January 2, 2022
Acts 14:8-28
“Mob Mayhem”
Service Overview: The people of Lystra and Derbe jumped to conclusions about Paul and Barnabas because of the signs and wonders God was doing through them. But their conclusions were dead wrong and called for a strong response from the apostles. Even though this fickle crowd turned against them, the Apostles pressed on in the mission, and the good news of Jesus continued to gain traction in people’s hearts and lives.
Memory Verse for the Week: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
Background Information:
- There was an ancient myth that Zeus and Hermes had come to that region disguised as mortals. The community— except for one couple, Philemon and Baucis—rejected them. The two gods sent judgment on the area except for the old couple, who were rewarded for their receptive welcome by being made guardians of a magnificent temple on the outskirts of Lystra. Later, when the couple died, they were turned into two giant trees as memorials of their kind deeds. The legend had become part of the folklore of Lystra, and the people identified Zeus and Hermes with Paul and Barnabas! When they saw the healing of the lame man, they exclaimed that the two gods had returned. They were going to take no chances this time. They gave Paul and Barnabas the key to the city and a welcome befitting the gods they supposed them to be. Tall and robust Barnabas was deified as Zeus, the head of the pantheon, because of his physical stature; and Paul, because of his ability to speak, they called Hermes, the god of eloquence and rhetoric. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 222)
- Barnabas and Paul were horrified by news of an impending sacrifice on their behalf, so they tore their clothes, a common Jewish gesture of horror or sorrow. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 237)
- This passage is specially interesting because it gives us Paul’s approach to those who were completely heathen and without any Jewish background to which he could appeal. With such people he started from nature to get to the God who was behind it all. He started from the here and now to get to the there and then. We do well to remember that the world is the garment of the living God. It is told that once, as they sailed in the Mediterranean, Napoleon’s suite were discussing God. In the talk they eliminated him altogether. Napoleon had been silent but now he lifted his hand and pointed to the sea and the sky, “Gentlemen,” he said, “who made all this?” (Barclay, Acts, 109)
- 14:9-10. Paul’s healing of this infirm man closely parallels Peter’s healing in chapter 3. In each case the cripple was lame from birth (3:2; 14:8); both Peter and Paul gazed at the one to be healed (3:4; 14:9); and both healed men responded by jumping and walking (3:8; 14:10). This shows Paul was equal to Peter in his apostleship. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 391)
- That Paul began the ministry at Lystra by preaching to a crowd may imply that no synagogue was available for him to preach in (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 434)
The question to be answered is…
Were the apostles gluttons for punishment or just plain stupid? Why even think of returning to places conspiring to kill them?
Answer…
They were convinced that the message they carried, and the faith that grew up from it, were worth the risk in order to strengthen it in the lives of those new believers.
The word of the day is… Courageous
What should stand out to us from this last account from the church’s first mission trip?
- The false and fickle faith of the Lycaonians.
(vv. 11-13, 18-19 | Mat. 7:21-23; 24:24; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Galatians 1; 1 John 4:1)
It is interesting to see how fickle a mob can be. We have seen it in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ. That same group who shouted their Hallelujahs on Palm Sunday would cry for His death a few days later. It was true of Stephen (Acts 7) and now of Paul and Barnabas. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 129)
What fickle people these were! Yet they were no different from people in our time. People are always fickle until God brings true stability into their lives through the gospel. If anything of any permanence is to happen, if lives are to be changed, if the seed of the Word is to fall into good soil and bear fruit, and do it year after year—it is only going to be by the grace of God. (Boice, Acts, 257)
- Paul’s creative adaptability in sharing the gospel.
(vv. 14-17 | Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 9:22; Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:15)
Paul’s message was not based on the Old Testament, because this was a pagan Gentile audience. He started with the witness of God in creation (see Acts 17:22ff.) (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 367)
Here, Paul and Barnabas show us the pattern for evangelizing non—religious people: Start with nature. When they went to the Jews in the synagogues, they started with Scripture. But when they went to the Gentiles in Lystra, they started with the truth about God that was visible in the world around them. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 190)
- Paul’s relentless courage.
(vv. 20-22 | Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:17; Eph. 6:10-18; Philippians 1:21; 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:5)
The outstanding feature of this story is the sheer courage of Paul. When he came to his senses, his first act was to go right back into the city where he had been stoned. It was John Wesley’s advice, “Always look a mob in the face.” There could be no braver thing than Paul’s going straight back amongst those who had tried to murder him. A deed like that would have more effect than a hundred sermons. Men were bound to ask themselves where a man got the courage to act in such a way. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 110)
- The apostles’ return and report.
