Acts 14:19-20 Stoning, Escape to Derbe
“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Well, just as Paul and Barnabas are convincing the people of Lystra that they are neither Zeus nor Hermes, Jews from Antioch and Iconium show up. The men of Lystra are already severely disappointed at Paul and Barnabas’ refusal to allow the citizens of Lystra to worship them as Greek gods, so it’s quite easy for these vicious Jewish leaders to convince the mob to stone Paul instead. People are generally fickle and easily swayed. The citizens of Lystra stone Paul and drag him out of the city so he’ll die outside the city gates; however, they must be shocked when Paul rises up and walks back into the city after the disciples gather around Paul and pray for him. How do you get rid of someone who appears to have risen from the dead?
Acts 14:21-28 Strengthening the Converts
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” So, when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.
Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So, they stayed there a long time with the disciples.”
This passage is a little confusing. As far as we can tell, Paul is stoned in Lystra; yet, this passage mentions returning to Lystra. Perhaps Paul has been stoned in a small village outside Lystra, rather than Lystra itself. The important thing is that even after being violently rejected by the local people, Paul returns and preaches the gospel, making many disciples. After all, Paul and Barnabas have already healed a cripple, and now Paul has survived stoning, evidently without any injuries whatsoever. Rather than discouraging new believers, these persecutions encourage them, for it’s not easy to be a Christian in these times. Ray Van der Laan, in one of his videos, speaks of the pressures on Christian businessmen in pagan cities, for their unbelieving neighbors would try to force them to sacrifice to the gods of the market and commerce. Christians refusing to work on the Sabbath might find themselves without jobs.
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Hmm! Try preaching this message today and see how popular it will be with a congregation. Nobody wants to hear that they are likely to suffer; yet, in Northern Nigeria, believers are dying for their faith as Muslim extremists attack worship services. In many parts of the world, believers are suffering and dying. There’s an old Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy proclaims that “I don’t want any downs! I only want ups and ups and ups!” If we are honest, most of us feel the same way. We interpret the petty problems we face daily as profound suffering, refusing to look at the bigger picture of the persecuted church.
These verses mention that Paul and Barnabas fast and pray and then appoint elders in each church. But these men are new believers with only the teaching they have received from Paul and Barnabas to guide them. It is amazing that these men fulfill these functions competently and thoroughly, despite being a lack of experience as Christians. Evidently, God has been preparing these men for these positions all of their lives so that they are able to perform well. Obviously, God has guided Paul and Barnabas in their choice of elders.
After reporting everything to the church at Antioch, Paul and Barnabas stay there a long time. Not only do these men need to report on their missionary efforts, but they themselves need restoration. Here the local church is playing a crucial role in rejuvenating these men for further service, a role many local churches avoid.
Several years ago, we were spending several weeks in one of our “home” locations. We were facing life-shaking challenges-putting my father in a nursing home, dealing with the sudden death of my beloved sister-in-law. It was summer, and some of the fellowship groups at a local church had disbanded; however, the pastor made a special point of boasting about how much the members of his group were enjoying one another. The pastor went so far as to show slides during the worship service of the fun his group had had the previous Sunday during a picnic and swimming party. We quietly went to the pastor, begging to become part of a fellowship group, for we desperately needed restoration. It rapidly became obvious that the pastor did not want to include us in his group for reasons we never understood. Did he think we would take over his group? Who knows? Eventually, leaders of another group heard of our plight and graciously included us. Those precious people are now with Jesus, but we will forever bless their names that they were willing to add us.
Why do I tell this story? Missionaries need restoration just like other believers. We don’t float around on little pink clouds; we have the same life challenges as everyone else. But we must face these challenges while we are also trying to raise money to return to our mission stations and deal with any problems being raised by those back in those stations.
In this passage, Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch after Paul has been stoned and they have been chased across the countryside by furious Jewish leaders. No wonder these men need restoration! It’s likely a relief for Paul and Barnabas to sit quietly while someone else teaches. I end this teaching with a heart-felt plea: If your church is supporting missionaries, ASK what they need in terms of emotional support, rather than guessing!!! You might find that they simply want to sit quietly and listen while someone else teaches.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to hear the heart cries of those around us, particularly those in ministry, and to realize that they need spiritual restoration just as we do. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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