Daily Archives: April 21, 2026

ACTS THE SEQUEL…HOME AGAIN – 33

Bible Study, ,

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. “

It seems that this first journey was not a short burst but a lengthy period of moving and staying, to teach and consolidate the work before they moved on, giving believers time to learn and grow. From among them there emerged men who were maturing in their faith…leaders who could be trusted to continue when the missionaries left. 

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust….”

These two now-battle-hardened pioneers longed for home. The first leg of their missionary journey had led them from Cyprus into the interior of Asia Minor…into the heart of pagan idolatry where they had experienced both the whole-hearted response of some and the bitter hatred of others. 

The Holy Spirit had moved powerfully, including doing miracles in the mix. 

The Jews, in the main, remained  resistant to the gospel, even turning the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. Some, but not many Jews, believed and became part of a new species…as Paul wrote to the Ephesian church later on…a new race in Christ…of Jew and Gentile… with a new identity. 

It was time to retrace their steps…to consolidate the work they had done…and to report back to headquarters. They returned to the small groups of believers they had left behind as they went from city to city…teaching and encouraging them to stay firm in their faith…until they finally reached their home base…Antioch in Syria. 

“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭23‬, ‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What  a homecoming! How many years has gone by since they had left Antioch, we do not know. They had no email…no WhatsApp…to keep them in touch with their home church…only “snail-mail” no quicker than their own presence. So, they had much to talk about to their beloved fellow-believers…years of conflict and conquest to share with them. 

How lovely for them to rest in the shelter and safety of their own family. “A long time…”, long enough to gather their strength and their zeal for another season on the road…on the battle field. They now had years of experience behind  them. They knew what lay ahead when they hit the road again. 

So, we leave them in Antioch for a while until…rested and refreshed…they press on toward Rome!

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…THE CROWD TURNS NASTY – 32

Bible Study, ,

“In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.”

“From the frying pan into the fire…” You don’t walk into a crowd of pagan people, tell them about Jesus, heal a lame man… and expect them to praise the Lord! Why not? 

The people of Listra were as idolatrous as they come. Of course, who would they give credit to but the gods they worshipped! That did it! The gods, who had never spoken to them or done anything for them, had actually made an appearance…so they thought!This demanded a special celebration…a sacrifice to mark the occasion! 

“When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.”

Paul and Barnabas were horrified. This was something they had never expected. 

“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them…”

Try as he would, Paul could not convince them that he was only a man, not God. The crowd had no ears for his message. 

“Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.”

0f course, like the Pharisees who perpetually hounded Jesus, there were, inevitably, the fanatically radical, religious Jews in the company, who made mileage of the situation. Before the two missionaries could size up the situation and flee, the stones were flying. The atmosphere changed in an instant from worship to war. 

“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.”

Paul…dead! It can’t be! Perhaps it was…but God stepped in. He still had much work for His servant to do. 

“But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.”

Acts‬ ‭14‬:‭8‬-‭15‬, ‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All in a day’s work. Luke’s account of this incident sounds matter-of-fact. So, the people of Lystra rejected his message. So…they stoned him to death…so, he got up and walked away…as if nothing had happened! This very fact should have started a revival in Lystra…but it didn’t….not according to Luke…

Was this the moment…when Paul was dead…when he saw heaven? 

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We will never know…but I just wondered. 

To be continued