REMAIN TRUE TO THE FAITH

Acts 14:1-28 

Key verse 14:22 

…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. 

In the previous passage Paul shared the Lord’s command, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles.” This passage shows their mission work among the Gentiles and how deep the darkness was that they were in. They went through many hardships, but encouraged the disciples to remain true to the faith to enter the kingdom of God without compromising with the world which is hostile to the gospel.

What hardship did Paul and Barnabas face in Iconium? (1-2) How did they respond? (3) How is their speaking and message described? How did the Lord work among them? (3) Why did they leave? (4-7) 

**See verses 1-2. Although “a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed,” those Jews who did not believed stirred up other Gentiles and “poisoned their minds against the brothers.” So they attacked by going headstrong against those who had come to believe through Paul and Barnabas’s message. 

**See verse 3. They spent “considerable time” there. It takes much effort to root out this kind of poison. They spoke “for the Lord” rather than arguing or trying to defend themselves. 

**Verse 1 says that they spoke “so effectively…” and verse 3 says that they spoke “boldly” for the Lord. These descriptions tell us that one’s way of speaking is very important when speaking for the Lord. It shows that there is a purpose and meaning in what we say and how we say it, for the Lord, so that the message may come out effectively and with boldness. Not to take away from the guidance of the Holy Spirit when speaking, but to add that the messenger be conscious of the work he is called to do. Speaking for the Lord is not a light or casual thing. 

** Verse 3 says that the Lord himself “confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” The Lord was working there among them and confirmed his message by his power. 

** They fled after finding out about a plot to mistreat and stone them. 

Where did Paul and Barnabas go to next? What did Paul do first there? (8-10) How did the crowd respond to this? (11-13) What does their response show about them? 

** They went to Lystra first. 

** He healed a man who had been crippled from birth. (8) The way Paul healed this man reminds us of how Jesus had healed many people. Specifically, verse 9 says that Paul “saw that he had faith to be healed…” On one occasion, four friends brought their paralytic friend to Jesus. Matthew 9:2 says that when Jesus “saw their faith” he spoke to the paralytic and forgave his sins. In both cases, it was after seeing their faith that they spoke. This shows how Jesus’ power was working among the apostles. 

** They mistook Barnabas and Paul as gods come down in human form, associating them with Zeus and Hermes. Then they tried to offer sacrifices to them. 

** Through this we see how steeped in idolatry and darkness they were. Although the Lord was revealing his power through his apostles, these people did not know or see the Lord at all. They immediately assumed that Barnabas and Paul were idol gods come in human form. The crowd was ready to worship them. This event helps to bring to meaning the Lord’s command through the prophet Isaiah mentioned in chapter 13, “a light for the Gentiles.” Although the Gentiles had developed philosophy and arts and combat, etc., they were in total darkness, so much so that they did something that looks so stupid in trying to sacrifice to the apostles thinking they’re some idol gods. When people do not know God, they exchange and sacrifice their lives for these things. And this very type of darkness that leads to idol worship is rampant in our society today. And the root is not knowing God. 

What did Paul and Barnabas first say about themselves? (14-15) What did they teach about God? (15-17) Why? What was the crowd like throughout their message? (18) 

** They quickly and firstly confessed, shouting, that they were only human as the rest of them were. They were merely the messengers and deliverers of the good news of the living God. They’re attitude contrasts that of Herod who did not speak against those who called him a god. They considered themselves humbly in carrying out their mission work and delivering the message. It is like a FEDEX delivery man. They cannot take credit for the package, but merely delivery the package to the recipient. 

** 1) God is living; 2) God is the Creator of all things; 3) God is calling all people now to turn to him by turning away from “worthless things” (their idol worship); 4) God was always showing himself to them through his kindness of provision. 

** The message the apostles give here is very different from the messages we have seen to the Jews so far in the book of Acts. Why did they alter their message? It was to help them at their level. We can see then the importance of cultivating peoples’ minds to hear the message. It’s important not to assume too much about others, but to understand the audience’s level and give the message properly. This crowd had no knowledge of God. 

** See verse 18. Again, this shows the darkness permeating through the lives of the Gentiles. Because they didn’t know God, it was out of control like this. Knowing who God is and the darkness that people live in who do not know God sticks out here strongly. 

What sudden opposition did they face? (19) What did Paul do after getting up? (20) How do his actions compare to vs. 5-6? 

** Jews came from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium to oppose the apostles. Finally, they fulfilled their plot and stoned Paul. He was dragged out of the city thinking he was dead. They acted like the devil’s missionaries, just as Paul had done in the past. 

** Paul got up and went back into the city. 

** Previously, after finding out about a plot to be mistreated and stone, Paul and Barnabas fled the city. Surprisingly, even after actually being mistreated and stoned, Paul did not flee but went back into the city. A question that arises is: What is the difference between the previous time and this time that Paul went back into the city? After experiencing this kind of hardship firsthand, he came to understand hardships a little more although he himself used to persecute from city to city, and was encouraged through it, based on his encouragement to the disciples later is regarding hardships. So he went back in to encourage the disciples. His going back also shows his faith to carry out the work of the Lord still to be done in the city. He then left the next day at the right time. 

Where did they go next? (20b) What did they do there? (21a) To where did they return? (21b) What did they say to strengthen and encourage the disciples? (22) Why do you think this strengthened and encouraged them to "remain true to the faith"? 

** They went next to Derbe. 

** See verse 21a. Despite previous hardships, they continued to preach the good news and raise disciples of Jesus. 

** See verse 21b. They visited their previously visited areas to strengthen and encourage the disciples there. 

** Verse 22 says, "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." 

Their main point of encouragement was for the disciples to "remain true to the Lord." And in this context, Paul spoke about the reality of going through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. 

These disciples had been born out of hardships and hostility, for wherever Barnabas and Paul went throughout Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra they faced hardships. Paul even was nearly killed. 

Give them the right perspective regarding hardships and the path of life they are on. The hardships come to those like Paul and Barnabas who serve the Lord faithfully. They are on the path to entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first," (John 15:18), and, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

So, despite hardships we need to remain true to the faith for it is only the gospel that saves man and brings him into God's kingdom. If one is not true to the faith for the sake of avoiding hardships or troubles that come because of the gospel, how can he enter the kingdom of God? 

**Paul could show that it was not his zeal or ambition that was meant to encourage them, but it was Christ who empowered him. This further shows that suffering in the Lord is meaningful and enables us to experience the Lord’s grace and power of resurrection. 

What else did Paul and Barnabas do in Antioch, Iconium, and Derbe? (23) Why is it important to know that they "committed them to the Lord"? (compare also to v.26) Trace their trip home. (24-26) What did they report to the church? (27-28) 

** They appointed elders in each church and continued preaching the word till they returned home. 

** Verse 23 goes on to say, "in whom they had put their trust." This tells us firstly that Paul and Barnabas did a good job to help the disciples build their church fellowship by faith in the Lord first as the foundation. The disciples were not under Paul and Barnabas, but under the Lord and were now committed to him whom they had put their trust in. Second, in comparison to verse 26, which says that Paul and Barnabas had also been committed to the Lord for their mission work, they helped the disciples to have a meaningful sense of responsibility in serving the Lord. They did not know when they might see the disciples again and helped establish a working church fellowship through commitment and trust in the Lord. 

** Verse 26 says, "On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."