(vv. 21-28 | Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 12:13; Ephesians 2:20-22; 4:16)
Had Paul and Barnabas done that work alone? By no means! They reported all that God had done through them. Done through whom? Paul and Barnabas? Yes, but also through the home church which had sent Paul and Barnabas off with fasting and prayer. The work of the Kingdom is never one person’s task. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts, Kindle Location, 2933)
Conclusion…What are some faith “pro-tips” for us all in light of today’s text?
A. Be careful your faith is shaped and formed most by God and his Word, not the surrounding culture.
(Mat. 4:4; John 14:6; Rom. 10:9-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 4:12)
We, too, must remember that a strongly positive response to a false gospel can, in the long run, be more dangerous than a negative response to the true gospel. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts, Kindle Location, 2898)
Sometimes a majority simply means that all the fools are on the same side. (Claude McDonald)
People who deify human leaders also turn on them when those leaders don’t submit to fitting into molds the manipulative deifiers have in mind. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 223)
B. In sharing the gospel with others, be like Paul, start with where people are.
(Prov. 11:30; Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16; 10:10-17; 1 Cor. 9:22; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 3:15)
Here Paul is speaking to a Gentile or pagan audience that had no knowledge of the Scriptures whatever. He couldn’t have told these people about God’s great acts in the Old Testament period, because they would not have known what he was talking about. So he started at the point at which they did have understanding and spoke of God as the Creator: “the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them” (v. 15); and the God of providence: “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” (v. 17). (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 256)
C. Godly courage through trial leads to God’s approval; seek it above any other.
(Ps. 118:6-9; Pro. 29:25; Mat. 6:33; John 12:43; 2 Corinthians 5:9; 10:18; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:28; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 John 2:15)
The rewards of the Kingdom are not given in the poor coin of this world. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 161)
Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them. No man is competent to judge in matters of the kingdom, until first he has been tried; since there are many things to be learned in the depths which we can never know in the heights. (Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons, Vol. 3, 163)
Gospel Application…
Look to Jesus. In him alone is salvation, and he alone makes life worth living.
It doesn’t matter if your disability is physical, emotional, or spiritual. The moment you begin to obey God’s Word is the moment your bondage ends and you begin, to walk by faith. This miracle is a parable for all of us who are broken in some area of our lives. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 189)
Only once did the living God become incarnate. This is no myth but sober history. The Son of God lived on earth under the law of God, and He was delivered up and crucified. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 220)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Have you ever had unmet expectations from a faith-leader or church?
- What potential risks are there in telling others about Jesus? How can you remain courageous in light of them?
- What are some ways we can “meet people where they are” in sharing the gospel with them?
- What are some ways new believers can become strengthened in the faith? How might you join in this endeavor?
- For what reasons did Paul go to the Jew first? What caused Paul to turn to the Gentiles?
Quotes to note…
Paul probably wrote his letter to the Galatians while he was staying in Antioch (A.D. 48 or 49) after completing his first missionary journey. There are several theories as to what part of Galatia Paul was addressing, but most agree that Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe were part of that region for whom the letter was intended. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 244)
We can argue indefinitely as to whether our founding fathers were Christians or Deists, but one thing is certain—they embraced theism. They believed that the government is to be under God. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 222)
The minute a culture or a government claims independence from God, it becomes godless. It is the responsibility of the church to have a prophetic voice in the culture, to call sin “sin” wherever it emerges in government or anywhere else in the public arena. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 222)
Sin, suffering, and sanctification are not problems of the mind, but facts of life— mysteries that awaken all other mysteries until the heart rests in God. (Oswald Chambers, Devotions for a Deeper Life, 37)
We, not just the ancient Greeks and Romans or the Roman Catholics, have an inclination so deeply rooted in our souls toward idolatry that it is our nature to exchange the glory of the eternal God for a lie, serving and worshiping the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 220)
Today, God continually calls His church to faithfulness. He invites us to the ministries, modeled in Acts 13 and 14, of prayer and fasting, evangelism and discipleship. God promises to bless faithful churches with fruitful ministry, but such fruitfulness comes via the way of many hardships (14:22). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location, 2952)
The people in Lystra had thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods, and they wanted to offer sacrifices to them. Suddenly their adoration turned to anger, and 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. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 240)
To become a Christian meant for Gentiles especially a break with idolatrous customs and the acceptance of new personal and social standards of morality in a very immoral society. Family life was often disturbed. New Christians at times seemed in general conflict with the old society. Their new lives were a rebuke to unbelievers around them. The thorny path of hatred, scorn, and ostracism was frequently unavoidable. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 160)
Stoning is a grisly and brutal form of execution. Heavy, sharp-edged stones are hurled at the victim, cutting the flesh, breaking the bones, and injuring the internal organs. The victim usually dies due to a combination of blood loss and internal injuries. Paul’s enemies stoned him until he seemed lifeless. Then they dragged him outside the city gates and threw him on the rubbish dump. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 192)