Bible Studies In The Word of God

ACTS 14

 

Verse 1. As his manner was, Paul went into the synagogue to have opportunity to preach the word. Both Jews and Greeks believed the word, due to the convincing way in which Paul (and Barnabas) spoke the truth.

Verse 2. The Jews ordinarily had little or no interest in the Gentiles, but it grieved them to see these people becoming interested in the work of the brethren. They agitated them so much that it turned their minds against Paul and Barnabas.

Verse 3. Gave testlmonfy was done as it was in Mark 16:20. This was necessary because the New Testament had not been produced, and something was required to prove that the preachers were not frauds.

Verse 4. The multitude was divided in sentiment between the Jews and the apostles. The last word will be explained at verse 14.

Verses 5, 6. This assault did not reach the stage of actual attack, for the men heard about it and escaped.  The word means “a hostile movement” according to Thayer, and would have ended in violence had Paul and Barnabas remained in the city. Lystra and Derbe were in another province nearby, and the preachers stopped at Lystra first.

Verse 7. Persecution did not dampen the devotion of the missionaries, for at every opportunity they preached the Gospel to all who would hear it.  

 

Verse 8. Impotent means to be weak, and this man had been too lame in his feet to walk, having been that way since his birth.

Verse 9. Faith to be healed. Paul knew the man showed the proper attitude toward the preaching, and that frame of mind would prompt him to cooperate with the apostle.

Verse 10. Paul put that faith to a test by telling the man to stand. Sure enough, he proved his faith by his works by leaping and walking. 

 

Verse 11. Lycaonia was the province where Lystra was situated. This miracle was so unusual that the heathen people of the country thought Paul and Barnabas were gods; that is, the planets (which these people worshiped) in the form of men.  

Verse 12. The planets Mercurius and Jupiter had these characteristics as indicated in the work of Paul and Barnabas, according to the heathen mythology.

Verse 13. True to their opinion of the preachers, the heathen priest of that city was preparing to do homage to them as gods. The oxen were for the purpose of sacrifice, and the garlands were to be used as crowns.  

Verse 14. Apostles Barnabas and Paul. The first word is from APOSTOLOS which Thayer defines, “A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.”  The outstanding idea in the word is, “one sent.” Both these men had been “sent” out by the church at Antioch (chapter 13:3, 4), and hence were apostles of that church. It is true that Paul was an apostle of Christ independent of the church at Antioch, but when .the two are mentioned together as apostles, it means their commission from that church. They manifested much displeasure at the attempt to treat them as gods.

Verse 15. Some men would be vain enough to enjoy being worshiped, but Paul and Barnabas were true worshipers of the God of creation. A part of their mission among the heathen was to lead them out of such vain worship. Instead of worshiping the planets, men should honor Him who created those planets. (See James 1:16, 17.) 

Verse 16. God suffered nations to walk in their own ways. That is different from permitting it, for that would be equivalent to endorsing it.

Verse 17. The witness consisted of the blessings of nature. These heathen should know that none of the planets could bestow such things on the world.   

 

Verse 18. It took all of this teaching to prevent the people from performing religious services to Paul and Barnabas.

Verses 19, 20. Persecution is a persistent evil, even following the victims from place to place. Note the inspired writer says only that they supposed that Paul was dead. There is no evidence of any miracle having been performed upon Paul to revive him.  Neither is there any proof that he was unconscious. A man can be so stunned that he would be unable either to move or speak for a While, and yet retain full consciousness. But this condition did not continue very long, for the disciples Were standing about him, and they certainly would not have neglected doing something for his body before long.   Without any help, while they were looking on, Paul got up and went into the city, with no sign of bodily injury indicated. Therefore, to connect this incident with 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 is pure speculation.

Verse 21. Derbe was the farthest city to which they went in this part of their journey, which was given advance notice in verse 6. After preaching here, they retraced their steps and _entered the very city where Paul was supposed to have been killed, then going on as far as Antioch where they did some Work with the disciples they made at the previous visit.

Verse 22. Paul’s persecution did not discourage him, but he did not want the disciples to be so either. The Work in this city consisted in confirming or strengthening these brethren. And lest they might think that the things just happening showed that “something was wrong,” he told them that entrance into the kingdom of God must be accompanied with much tribulation.

Verse 23. The original Word for ordain in this place is defined by Thayer “To elect, appoint, create.” Notice that they ordained elders in every chfwrch, which clearly shows that a plurality of elders in each congregation is the Lord’s arrangement. Prayer and fasting was a voluntary devotional service perforrned in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion.
 

Verse 24. They passed through these places before (chapter 13:13, 14).

Verse 25. Perga was in Pamphylia, the city where Mark deserted the Work.  They again preached in that city before going on to the seaport town of Attalia in Lycia. 

Verse 26. From Attalia they sailed to Antioch in Syria, the place from which they started out -on the Work for which the church had recommended them. 

 
Verse 27. The first thing Paul and Barnabas did was to report their Work to the church. That gives us a good example of .how evangelists should  act toward the congregation that is sponsoring their work. The church has the right to know where their evangelists have been and what theyhave been doing. The most important item of news was the opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Verse 28. This long time of their stay with the disciples will include an important visit to Jerusalem, which is reported in the next chapter.