“Acts 14:1-18”

Monday, January 18, 2016

“In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; and there they continued to preach the gospel. At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’ And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you 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. In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.’ Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verse 3 – “Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” We’ve addressed this subject before, but this verse tells us exactly what the purpose of miracles was. When men endowed with gifts of the Holy Spirit performed miracles, it was to “testify to” or “confirm” the message they were teaching (Mark 16:15-18; Hebrews 2:3-4). Miraculous gifts were used as confirmation for the speaker and validation that what he was speaking was the truth. Since God has given us the Bible in its perfect, completed form, there is no need for a continuation of the use of miracles as a source of confirmation (John 20:30-31; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13; 2 Peter 1:1-3).

Verse 11 – “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’” When the idolatrous people of Lystra witnessed the healing that Paul performed on a lame man, they definitely received the wrong message. Instead of seeing the miracle as proof that they should listen up to the message that he was bringing them, they saw it as evidence that Paul and Barnabas were gods that had come to earth in the form of men. It took all their power of persuasion just to keep the people from offering sacrifices to them (verse 18).

Verse 15 – “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you 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.” Paul adamantly insisted that God had sent him to teach them to abandon these very practices that they were wasting their time with. It is the height of foolishness to offer sacrifices to lifeless idols and feckless humans, and refuse to honor and worship the ever-living, all-powerful Creator of the universe.

Verse 17 – “Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." It is the God of heaven who gives us every good thing in our lives. He provides us with all of our physical needs, and gives us all the things that produce gladness within our hearts. Most importantly of all, He gave us the best gift of heaven when He sent Jesus to this earth to live and die and arise for us. God alone, through His Son Jesus Christ, gives us spiritual hope and blessings that extend beyond life on planet Earth. Because of what Jesus did, we have the hope of an eternity in heaven if we remain faithful to Him.

The living God of heaven is the only one deserving of our greatest love and our truest devotion. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Please read Acts 14:19-28 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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