Corinthians 4:11 13), and he often uses the Cynic-Stoic preaching style in them. What is surprising is not that Paul would occasionally preach this way but that he draws such a vigorous response; perhaps the controversy his opponents create helps him. Secluded philosophers tended toward academic discourse, while those on the streets were ready to denounce the folly of their hearers to secure their attention 3 Paul, of course, ministered as the Spirit s power flowed freely through him. While preaching at Lystra, probably in the marketplace, he noticed sitting there a certain man, without strength in his feet, lame from his mother s womb, who had never walked. Luke s threefold description emphasizes the hopelessness of the man s condition. He was congenitally crippled, and everyone in town knew it. This man was in the habit of listening to Paul as he spoke, as the imperfect tense of the verb translated listening indicates. Out of the dozens of people in the crowd, Paul fixed his gaze upon him. Having seen that he had faith to be made well, Paul said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. The apostle saw an opportunity to confirm his message with a miraculous sign. This man who had never taken a step in his life promptly leaped up and began to walk. The unhindered flow of the Holy Spirit s power through Paul resulted in a dramatic miracle. After God performed through Paul the spectacular miracle of healing the crippled man, a bizarre reaction ensued. When the multitudes saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, The gods have become like men and have come down to us. This strange and surprising turn of events had its roots in local folklore. There was a tradition in Lystra (recorded by the Roman poet Ovid, who died in A. D. 17) that the gods Zeus and Hermes once came to earth incognito. When they arrived at Lystra and asked for food and lodging, everyone refused them. Finally, an old peasant named Philemon and his wife, Baucis, took them in. Their inhospitable neighbors were drowned in a flood sent by the vengeful gods. Philemon and Baucis, however, saw their humble cottage turned into a magnificent temple, where they served as priest and priestess. After their deaths, they were turned into two stately trees. Determined not to repeat their ancestors mistake, the people of Lystra began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The identifications are intriguing. That they identified Barnabas with Zeus suggests he presented a more distinguished and imposing appearance than Paul. Paul s identification with Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is perfectly logical, since he was the chief speaker. Because the crowds spoke in the Lycaonian language, neither Paul nor Barnabas could comprehend what was going on. Not to be outdone, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. If Zeus had 3Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Ac 14:8). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 4
indeed come down to earth in the form of this preacher, he had to lead the people in offering him worship. Luke then describes the reaction of Paul and Barnabas when they finally became aware of what was transpiring: when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their robes (a Jewish expression of horror and revulsion at blasphemy; cf. Matt. 26:65) and rushed out into the crowd. Determined to put a stop to the unwanted exaltation, the missionaries began crying out and saying, Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things. They were not gods, Paul and Barnabas insisted, but men of the same nature as the Lyconians. Far from seeking their worship, the missionaries had come to Lystra to preach the gospel to them in order that they should turn from these vain things. That last phrase aptly describes not only the idolatry of Lystra, but also all false religion. All religion apart from the worship of the one true God is futile, hopeless, and in vain. The crowd at Lystra was a pagan crowd, unversed in the Old Testament Scriptures. Accordingly, Paul s message was very different from the ones he preached in the Jewish synagogues at Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. Instead of proclaiming the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from the Scriptures, he proclaimed the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. Since they did not know the Old Testament, he appealed to the universal, rational knowledge of the Creator, the first cause in a cause-and-effect world. As he was later to write to the Romans: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:18 20; cf. Ps. 19:1 6) Paul later evangelized the pagans on Mars Hill in Athens from the same starting point the need to explain the ultimate cause for the world and everything in it. Although He had revealed Himself in general revelation through reason and conscience, God in the generations gone by permitted all the nations to go their own ways. There was a tolerance on God s part toward sinners who did not have the full revelation of His holy will. It is important to realize at this point that nothing has ravaged gospel preaching to the untaught world more than the theory of evolution. Because it poses an explanation of the existence of everything without a Creator or moral lawgiver, people who accept it fail to see any need for God or a first cause. Thus they cut themselves off from all that creation, reason, conscience, and providence are designed to do namely lead them to God. Special revelation came only in the Old Testament Scriptures, entrusted to Israel. The pagan nations, in their ignorance, were left to go their own ways, having only general revelation. Although the Gentile nations had no written, special revelation, God did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did well and gave them rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying their hearts with food and gladness. God s providence, as theologians call this unlimited goodness, as well as a rational response to His creative power, testify to all men of His existence. So also do their own consciences, which contain moral law (Rom. 2:13 15). Because of such provisions, those who reject Him are without excuse (Rom. 1:20). So intent was the pagan crowd on honoring the two gods that even saying these things, it was only with difficulty that Paul and Barnabas restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. At length they managed to make themselves understood, and the ceremony came to a halt. 5
