ETB Acts 14:11-23

Session 3 p.28 The Truth

Ask: What differing opinions about Jesus are commonly heard today? How have your convictions about Jesus caused conflict with people who hold different beliefs? (p. 29)

C.S. Lewis summarized most modern beliefs about Jesus with the concept of He is “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord.”

Transition: The gospel has always been divisive in some ways. While it offers peace and salvation, it also challenges our sinfulness. Today’s study considers how we should prepare to demonstrate that Jesus is the living God—and how we can deal with the various responses we will face.

Understand the Context

Last week we finished with Barnabas and Paul as they were being driven out of the district of Antioch of Pisidia. From there the apostles went on to Iconium where they repeated their pattern of starting in the synagogue telling of Christ and then moving to the gentiles. They were again received by some, and others resisted. The unbelievers, being more numerous and vocal stirred up the rulers and a others to force them out of town again. Today’s passage starts in the next city they visited, Lystra. The visit recorded by Luke does not start with their typical pattern but rather with an encounter that stirred up the crowds in a different way.

Acts 14:8–10 ESV

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.

In other places in Acts, a healing like this inspired praise of God and incited jealousy. In Lystra instigated worship, but not of the Lord.

Explore the Text

Acts 14:11–13 ESV

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.

The reaction we read is in part because of a local legend.

Luke & Acts Commentary

a previous visitation by Zeus and Hermes to the Phrygian region. They came in human form and inquired at one thousand homes, but none showed them hospitality. Only a poor elderly couple, Baucis and Philemon, took them in. The pair was rewarded by being spared when the gods flooded the valley and destroyed its inhabitants. The couple’s shack was transformed into a marble-pillared, gold-roofed temple, and they became its priests. The crowd’s reaction to Paul and Barnabas, then, is understandable. They wanted to avoid punishment and garner any blessings that the gods may desire to dispense.

Because of the ties to the area for these beliefs, it may have been the reason the people spoke in the way that they did.

saying in Lycaonian

They were not speaking “Lystrian” but “Lycaonican” which is related to the larger region inside modern day Turkey. This regional language would also be spoken in Iconium and Antioch. This would be significant as those “speaking their language” may be more persuasive than these Greek only speakers.

The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!

The concept of incarnation was not new to Christianity as these ancients demonstrate. They believed it had happened before, and now was before them again. This is helpful for Paul and Barnabas as that Jesus was God in human form would not be a strange concept. These ancients were better prepared to receive the Gospel of salvation than many moderns we speak to today who deny the existence of deities altogether.

Opening Up Acts The Gospel Reaches Lystra (14:8–18)

The clear fact of the healing miracle was misinterpreted by the pagans. God intended it to authenticate the Word preached by Paul and Barnabas, but the Lystrans’ worldview was unable to help them correctly interpret the visible evidence. No amount of evidence alone will persuade a person to trust in Christ; God must work in the heart and remove the blinders, so that he or she can see the truth for what it is (see 2 Cor. 4:3–4).

offer sacrifice with the crowds

It is difficult from the phrasing to tell if this offering was initiated by the priest or the crowd. From the legend, the priest would want to include as many townspeople in this encounter to prevent them from being punished as before. This also let the missionaries know that the people were used to have a “spiritual leader” for interactions with their gods.

Luke made a rare point of identifying the language or dialect used in his accounts of Paul’s travels. The significance of the dialect reflected the distance of Lystra from other major cities. Since the crowd spoke in their own dialect, Paul and Barnabas may not have understood their words initially or grasped exactly how the people planned to show them honor. [LifeWay Adults (2024). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Spring 2024]

Acts 14:14–18 ESV

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.

tore their garments

This expression of anguish and disagreement is found throughout Scripture and may have been a Jewish custom, but not exclusively as it is found in other ancient writings. The action though would have been recognized by the Lystrians, even despite the apparent verbal barrier.

why are you doing these things?

There first question was probably, “What are they doing?” and would have been directed to their “interpreter.”

The next question and following speech may have all been in Greek or Latin but may have also been translated into Lycaonian. One of the details that Luke seems to omit.

This question seems to suggest that Paul and Barnabas did not know the local legend yet. Even if they did, it shows their disdain for such practices and alerts the town’s people that their views about worship are significantly different than these new visitors.

turn from these vain things to a living God

Stating it this way, Paul identifies their “gods” as dead idols. Zeus and Hermes are not real and cannot interact with them despite past legends and lore. He also calls their gods “vain” or “useless” not only because they are dead, but also because they do not “bear fruit” or have any benefit for those crying out to them. A “living God” however now offers them a better way to worship and live, having already demonstrated His power to them through Paul.

