Apologiaway: Acts Chapter 14

In Iconium

1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentilesbelieved. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news.

1. What was the problem in Iconium?

Iconium was the easternmost city of the district of Phrygia and lay in the Roman province of Galatia. Here the experience of Jewish opposition and Gentile faith was repeated. However, since it took a while for the opposition to become effective, the apostles were able to preach the word for a long period of time. The hostile Jews succeeded finally in inciting a riot and stirring up the rulers. And so Paul and Barnabas had to leave Iconium.

2. How do people react to the good news?

Some accept and believe quickly, but for a variety of reasons soon fall away.

Some accept and believe quickly and begin to grow and produce fruit.

Some take in the truth and it is planted but needs more thought and proof.

Some ignore the message and take no thought.

Some reject the message and speak against it.

Some reject and persecute the messengers and try to stifle the truth.

3. What was the purpose of “miraculous signs and wonders” and how do we guard ourselves from deception.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. John 2:23

As we have seen, Paul and Barnabas had the gifts of an apostle, the sign gifts. They came into these places without any New Testament with the message of the gospel. What were their credentials? How could they prove their message was from God? The sign gifts were their credentials — they needed them. Today we have the entire Bible, and what it has to say.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it werepossible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt 24:24

You have responsibility to find out what the message says and does it line up with the bible? That why it is so important to know what you believe and why.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: 2 Peter 2:3

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:8 (KJV)

In Lystra and Derbe

In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

4. What does it mean that Paul saw that the man had faith to believe?

Paul may have been led by the sight of this cripple to dwell on the Saviour’s miracles of healing, and His present power; and perceiving from the eagerness with which the patient drank in his words, that he was prepared to put his own case into the Redeemer’s hands, the Spirit of the glorified Physician came all upon Paul, and “with a loud voice” he bade him “stand upright upon his feet.” The effect was instantaneous — he sprang to his feet “and walked.”

This man had operational faith. He trusted that Paul had the power to heal his body.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

5. Why would the Lycaonians excitedly declare Paul and Barnabas as gods?

Remember that the people in the area were pagan, heathen people. When they saw what Paul had done, they began to shout that the gods had come down in the likeness of men. Their eyes were on Paul and Barnabas. They were really excited about them. In their excitement, the people fell into their native Lycaoniantongue, and Paul and Barnabas could not understand what was happening. Much of the Mediterranean world was bilingual, the people speaking the general language, Greek, and also their native dialect. 12. The two visitors were thought to be two gods. Zeus was the chief god of the Greek Pantheon, and Hermes was the herald of the gods. Since Paul was the spokesman of the two, the people called him Hermes; while Barnabas, the more silent partner who stood in the background, they called Zeus, the father of the gods. Legends existed that told of other occasions when these two gods visited people of this area.

13. Before the city probably refers to the temple located outside the city. The priest of Zeus prepared oxen adorned with woolen decorations to offer sacrifice to their unexpected visitors. The gates probably refer to the gates of the city near the temple.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

6. Why were Paul and Barnabas upset when the crowd was excited about the wondrous powers the apostles had.

Paul and Barnabas are not only startled and amazed that these people want to worship them, but they are completely shocked. They rush in among them, shouting, “We are human beings like you are!” You will remember that Peter had to say the same thing to Cornelius when Cornelius bowed down to him to worship him.

Certainly none of us is to bow down to worship any man. A Christian is not to be so obsequious that he gets down to lick the boots of anyone. Unfortunately, even in Christian work, we find some people who want others to bow to them. A Christians are not to worship any created being, not angels or dead saints or people, no matter what powers or deeds they accomplish. Like we said the Galatians were like the Americans, we put celebrities and sports figures on a pedestal, and then quickly they are forgotten.

16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. 19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

7. How were the Jews able to change the opinion of the crowds so quickly?

The Galatians had a reputation. …Caesar said of them: “The infirmity of the Gauls is that they are fickle in their resolves, fond of change, and not to be trusted.” This description fits the majority of Americans in our day. We are fickle in our resolves. We are fond of change — we want a new car every year. Remember the word “fickle”

8. How was Paul able to continue after being stoned?

They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city “supposing he had been dead.” Do you think he was dead? I’ll tell you what I think. I think he was dead. Later Paul writes of the experience he had: “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2Cor. 12:2-4). Who was that man? It was Paul himself. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2Cor. 12:7). I don’t think that crowd left him there half dead; I think they left him dead. I believe that God raised him from the dead.—J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 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. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

9. What was the need and the qualifications for an elder?

God is a God of order and structure.

The apostles established a formal leadership in the several churches by the selection of elders, after the pattern of the Palestine churches.

when they had ordained them elders — literally, “chosen by show of hands.” But as that would imply that this was done by the apostles’ own hands,

many render the word, as in our version, “ordained.” “when they had made a choice of elders,” that is, superintended such choice on the part of the disciples.—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:5-9 (NIV)

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ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes

MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
BN …..Barnes Notes
WBC…… Wycliffe Bible Commentary
CN …… Constables Notes
IC……….Ironside Commentary
NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
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