Acts 14:8-23 · Read 8 min · think and write 15 min
In the last lesson Barnabas appeared for the first time: “Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas … a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race” (Acts 4:36).
Later, after Saul believed, the disciples were all afraid of him, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles” (Acts 9:27); when many in Antioch believed, “Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul” (Acts 11:25). These events are in Paul, Lesson 2. The disciples in Antioch sent relief to the brothers in Judea, “sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:30). When the two had fulfilled their service, they went on, “also taking with them John who was called Mark” (Acts 12:25).
In the church at Antioch, “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2); this is in Paul, Lesson 3. They sailed to Cyprus, and “They also had John as their attendant” (Acts 13:5). There the passage speaks of “Saul, who is also called Paul” (Acts 13:9). When they came to Perga in Pamphylia, “John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem” (Acts 13:13).
They went on. In Pisidian Antioch, “Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly” (Acts 13:46), but were later thrown “out of their borders” (Acts 13:50). In Iconium, some “made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them” (Acts 14:5), and they “fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region” (Acts 14:6). This lesson begins in Lystra.
8At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.
9He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,
10said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.
11When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker.
13The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.
14But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out,
15“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
16who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.
19But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
20But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.
21When they had preached the Good News to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.
23When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed.
Then the two sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been sent out; “When they had arrived and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations” (vv. 24–28).
Upright on his feet. “At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked” (v. 8). Paul, “fastening eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole” (v. 9), “said with a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet!’ He leaped up and walked” (v. 10).
Jupiter and Mercury. The crowd said: “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” (v. 11). “They called Barnabas ‘Jupiter’, and Paul ‘Mercury’, because he was the chief speaker” (v. 12). The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of the city, “brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes” (v. 13).
They tore their clothes. “But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out” (v. 14).
We also are men. They said: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (v. 15). The God they spoke of is the one who “did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons” (v. 17). “Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them” (v. 18).
Dragged out of the city. Not long after, “some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead” (v. 19). “But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe” (v. 20).
Going back. After preaching the Good News in Derbe, “they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch” (v. 21) — every one of them a town that had thrown them out or tried to stone them (Acts 13:50; 14:5, 19). They went back, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith” (v. 22).
Commended. “When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed” (v. 23).
Many years later, writing to Timothy, Paul still named these towns: “persecutions, and sufferings—those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. The Lord delivered me out of them all” (2 Tim 3:11).
These are Paul’s own words, from his letter. Readers can see this: Paul never forgot the towns in this lesson; and on that road, the one walking with him was Barnabas.
Perhaps someone thinks very highly of you: at home, at church, at work, everyone waits for you to decide. Perhaps you were hurt somewhere, and it is hard to go back.
This lesson does not say that being thought highly of is always a bad thing, and it does not say that once you are hurt you have to go back. What it shows you is this: when the crowd wanted to treat Barnabas as a god, he and Paul tore their clothes and said, “We also are men” (v. 15); afterwards they went back to the towns that had thrown them out, strengthened the disciples, and “commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed” (v. 23). Paul later wrote: “But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor 4:7).
This week: Think of someone you once walked alongside or helped, and have lost touch with for a long time — a friend new in faith, someone from a small group you used to be in. This week, go back and see them, ask how they are, and pray for them once.
Scripture: World English Bible.