A“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The deeper Paul and Barnabas penetrated into Asia Minor, the more the battle lines were drawn. Hell was not pleased with being disturbed by these two champions of truth. For too long, the powers of darkness had held sway in the religious arena. On the one hand, pagan religion with its focus on debauchery… drunkenness…sexual perversion…and all kinds of wickedness…had held the Gentiles captive…and the religious self-righteousness of the Jews on the other hand. 

Truth has a habit of stirring up trouble. Jesus had warned that He had not come to bring peace but a sword. His soldiers would be pitted against the powers of darkness… but they had the assurance that He had already overcome the world…and, what’s more, His peace within them would be a fortress against the world. Now was the time to put His promise to the test. 

The preaching of the gospel had a twofold effect on its audience. Some received the message gladly, believed…both Jews and Greeks…and joined the ranks of the redeemed. Others reacted violently against the truth. The unbelieving Jews led the charge…pouring poison into the minds of those who resisted. 

The influence of the Jewish faction was so powerful that the city was split down the middle. A coalition, formed between Jews and Gentiles who were normally hostile towards one another, turned violent. Satan is never content to fight with words alone. Force is his method to get his way.  Kill those who won’t bend. 

The people of the city of Iconium had made their choice. Some had found life and peace in Jesus. Others had chosen rebellion and violence as their hiding place against truth. Paul and Barnabas found themselves in the centre of the skirmish. They became the target of the hatred against God. 

“Discretion is the better part of valour.” These two pioneer missionaries still had an enormous task ahead. Now was not the time to be foolhardy. They had to beat a hasty retreat, leaving behind a group of new believers who had no background in the Scriptures…no prior knowledge of God or His dealings with people…nothing but a new-found faith in Jesus. 

What would happen to this infant church without mature leaders…without teachers who would guide them in these early days so crucial in cementing their faith? Paul and Barnabas left behind them, not people who had been taught another religious system. but a group of people who had been born of God and who were in His care, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit who, Jesus promised, would lead them into all truth. 

As always, the work of God is a partnership between the divine and the human. The role of the human is to sow the seed. God’s part is to cause the seed to grow…rooted in Jesus… and nurtured and protected by the Holy Spirit. Since the work of these two men was to sow seed in uncultivated soil, they had to trust the Lord  with the results. 

Once again, they were forced to move on…their time with the new believers cut short by persecution. Iconium had an infant church in the care of the Holy Spirit. A new lamp had been lit in the pagan darkness. There were still vast fields to cultivate…many people ensnared in darkness…waiting for coming of  the light. 

And so they left…trusting the Spirit to do His work as they had done theirs. 

To be continued