Ask: What danger did Paul and Barnabas put themselves in by describing the people’s gods as worthless things? Why did they think it was [Why is it] worth it to confront the people with the truth? (p. 31)

The missionaries were not asking them to turn to another false God, but to one that had already been at work in their lives.

God, who made the heaven and the earth

This is a different concept from what the Greeks believed. “Created” implies an intention act and personal involvement.

The Ancient Greeks believed that in the beginning, the world was in a state of nothingness which they called Chaos. Suddenly, from light, came Gaia (Mother Earth) and from her came Uranus (the sky) along with other old gods (called primordials) like Pontus (the primordial god of the oceans). ["Greek mythology." Wikipedia. 29 Aug 2024, 10:41 UTC. 13 Sep 2024, 21:19 <https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greek_mythology&oldid=9736382>.]

Having a God that “makes” the heaven, earth, and sea would dispense with these three primary concepts of Greek mythology and all the other “gods and myths” that come from this beginning. Paul continues to explain the personal and interactive nature of God/Yahweh to the people.

In past generations he allowed all the nations

This phrasing implies to the hearers that something has recently changed in God’s interactions with all mankind. It also infers that this change is for all humankind regardless of nationality or culture. This may have been a strange idea to the people because much of the culture was infused with the local mythology and linked the gods with the nations and land. “Foreign gods” and armies were defeated by “your gods.” The concept that The One God was over all nations would have been radical.

he did good by giving you

Ancient polytheistic practices, and some modern ones, often revolve around appeasing an offended god. Gods were seen as vengeful and malicious if you did “do right by them.” Paul lets them know that all through their past God has been loving and “giving” to them. Although God is vengeful, He acts in common grace to all humankind through provision and protection until such a time as they are able to personally accept Him as Lord. Paul’s words are an expression of this concept which is necessary before moving on to a special or saving grace concept.

they scarcely restrained

The strange concepts and practices suggested by the apostles were so different from what these ancients understood about God and grace that it took a while for the implications to sink in. Although the people stopped, it may have been more out of confusion than acceptance of what the men were saying.

Acts 14:19–20 ESV

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.

Jews came from Antioch and Iconium

These men came from about 100 miles away. That is not a small journey for this time period. This also lets us know that the time that Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra was significant. Long enough for the missionaries to preach, have converts, begin to interrupt either the government or the small Jewish community, and the news to travel back to these other cities. Then time for those synagogues to come to a consensus of action, send this assembly, and for them to make the journey. We also see there would have been some time for these men to begin “persuading” enough locals, probably using their language, that Paul was a “threat” and needed to be eliminated.

Ask: Why would the Jews from Antioch and Iconium travel more than 100 miles to harass Paul and Barnabas?

In Antioch, they were chased off. In Iconium they were going to be stoned but left before it could happen. The same Jews now see the opportunity to finally “eliminate” the problem - at least from their perspective. It was nearly successful as they corner Paul.

they stoned Paul

This is the most ancient form of execution initiated by a group. Although Moses canonized it in the Pentateuch, it had been used as a form of punishment and execution by most cultures before, and after, the invention of weapons.

Life Application Bible Notes Map: The End of the First Journey

Only days after the people in Lystra had thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods and wanted to offer sacrifices to them, they stoned Paul and left him for dead. That’s human nature. Jesus understood how fickle crowds can be (John 2:24, 25). When many people approve of us, we feel good, but that should never cloud our thinking or affect our decisions. We should not live to please the crowd—especially in our spiritual lives. Be like Jesus. Know the nature of the crowd and don’t put your trust in it. Put your trust in God alone.

supposing that he was dead

I am not sure if Luke, inspired by God, intended this phrasing to suggest that Paul was not actually dead or if was acknowledging the expectations of the people that he was. Luke may have also been acknowledging the Jewish practice of a person is not “truly dead” until the third day. With Paul getting up an going back into town in less than 24 hours he may not have been considered “dead” by those recounting the story for the writer to record. I think it is miraculous for Paul to have been able to travel “the next day” regardless of whether he was “technically dead” or not.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 14

