Faithfulness in Apparent Weakness

When you talk with your co-workers or neighbors or family members who don’t belong to a church and don’t seem to have any meaningful interest in knowing or following the Jesus of the Bible, do you think of them more like “good people on the wrong track” or more like “idolators in real danger of God’s wrath”?

In our passage today, we are going to read about what happened when Paul and Barnabas first preached the gospel to total pagans (i.e., those with a completely unbiblical worldview). We’re also going to learn about what happened when the unbelieving Jews from the previous towns finally caught up with Paul and Barnabas. And I think we’re going to be challenged a bit in our understanding of what it means to share the gospel and what it means to follow Christ in the world as it is.

Let’s stand and read together… Acts 14:8-20.

Scripture Reading

Acts 14:8–20 (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.

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.

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.

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.

Main Idea:

Though Christians and Christianity may often appear to be weak in this world, the gospel is the announcement that Jesus is King

Sermon

1. Signs of the Kingdom of Christ (v8-10)

Before two Thursdays ago, I had every intention of preaching through the first 20 verses of Acts 14 as one section. It seemed to me that the events unfolding in Lystra were simply the conclusion of what had been planned in Iconium. You might recall that many of the leading citizens of Iconium had schemed to “stone” Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:5), but they “learned of it and fled to Lystra” (Acts 14:6). And it is, in fact, in Lystra where unbelievers from “Antioch and Iconium… stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city” (v19). But there’s more going on in Lystra than the mere conclusion of unbelieving hostility… and there was more for us to consider last week in Iconium than the mere set up of Paul’s almost murder.[1]

Of course, our passage today does climax with the arrival and the violence of those unbelievers who traveled a good distance to catch up with Paul and Barnabas, but there’s a lot for us to understand and think about before we get there. Let’s begin by looking at these first three verses – v8-10 – and the healing of an unnamed “crippled” (ESV, KJV) or “lame” (NASB, NIV) man.

If your Bible has a cross-reference indicator, then you probably have a number or a letter beside the word “crippled” or “lame” in v8. And that’s because the exact same Greek word being translated there was used in a similar episode earlier in Acts. It was chapter 3, Peter was the Apostle in focus, and Luke had just finished writing about how the brand-new church in Jerusalem was growing in number and in favor (Acts 2:42-47). Sometime after Pentecost, “Peter and John were going up to the temple” to pray, and “a man lame [or “crippled” – same word as Acts 14:8] from birth was being carried” near them (Acts 3:1-2). In fact, as the episode in Acts 3 continues, it reveals striking parallels with our passage today.

- Both cripples were unnamed men (Acts 3:1-10; cf. Acts 14:8-10).

- Both were “crippled” or “lame” [ἐκ κοιλιας μητρος αὐτου] “from the womb of his mother” or “from birth” (Acts 3:2; cf. 14:8).

- Both Peter and Paul [ἀτενισας] “looked intently at” their respective crippled men (Acts 3:4; cf. 14:9).

- Both lame men immediately “leaped” or “sprang” up and “began to walk” when an Apostle commanded them to do so (Acts 3:8; cf. 14:10).

- Both healings drew a crowd and required an explanation (Acts 3:10-12; cf. Acts 14:11, 14-15).

But that’s exactly where the two passages diverge from one another. In Acts 3, Peter addressed a Jewish crowd, calling for repentance and faith in the long-awaited Messiah from those who were descendants of Abraham who knew the promises of God (Acts 3:11-26). But, in Acts 14, Paul is addressing an entirely Gentile crowd, who knows nothing of the God of Abraham.

You see, now, why Acts 14:8-20 isn’t just the conclusion of v1-7?! In our passage this morning, Luke has organized his record in such a way so as to highlight the expansion of the gospel among the Gentiles in the same way that he highlighted the expansion of the gospel among the Jews in Jerusalem (it’s like Luke wasn’t just interested in recording history, but that he’s consciously telling a bigger historical story than just the events of his own time).

Now, as I’ve been arguing all along in our study through Acts, the miracles we read about during the Apostolic period were not intended to make us ask, “Why don’t we see these things happening today?” No, these recorded miracles are intended to show that the kingdom of Christ is breaking into the kingdom of this world! And just like the arrival of the Messiah means healing and life for the believing Jews, so too does King Jesus extend His healing for believers of all nations or peoples(Rev. 22:2). And, once again, the healing Jesus brings is not merely temporary (though Jesus certainly can and does heal); the healing work of Christ will be fully completed when He gives all those who love and trust Him new resurrection bodies that will never grow old and never malfunction again.

