Acts 14 - Persecution Helped the Church Grow!

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In Iconium

Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, which is a major city in modern day Turkey. As usual, they went into the synagogue, and they spoke so effectively many Jews AND Gentiles came to faith. Though they faced opposition from Jews and Gentiles who refused to believe, they still spent a great amount of time there. They not only preached the Good News, but the Lord validated their preaching by them doing signs AND wonders. 

What are signs and wonders?

he term sign (σημεῖον semeion) appears thirteen times in Acts (Acts 2:19, 22, 43; 4:16, 22, 30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 8:6, 13; 14:3; 15:12) and denotes “a miracle of divine origin, performed by God himself, by Christ, or by men of God.”[1] The noun wonders (τέρας teras) appears 9 times in Acts (Acts 2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12), only in connection with a sign (σημεῖον semeion), and refers to “something that astounds.”[2] The purpose of the signs and wonders was to harness the attention of the witness. Whereas a sign demonstrated a supernatural occurrence, the wonder represents the human response. And these signs and wonders were taking place publicly “among the people” and in “Solomon’s portico.” Furthermore, they were not intended to be an end in themselves, but to point people to Jesus for salvation. - podbean.com

The city was divided, as often the gospel does to people. Those who opposed them started to plot to harm them, but the apostles found about it and went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe.

In Lystra and Derbe

Lystra and Derbe were also cities in Asia Minor, which in modern day Turkey. These cities were in the province called Galatia in Jesus' day. Paul ran into a man who was lame, and he could see that the man had the faith to be healed. So Paul told him to stand up on his feet, and the man jumped to his feet.

Notice Paul doesn't need long prayers, or say in "Jesus' name" three times, he simply in the power and authority Jesus tells the man to get up and he does. When the crowds saw what happened, they began to treat Paul and Barnabas like gods. Their number one God was Zeus. The priest in the local temple of Zeus wanted to honor and worship them by bringing bulls and wreaths, as a sacrifice. 

In Greek mythology, it was common for the gods to come to earth in human form, though they did not always do so for the good of man. - Guzik

Instead of receiving this adoration and praise, the apostles tore their clothes and pleaded with them to see that they were only mere mortals. The power they possessed and displayed came from God, not men. They desperately wanted them to turn from worthless idols to the living God, who made all things. 

Paul tried to point that God was a real and provided for them by bringing them rain and crops. But the crowd continued to want to worship them and not God. 

Paul called the Lystrian crowd to consider the real God, the One who stands behind all creation, not one of the lesser (and imaginary) Greek gods. God’s kindness to all men (in giving rain and fruitful crops) should be seen as a witness of His love and power, something theologians sometimes call common grace.

Paul did not preach to these pagan worshippers the same way he preached to Jews or those acquainted with Judaism. He did not quote the Old Testament to them, but instead appealed to natural revelation, to the things that even a pagan could understand by looking at the world around them. - Guzik

Some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and swayed the crowd against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside of the city thinking he might be dead. But Paul was not dead and the next day he and Barnabas went on to Derbe.

Paul was miraculously preserved here. Some think that he was even actually killed and raised to life again, because stoning was usually reliable form of execution.

Paul was miraculously preserved here. Some think that he was even actually killed and raised to life again, because stoning was usually reliable form of execution.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

In Derbe, Paul and Barnabas won over a great number of disciples. Though Paul was being persecuted it almost seems to make him even more effective as an evangelist. Often persecution brought the believers closer to Jesus, and made them more passionate about sharing and spreading the Good News. Whenever you suffer for Jesus it makes you stronger and more committed to him. Your faith becomes even more real, because it counts for something. Suffering also shows one the depth of their faith. 

We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God: This was the message that helped strengthen and exhort these disciples. This was a simple message, proved in Paul’s personal experience. Paul could preach that message because he had lived that message. This is for many a forgotten message today. They consider any kind of tribulation completely counter-productive to Christian living, failing to note the significant place suffering has in God’s plan. - Guzik

As Paul and Barnabas went back to each city that they had visited, they appointed elders in each place. They prayed over them and fasted. The elders were the spiritual leaders of the churches in each city. The word "elder" comes from the Greek word "presybuteros", which is where get the term "presbyter" and also the "Presbyterian Church". 

The word translated “elder” is used nearly twenty times in Acts and the epistles in reference to this unique group of leaders who have responsibility for overseeing the people of God. - gracechurch.org

Paul and Barnabas knew that these churches must have proper administration, so they appointed elders in every city where there were Christians. And prayed with fasting: Paul and Barnabas demonstrated their great concern for the health of these churches by their prayer and fasting. - Guzik

Finally, Paul and Barnabas ended up back in Pisidian Antioch, where they had been originally commissioned for their missionary journey. It gave them the opportunity to report all the things God had done in each of these cities where they visited and preached the gospel. The main thing was that God had opened a door to the Gentiles. This is why Paul became known as the missionary to the Gentiles.