[Linux4christians] Thursday - Acts 14

Wed Oct 26 21:43:03 EDT 2011

    Thursday

      Acts 14

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium when Paul and Barnabas went into 
the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large group of both 
Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe 
stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 
14:3 So they stayed there for a considerable time, speaking out 
courageously for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace, 
granting miraculous signs and wonders to be performed through their 
hands. 14:4 But the population of the city was divided; some sided with 
the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and 
the Jews (together with their rulers) made an attempt to mistreat them 
and stone them, 14:6 Paul and Barnabas learned about it and fled to the 
Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region. 14:7 
There they continued to proclaim the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

14:8 In Lystra sat a man who could not use his feet, lame from birth, 
who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was 
speaking. When Paul stared intently at him and saw he had faith to be 
healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." 
And the man leaped up and began walking. 14:11 So when the crowds saw 
what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods 
have come down to us in human form!" 14:12 They began to call Barnabas 
Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest 
of the temple of Zeus, located just outside the city, brought bulls and 
garlands to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices 
to them. 14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, 
they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 14:15 
"Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures 
just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you 
should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the 
heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In 
past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, 14:17 
yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, by giving 
you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and 
your hearts with joy." 14:18 Even by saying these things, they scarcely 
persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the 
crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming 
him to be dead. 14:20 But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got 
up and went back into the city. On the next day he left with Barnabas 
for Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many 
disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch. 14:22 
They strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to 
continue in the faith, saying, "We must enter the kingdom of God through 
many persecutions." 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in the 
various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the 
protection of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed 
through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, 14:25 and when they had spoken 
the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 14:26 From there they 
sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of 
God for the work they had now completed. 14:27 When they arrived and 
gathered the church together, they reported all the things God had done 
with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. 
14:28 So they spent considerable time with the disciples.

      Prayer

Lord, You said that You were opening the doors to Gentiles, that there 
would no longer be a separation between Jew and Gentile, and You made it 
happen. May I always beware of false divisions among the people of Your 
Church (believers, not buildings, not human-assembled religious 
institutions) and favoritism toward the people-groups to be reached, 
insisting that all be treated with equal regard, just as You have commanded.

      Summary & Commentary

Barnabas and Paul shared at the Word at Lystra, much the same conflict 
occurred there as in Pisidian Antioch with many new believers, 
challenges to the truth from religious leaders who did not want the 
truth to be told, and a threat against their lives which led to Paul and 
Barnabas moving on "to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra, Derbe, and the 
surrounding region."

Paul called out the healing of God in a lame man whose faith the Holy 
Spirit disclosed to him and the pagan worshipers there offered 
sacrifices to them. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and cried out 
against their misplaced worship. Despite their efforts to persuade them 
to the truth the people resisted, then the religious leaders arrived to 
take advantage of the chaos and manipulated the crowd into dragging Paul 
out of the city where they stoned and left him for dead. The disciples 
gathered and prayed and Paul revived, returned to the city, then left 
with Barnabas for Derbe where they declared the Word.

Barnabas and Paul then return to Lystra, then Iconium, and Antioch in 
Syria where they "appointed elders for them in the various churches" 
[Note: Churches referred to the gatherings of believers in parts of the 
various communities. The term "elder" here refers to someone who would 
meet the requirements of a Deacon but serve as something like an Apostle.]

They continued on eventually arriving home in Antioch from where they 
had been commissioned for the journey, sharing all that God had done 
then staying a long while with the disciples.

      Interaction

        Consider

How our modern-day notion of "pastor" may have drawn a parallel to the 
"elder" of ACTS 14.

Discuss

Isn't it amazing how quickly the people were turned from worship to murder?

        Reflect

Pagans often try to make everything fit their beliefs and practices, 
such as trying to make Jesus fit into an existing religious system, or 
forcing non-Biblical elements into an otherwise Biblical gathering.

Share

When have you observed an idolatry of a celebrity or religious leader?

      Faith in Action

Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me any place where I may have drifted 
into the acceptance of a non-Biblical belief about an organization or a 
person.

        Action:

Today I will prayerfully consider all that I do in my daily walk and 
times of gathering together with other believers, looking carefully for 
any indication of an element of non-Biblical elements slipping in. I 
will also pray for safety and wisdom for the spiritual leader or leaders 
of my Christian fellowship.

Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Friday's text will be:

      Acts 15

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! Yippy.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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