Friends, this is the promise of the gospel… that Jesus is the “sun of righteousness” who has risen “with healing in [His] wings” (Malachi 4:2), and Jesus will bring about full healing and restoration in the final resurrection for those who believe or trust in Him. Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (Jn. 11:25). We may certainly pray for healing in this life, but our eager expectation is not a few more days orbetter days now, it’s eternal joy in a world made new.

That’s what v8-10 of Acts 14 are illustrating for us! The same Christ/King/Savior who was at work behind and through these apostolic messengers will one day complete the work He’s begun! These missionaries who brought the good news of healing and forgiveness in Jesus’s name are heralds of the eternal King who will make good on His promises!

But just like we are prone to do today, those Gentiles who heard about a healing became attracted to the miracle… though not so much to the message.

2. A False Positive Response (v11-13)

There seems to be a bit of a delay between the events of v11-13 and what Paul and Barnabas did in v14. It is quite possible that Paul and Barnabas did not know the Lycaonian language, and this would explain how the citizens of Lystra would have been able to go so far in their misunderstanding before Paul tried to correct them. At any rate, we’re told in v11 that “the crowds saw what Paul had done,” and this provoked a very positive response. They “lifted up their voices” in praise for Paul and Barnabas (v11). Verse 12 says they even assumed that Paul and Barnabas were manifestations of Greek gods!

Now, depending on your translation, Barnabas and Paul were either called “Zeus” and “Hermes” (ESV, NIV, NASB) or “Jupiter” and “Mercurius” (KJV). The reason for this variance is quite simple (it seems to me). The highest god of the pantheon was called “Zeus” for the Greeks and “Jupiter” for the Romans, and the messenger or son of the high god was called “Hermes” for the Greeks and “Mercurius” (or Mercury) for the Romans. It’s not clear to me if this variation in our translations is due to the fact that the people in Lystra were speaking “Lycaonian” or due to some confusion on the part of early English translators working with the Greek and Latin manuscripts. But either way, the meaning is exactly the same: The citizens of Lystra were total pagans, and they assumed that the high gods (by whatever names) of their pantheon had come to visit their town.

Verse 13 even tells us that “the priest” of the temple of “Zeus” or “Jupiter,” which was located “at the entrance” or “just outside” of their city, organized a worship service and sacrifices to honor Paul and Barnabas. Now, John Calvin thought this display of complete theological error was indicative not of humility but of “ambition” on the part of the folks in Lystra. He said that their desire to offer sacrifices was motivated by their aim to elevate the status of Lystra… to make their city “more famous and noble” because it had been visited by the gods. [2]

To add even more possible background, there was a “legend of a visit by the supreme god… and his son… [both] disguised as mortals seeking lodging. According to the legend, an elderly couple welcomed the gods, with the result that their house was transformed into a temple and they were made priests. The gods then destroyed the houses of those who did not receive them.”[3] If that story was part of the local lore of Lystra, then the announcement of another visit would have been compelling, indeed.

Whatever the background, the fact is that Paul and Barnabas got the total opposite response in Lystra than the sort of responses they’d been getting in the last two towns. They’d been kicked out of Antioch, and then they’d barely escaped a secret plan to kill them in Iconium… and now, they are literally being welcomed as gods in Lystra. Just imagine that missionary report coming back to a church today! “You wouldn’t believe it! We arrived in Lystra to preach the gospel, and the people love us! The crowds we’re seeing are too big to count. They brought us more food than we can eat, and we have raised tons of money. Oh, and we’re building a beautiful church building that matches the religious décor of the city. It’s only a matter of time before the whole town gathers for worship in our building… to the glory of God, of course.”

Ah, but why are the crowds gathering? Who exactly are they worshiping? And why aren’t the missionaries on the ground or the churches back home asking these questions? Well, Paul and Barnabas were asking these questions. And when they heard the answers, they were not happy. In fact, they were horrified, and they were urgent in their call for repentance.

3. A Call for Repentance (v14-18)

Verse 14 says, “when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments…” This is a Jewish sign of disgust and outrage at the notion of blasphemy (Num. 14:6; Matt. 26:65; Acts 22:23).[4] And then, Luke says, they “rushed out into the crowd…” apparently doing all they could to stop (or at least hinder) the pagan worship service that was going on in front of them (v14).