This incident reveals the humility of Paul and Barnabas. To be acclaimed a god was the highest honor imaginable in the Greco-Roman world, and was much sought after (cf. Acts 12:22). Yet they disavowed any such notions about themselves and instead pointed the pagan crowd to the Creator God. They successfully handled the temptation to succumb to pride. Had Paul and Barnabas yielded to that temptation, it would have destroyed their usefulness. Those who seek glory for themselves are on the path to spiritual weakness and impotence. Whether the Jews who came to Lystra from Antioch and Iconium were hunting for Paul and Barnabas, or were simply traveling on business, is unknown. In any case, they were outraged at finding the two missionaries again proclaiming the gospel. They took immediate action and, having won over the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Luke does not record what arguments these Jews used to turn the pagan crowd against Paul and Barnabas, but they were obviously effective. Some of the same people who had wanted to worship Paul as a god now turned savagely on him. Their fickleness is reminiscent of the people of Jerusalem who hailed Jesus as the Messiah at the triumphal entry, then a few days later called for His execution. In an act of mob violence the crowd stoned Paul an act to which he refers in 2 Corinthians 11:25 (cf. Gal. 6:17). Luke does not record why Barnabas was not also attacked. Perhaps he managed to escape, or the crowd focused its fury on Paul because he was the chief spokesman (v. 12). Supposing is from nomizō, which usually means to suppose something that is not true. Nomizō appears in Acts 7:25, where Moses wrongly supposed the Israelites would understand that God had sent him to deliver them. In Acts 8:20, it describes Simon s false assumption that he could buy the Holy Spirit s power. Nomizō is used in Acts 16:27 to describe the Philippian jailer s nearly fatal supposition that the prisoners had escaped (cf. Acts 17:29; 21:29; Matt. 5:17; 10:34; 20:10; Luke 2:44; 1 Tim. 6:5). The predominant New Testament usage of nomizō argues that Paul was not dead, and the crowd s supposition was incorrect. His would-be executioners, however, believed Paul to be dead. They hauled his body out of the city and contemptuously dumped it, not even deigning to give him a decent burial. The missionaries ministry at Lystra had not been without fruit, and some of the disciples they had made now stood around the battered, unconscious body of their fallen leader. They came either to take his body away for burial or to protect him from further harm. Possibly among them were Timothy, a native of Lystra (Acts 16:1), his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5). To the believers joy and amazement, Paul regained consciousness, arose and courageously entered the city. Most would have taken some time off to recuperate, but not Paul. The very next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe, a forty mile walk. The trip, for one in Paul s condition, must have been excruciatingly painful. Paul never willingly lost a day, however. Since the door for ministry was temporarily closed at Lystra, he simply moved on to minister somewhere else. Nothing daunted him, not even being stoned nearly to death (cf. Phil. 4:11). He was persistent, committed to making the most of [his] time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16) 4. 4MacArthur, John F. Acts 13-28 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Macarthur New Testament Commentary Serie) (Kindle Locations 1000-1019). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition 6
APPLICATIONS (1) We must adjust our presentation of the Gospel to fit our audience. We don t change the message just the approach. Paul went to the synagogue in Iconium and reasoned from the scriptures. In Lystra he went to the marketplace and related the message of the living God, who made the heaven and the earth. Sometimes his audience was familiar with the scripture other times they were pagan and he had to use a different approach. But, he continued to preach the gospel. (2) Expect a mixture of responses to the message. Paul was driven out of Iconium and they attempted to stone him. In Lystra they thought Paul and Barnabas were gods who came down to them. Ultimately people turned on Paul and Barnabas and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of town. In both places there was division over the message of the gospel Paul delivered. The end result was persecution. Yet, when they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch they were able to strengthen the souls of the disciples in those cities. (3) Be careful of flattery and the applause of man our goal is not to be popular with man. The crowds in Lystra proclaimed Paul and Barnabas to be gods after the crippled man was healed. When Paul and Barnabas realized what the people were doing they tore their clothes at the thought of them being like God. Paul and Barnabas wanted the people to turn from vain things to a living God. Their goal and focus in proclaiming the gospel was to point people to Jesus. 7