We all have experienced times when we have felt wiped out, finished, dead. And then some precious people gathered around us and we felt our hearts resurrected, our spirits revived. There are those whom the Lord will lead you to stand by, hang out with, and be there for—be it in person, over the phone, or through a letter. Be sensitive to His leading—and watch for revival.

rose up

This is the same words that Luke used earlier to describe the man that Paul healed from his lameness. Undoubtedly the first readers would make a supernatural connection between both “risings.” Like we said, stoning had been a long-practiced form of punishment, to think that the number of people involved would not think he was dead is extremely unlikely.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 14

Paul recovered and reentered Lystra, presumably without being spotted. He left the next day but returned to Lystra soon afterward (v. 21). This was likely made possible by the Jews from Antioch and Iconium returning home.

Ask: Why is it significant that Paul went back into the city after being stoned and left for dead?

It shows God’s power both in Paul’s body and in His calling upon Paul’s life cannot be thwarted by any action of man. God’s will and proclaiming of His Son’s work will continue even if He has to raise Paul back from the dead multiple times.

His returning to the town also showed those who may not have believed yet the power of the living God that Paul and Barnabas were proclaiming.

Paul and Barnabas certainly did not enjoy the opposition and persecution they faced in Lystra. No one wants to be attacked by a murderous mob, dragged out of a city, and left for dead. But not every experience in Lystra was negative for Paul. In Acts 16, Luke mentioned that Paul later met a young man from Lystra named Timothy (Acts 16:1). In time, Timothy would become one of Paul’s most trusted ministry partners.

Also, in his second letter to Timothy, Paul highlighted Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5). It is reasonable to assume that these ladies were natives of Lystra and had come to faith in Christ under Paul’s ministry. Then, they raised Timothy in the faith. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

God continued to use the missionaries in the next town before beginning their return trip to those believers who had sent them out from Syria.

Acts 14:21–23 ESV

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.

made many disciples,

Whether they met with resistance or were attempted to be worshipped or not in this town, Luke leaves those details out and focuses on the reason they went, and God’s work being completed. Now that they had preached the gospel unto salvation, God directs them to back through the same towns and speak the gospel of sanctification.

These are the verses I have been trying to memorize lately that remind me the gospel and God’s grace is first for salvation then sanctification until glorification.

Titus 2:11–12 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”

through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God

This is in no way as statement of a works-based salvation, it is a declaration of truth about the situations and experiences that will occur when we commit our lives to Christ in direct opposition to the “prince of the power of the air.”

Opening Up Acts Persecution Chases Paul and Barnabas (14:19–23)

Tribulation does much to remind Christians to place their hope not in the world, but rather in Christ, who has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Ask: What helps you remain steadfast in your trust in God when difficulties arise? How have you encouraged others to follow Christ with confidence? (p. 31)

Life Application Bible Notes Map: The End of the First Journey

Paul and Barnabas returned to visit the believers in all the cities where they had recently been threatened and physically attacked. These men knew the dangers they faced, yet they believed that they had a responsibility to encourage the new believers. No matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable the task may seem, we must always support new believers who need our help and encouragement. It was not convenient or comfortable for Jesus to go to the cross for us!

appointed elders for them in every church

As a lasting and visible act of encouragement select men were chosen to be “leaders” of the new congregations. In a sense these men replaced the “priests” to the vain gods of the believers past practices. I remember being ordained as a deacon and the mentors and men that came and prayed over men that night. But to have 2 apostles commission you into the service the Lord, that would have been encouragement and faith building at an entirely different level. Exactly what was needed at the beginning of the Church as it grew in the first century.

Prayer and fasting

The Holy Spirit had called Paul and Barnabas after a time of praying and fasting in Syrian Antioch (Acts 13:2-3). So, the missionaries followed the same pattern with the new congregations. They prayed with fasting to seek God’s wisdom for the churches’ leadership. It is not clear what form this fasting took, but Paul and Barnabas were teaching the young believers that sometimes it is wise to set aside something of value temporarily in order to remove distractions and hear God’s voice. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Apply the Text

The experiences of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra remind us that human nature stays essentially consistent. Masses of restless individuals today seek genuine peace in multiple ways. Forms of idolatry vary from age to age, but the One True God never changes (Heb. 13:8; Jas. 1:17). Augustine’s words remain true still today—we will never experience inner peace apart from a personal relationship with the Lord. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Pray: Close in prayer, asking God for more opportunities to share the truth about who He is—and the boldness to follow up on those encounters.