Just a quick observation here, before we really bite into the meat of our passage this morning. Notice how quickly and actively these missionary-preachers threw off the glory which the crowd aimed at them. Paul and Barnabas were not slow nor were they polite in their response (as we will see). They recognized that the glory which belongs to God was being given to them, and they were scandalized by it… so much so that they flung themselves (just two guys!) into a multitude, with the purpose to stop the whole procession.

Brothers and sisters, may we be so jealous of God’s glory over our own!

Verses 15-17 are indeed the meat of our passage today, and this is the first recorded confrontation between missionary-evangelists and a purely pagan culture. Paul had presented the gospel both to Jews and to God-fearers on the mission trip already (Acts 13:16-41), but here in Acts 14 Paul was directly addressing the Greco-Roman culture and religion. Let’s look closely at what was said and consider what it might mean for us in our gospel conversations today.

I’m going to walk through Paul’s and Barnabas’s message in four small sections: v15a, v15b, v16, and v17.

First, they said, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news…” (v15a). The missionaries began with the claim that they were not gods, but only men, just like the citizens of Lystra. Paul and Barnabas claimed no higher value or ability than the pagans they wanted to see converted. Instead, they understood that they were merely bringers of “good news”(v15)… which was about the only King and Savior, and which had been toldto them so that they might believe it and also tell it to others.

Friends, sometimes Christians can sound like they think they’re better than those sinners out there. Sometimes we can talk and act like the sinners around us are the bad guys and we are the good guys. Now, no doubt, wicked people do wicked things, and Christians should be clear about what is right and wrong. But we aren’t just trying to maintain a better society or trying to “make America great again” or trying to “stop the radicals” from taking over (these are political talking points, not Christian slogans!).

Christians are sinners who have come to learn that the God of the universe has shown His grace and mercy in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and Christians are those who turn from their sin and trust-and-follow the only Savior. And Christians know that their war is not against other sinners per se, but “against the rulers… [the] authorities… [and the] cosmic powers over this present darkness” which seems to dominate this fallen world (Eph. 6:12; cf. Rev. 13). May God help us to be happy and gracious warriors, aiming to rescue those ensnared by sin (Gal. 6:1), not to attack them as our enemies.

So, first, Paul and Barnabas claimed a common humanity with their pagan audience and stated their role as mere messengers… but this did not mean that they pulled punches. The next statement they made was a clear call to repent. The last half of v15 says the “good news” that Paul and Barnabas brought began with an appeal to “turn from these vain things to a living God, who made [everything]” (v15b). And, friends, this is something we need to stick in our minds as a sort of constant corrective against all the world’s demands for “tolerance” and “love.”

In the New Testament, when the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached to Jews, it’s a call to embrace Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah of old – He is the one Yahweh had been promising and illustrating all along,[5] and now He’s here! But when the gospel is preached to pagans (those who have little or no knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures), it is a call to give up idolatry and to embrace the one true God. See the words of v15! Paul and Barnabas called for their audience to “turn from these vain [or “worthless”] things” (v15). But what “vain things”? The idolatrous worship they were offering to Paul and Barnabas as gods among them!

Brothers and sisters, it is not unloving to call a sinner to repentance. It is not unloving or arrogant to expose the futility and foolishness of idolatry. It is most definitely intolerant, but this fallen world has always been hypocritical about tolerance. Sinners are tolerant of all sorts of religious claims, except for the exclusive kind. The minute someone stands up and says, “That’s idolatry, and this is the true God,” sinners show their own intolerance for such exclusive claims… sometimes by public shaming and sometimes by overt violence.

Some of us have family members or friends who think we are unloving or bigoted because we won’t go along with their sin… their foolish error… their idolatry. Oh yes, idolatry isn’t just an ancient problem… it is man’s fundamental error! The Bible says that all sin rises from a heart of idolatry.

We don’t naturally want to honor God or live in gratitude under His benevolent rule, so we claim a wisdom and a glory of our own… apart from Him. We imagine all manner of gods, even sometimes claim that we are our own gods (“We can make our own rules!” “We are autonomous!”). And this leads us into all sorts of futility or vanity or worthless pursuits… like envy, murder, strife, dishonesty, deviant sexual desire and behavior, cruelty, gossip, slander, disrespect toward good authority, arrogance, inventing new kinds of evil, and ruthlessness in our dealings with others (Rom. 1:18-32). And leaving sinners like us in our vain idolatry is an act of judgment… not love.

