Acts 14 - Introduction
THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 14 OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 14:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 14 OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 14:... [ Continue Reading ]
"And it came about that in Iconium" "Nearly 100 miles SE of Pisidian Antioch, commanding the broad plateau which lies between the Tarsus and the Sultan mountain ranges and which is well watered by their rivers, is situated the very old city of Iconium, which today is Turkey's fourth largest town of... [ Continue Reading ]
"But if some Jews and Gentiles were united in faith, others were united in opposition" (Stott p. 228). Notice how the gospel message makes. clear division between believers and unbelievers and that. person cannot remain neutral concerning its truths. Compare with Matthew 10:34. "The Jews disbelieved... [ Continue Reading ]
But Paul and Barnabas held their ground. They stayed there. long time due to both the number of conversions and the amount of opposition. There is opposition here but there appears to be no attempt to forcibly expel the preachers from town. Relying upon the Lord, they continued to preach with boldne... [ Continue Reading ]
No middle ground in this town. "Apostles" The plural form here is used and in verse 14 referring to Paul and Barnabas. This is the first time Barnabas has been so designated. "Usually the title is reserved in the New Testament for those directly chosen by Christ Himself. the twelve and Paul. However... [ Continue Reading ]
Eventually the opposition has had enough and an attempt is made to do bodily harm to Paul and Barnabas, even to the point of stoning them to death.... [ Continue Reading ]
Notice that God does not expect Christians to die as soon as possible. One's faithfulness or courage is not suspect when they simply decide to move on to the next town. "It is not wrong to flee when your life is in danger, and when by staying you can do no more good. There is not any reason for stic... [ Continue Reading ]
Nothing could silence them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Compare this man to the man mentioned in Acts 3:1-11. "Like the man at the Gate Beautiful, this man at Lystra was one whose history from infancy was well known" (Reese p. 502).... [ Continue Reading ]
"Had faith to be made well" From other passages we learn that faith was not always. necessary requirement for healing (Acts 3:1 ff). The faith under consideration would include, this man's belief that Paul could heal him, and that God would accomplish such things (see Matthew 9:21). He also believed... [ Continue Reading ]
This was an immediate and complete healing. "The miracle was entire and complete in. moment. One who had never learned to walk, walking immediately, is. very striking miracle" (Reese p. 504). "Stand upright" The man under consideration had the faith to promptly obey this command, others would have s... [ Continue Reading ]
"In the Lycanonian language" This was. local dialect of some kind, "it was perfectly natural for the people, in their excitement, to revert to their native language" (Reese p. 504). "The gods have become like men and have come down to us" This miracle led the people to suppose that Paul and Barnabas... [ Continue Reading ]
"They began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes" Luke gives the Greek names for these gods; Zeus was also known as Jupiter who was viewed as the most powerful of all the gods of the ancients. Hermes, called Mercury by the Romans, was the messenger of the gods, and of Zeus in particular. "The Ro... [ Continue Reading ]
The people were so dead serious they even were intent on treating Paul and Barnabas as gods to the point of worshipping them. Garlands were wreaths of flowers that were draped over the horns of the sacrificial victim.... [ Continue Reading ]
As soon as Paul and Barnabas hear what is planned they immediately tore their robes as an expression of abhorrence. "Since it was in the Lycaonian language that the people shouted out their belief that the gods had visited them, and named Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, it is understandable that the... [ Continue Reading ]
"We also are men of the same nature as you" We are not gods, we are mere men! Paul made it very clear that he was not the object of worship, compare with James 5:17. "Preach the gospel to you" That is why we have come, not to be worshipped. "In order that you should turn from these vain things" We h... [ Continue Reading ]
"In the generations gone by" In the ages previous to the New Covenant or Gospel Age. "He permitted all the nations to go their own ways" That is, God allowed men to depart from Him without immediate judgment (Romans 1:18). The word permitted does not mean that God approved of their departures and ne... [ Continue Reading ]
"Yet He did not leave Himself without witness" God had been very active in history. Not only does the creation itself bear witness to God's existence (Psalms 19:1 ff; Romans 1:20), but God also had provided many providential demonstrations of His existence and of His moral character and goodness. "I... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet all these arguments barely kept the people from offering sacrifices in the honor of Paul and Barnabas.... [ Continue Reading ]
Not satisfied with running Paul out of Iconium, unbelieving Jews travel 100 miles in order to continue their opposition. "Having won over the multitudes" Here we see how fickle men can be. "What. striking instance of the fickleness and instability of popular feeling.. few days or weeks before they w... [ Continue Reading ]
"He arose" Luke has already informed us that Paul had not died, so this is not. resurrection, yet for Paul to get up, enter the city, and then travel the next day does seem to indicate some sort of miraculous healing. "His swift recovery from apparent death required something more than the recuperat... [ Continue Reading ]
It looks like the Jews from Iconium did not follow Paul to Derbe and Paul's preaching in Derbe was very successful. Paul then turns around and comes back to these cities in which he had faced such persecution.... [ Continue Reading ]
He came back to strengthen all these new Christians, compare with Acts 15:36; Acts 16:4. Grounding new converts in the faith (Colossians 1:23) is just as important as converting people in the first place (Matthew 28:20). "To continue in the faith" Indicating that. person can fall away. "The truth is... [ Continue Reading ]
"Appointed elders" The qualifications are given in 1 Timothy 3:1 ff and Titus 1:5 ff. One of the ways that Christians can be better prepared to face persecution is to be in. congregation that is shepherded by qualified elders (Hebrews 13:17). Part of the strengthening process for Christians includes... [ Continue Reading ]
They now retrace the route by which they had come (Acts 13:14).... [ Continue Reading ]
"Spoken the word in Perga" They may have already done some preaching here (Acts 13:13), but Paul is always one who uses his time wisely. If they are waiting for. ship bound for Antioch, then what better way to pass the time than in preaching? "They went down to Attalia" The name of this city is pron... [ Continue Reading ]
They sail from Attalia to the Syria coast and then journey inland to Antioch. "From which" Paul and Barnabas had been sent out from Antioch and when they had left the church there had commended them to the grace of God. The church had committed these men to God's favor and protection during this jou... [ Continue Reading ]
When they arrived the entire congregation gathered together while Paul and Barnabas related all that had happened. Here is Bible authority for the congregation to come together and hear about the preaching efforts of various men. "All the things that God had done with them" God had been "with" the p... [ Continue Reading ]
This trip probably had started some time in 45 AD soon after the death of Herod (chapter 12) that had taken place in 44 AD It probably had lasted through 47 or 48 AD, but the council of Jerusalem was probably held in 50 or 51 AD So they may have stayed in Antioch after this trip for one or two years... [ Continue Reading ]