This leads us into the third piece of the gospel Paul announced in Lystra. Look at v16 with me. It says, “In past generations he [God] allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.” This is not an expression of acceptance, as though God allowed the “nations” or “peoples” to sin without penalty. No, this is an expression of judgment; God allowed the “nations” or “peoples” to sin without restraint, thus “storing up” all the more of God’s wrath to be delivered “on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:4-5).

It was out of grace and mercy that God revealed His law to the people of Israel (Ex. 19:16-20:21). But God did not reveal His law or His promises to any other people on the planet… everyone else He left “to walk in their own ways” of ignorance, sin, and idolatry (v16).

This is the natural bent of fallen humans since Genesis 3. Adam knew the truth about God, but his descendants quickly turned the whole world into a mass of wicked humanity, such that the “intention of the thoughts of [their hearts] was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). And after the destruction of almost everyone with a flood, Noah and his immediate family started again… and his descendants built the idolatrous Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:1-11:9)! Friends, the entire world around you is evidence that humanity is not inclined to the right worship of God… but, unless God graciously restrains evil, man will run headlong toward idolatry and to his own destruction… every time and all the time.

In our passage this morning, Paul and Barnabas embody the exemplary Christian posture and vocalize the evangelistic call. They said to the pagans in Lystra that it was God’s judgment upon them to leave their ancestors in ignorance and idolatry, but now God was showing them grace by sending them messengers of the gospel. This is the same sort of posture and call which Christians are to demonstrate today… May God help us.

But there’s one more section to this gospel message from Paul and Barnabas, and we need to hear and consider this one too. The fourth and last piece of this brief presentation is a caveat or qualification of the statement we just read in v16. As Paul often does in his writing, so he did here in this short gospel; he anticipated an objection or misunderstanding, and he answered it preemptively.

Remember, v16 says that God previously “allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways,” and then v17 says, “Yet he [God] did not leave himself without witness…” And what “witness” did God give all “the nations” who did not have His word? Paul said, “he [God] did good [that is, God showed His goodness or did good works toward humanity] by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (v17).

All of this is to say what the Bible clearly affirms elsewhere: that all people everywhere live in God’s world and are beneficiaries of God’s benevolence, whether they acknowledge it or not. In fact, this is precisely why all people everywhere are blameworthy when they embrace idolatrous thinking and act in sinful ways. No one can say they didn’t know! There are no innocent natives anywhere! On the day of judgment, every mouth will be stopped, and the whole world will understand and feel their guilt before God (Rom. 3:19)… No one will accuse God of being coy or deceptive in His dealings with humanity.

God has displayed His attributes in creation itself. This is what Christians have historically referred to as natural revelation. Without ever having a Bible, just by observing the world around us and using the minds God gave us, we can know that there is a God, that He is supremely powerful and worthy of our praise and gratitude, and that He is morally righteous. But notice… natural revelation only condemns us. God’s goodness toward us in creation – rain from the sky and food in our bellies – does not teach us how to deal with our sin or how to know Christ as Savior. To know these things, God must give us special revelation… He must tell us plainly what He has done in Jesus Christ to save idolatrous sinners.

That is what Paul and Barnabas had come to Lystra to do that day for the sake of lost souls, and that is what every Christian must do everyday for the sake of the souls of those around them. Brothers and sisters, we don’t have to be obnoxious-Bible-thumpers, but we must not pretend that our loved ones are “alright” before God just because they are “descent” people. No, there are no genuinely “good” people in this world… we are all sinners… but some of us have heard the gospel and are actively turning away from our idolatry… while others have either not heard or they’ve misunderstood or disbelieved the gospel… and they remain condemned isolators still (Jn. 3:18-20).

Well, Luke tells us, in v18, that “Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.” And we will see just how much the worshiping crowd of Lystra was actually not interested at all in the gospel Paul and Barnabas preached.

4. A Radical Reversal (v19-20)

Verses 19 and 20 tie our passage this morning back in with the whole narrative of Acts, and these verses also serve as the climax and conclusion of the episode we’ve been studying this morning. In v19, Luke says that some of those unbelieving “Jews… from Antioch and Iconium” finally did catch up with Paul and Barnabas. Maybe they’d heard that Paul and Barnabas were continuing their missionary efforts in other towns or maybe they were still so angry about what Paul and Barnabas had preached in Antioch and Iconium, but whatever motivated them to take their opposition on the road, they made their way to Lystra.

One commentator said that the unbelieving Jews from Antioch traveled more than 100 miles, and it seems that both Jewish and Gentile rage was directed especially at Paul since he was the spokesman, claiming that Jesus was the Messiah and that all pagan worship was idolatry.[6]It is true that the unbelieving Jews were able to “persuade the crowds” in Lystra and “they stoned Paul” to death… or so they thought (v19).

Friends, this is a testament to the evil that is sometimes hidden away in the hearts of unregenerate or non-Christian people in the world. We’ve been studying through the book of Revelation on Wednesday nights for a while, and I am being increasingly impacted by the repeated warnings to expect suffering and the repeated call to persevere. Western culture has been so influenced by historic Christian values and ethics that we’ve been allowed to assume that Christians can live and work and play in this world without experiencing much hostility. And yet, many Christian brothers and sisters have lived and died with their eyes wide open to the horrors of overt persecution.

This passage shows us a violence toward the gospel and those who embrace and preach it, which is not unusual to the pages of Scripture, but it has been quite unusual for Christians in America. Some of you may feel a sense of loss or hopelessness or even anger when you see the culture around you taking an increasingly antagonistic stance against Christian doctrine and Christian ethics… I know I do. But I think we are simply starting to get a taste (and it really is only a small taste at this point) of what it’s been like for many Christians before us and those who have been living in other cultural and political contexts for a long time.

Just before Jesus went to the cross, He warned and encouraged His disciples by telling them that He had chosen them as His beloved disciples and that the world would hate them for that very fact. Jesus said, “Remember… A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you… If you were of the world, the world would love you… but because you are not of the world… the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18-20). And this was Jesus’s encouragement to them, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Brothers and sisters, the Bible never asks us to pretend that pain isn’t painful or that suffering is fun. The Bible never asks us to run toward tribulation or to run away from peace or freedom. But the Bible does tell us that Christians are foreigners in every nation… we are citizens of another kingdom. The Bible also teaches us that the citizens of this world have not signed any peace-treaty with Christ, and they will sometimes breakout in rage at those who bear His name.

And yet, our comfort, our hope, that truth which brings us joy in the midst of uncertainty and even persecution is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is King now, and He is bringing the entire cosmos into line with His right rule. Until He comes, it is for Christians to cling to Christ, to be His obedient subjects, and to tell others where they too can find true peace with God… before it’s too late.

Verse 20 concludes our passage and this episode by telling us that “the disciples” or fellow Christians (these may have been some converts in Lystra, and Paul and Barnabas likely had some fellow believers traveling along with them)… these Christians “gathered about him [Paul], [and] he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe,” which was the next town on their missionary journey.

Luke seems to tell us that Paul was not actually dead; v19 says clearly that the unbelievers “supposed [or “thought”] that he was dead.” But Luke also seems to be telling us that there was a miracle that happened here. No one who is “supposed dead” just gets up and walks along on his way! Not only is this physically unlikely, but this is also psychologically near impossible! But God seems to have miraculously granted both healing and confidence for Paul to carry on.

Conclusion

Friends, we’ve looked this morning at a passage that tells us about the kingship of Christ – He’s the sovereign with healing and resurrection power. This passage tells us about the fickle and often hostile heart of unbelieving man – sinners can hail you one moment as a god and turn to murder you in the next. This passage tells us about the fundamental starting point of the gospel – it’s a message of hope that directly confronts us in our ignorance and rebellion. And this passage also tells us about the kind of miraculous perseverance Christians can experience when God grants it so.

May God help us to be the sorts of Christians today that live in light of these realities. May we trust and obey Christ… may we never let our ears be enticed by the praise of this world… may we abandon our own idolatry and call other sinners to do the same… and may God grant us all perseverance in Christ… that we might both believe and proclaim the gospel faithfully… until He comes.

Endnotes

[1]Sermon manuscript on Acts 14:1-7: https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/912748-the-mission-continues [2] John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 10–11. [3]David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009), 408. [4]Peterson, 409. [5] By “illustrating” I mean that Jesus was typified and exemplified in some of the people, the experiences, and the religious images and practices throughout the Old Testament. God not only promised a Savior-King, He also prepared the arrival of such a one by showing what He would do and what He would be like in the unfolding of real events and people in history. [6]Peterson, 411-412.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Calvin, John. Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles. Edited by Henry Beveridge. Translated by Christopher Fetherstone. Vol. 2. 2 vols. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Peterson, David. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2009.

Polhill, John B. Acts. Vol. 26. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. 2015 Edition. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.