A STUDY GUIDE ACTS 14:1-18
1. A Study Guide
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 14:1-18
a) The verses describe how Paul and Barnabas were persecuted in Iconium, and mistaken for gods in Lystra.
#1) Acts 14:1-4
14 In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. 2 But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
i) In Iconium. When thrown out of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, the next town to the southeast (see map this page). Much the same things took place there as in Antioch: Paul and Barnabas first went to the synagogue; many believed their message, but others opposed them —in spite of the miracles which Paul and Barnabas did. Then came the persecution, as we see in the next passage.
#2) Acts 14:5-7
5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
i) A mob were going to stone Paul and Barnabas. In Antioch they'd been driven out of town. Now in Iconium, they were going to be killed. But someone told them about it, so Paul and Barnabas fled to the next towns southward, Lystra and Derbe. But they didn't stop preaching the word. In Lystra they had a quite different experience, as the next passage shows.
#3) Acts 14:8-10
8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.
i) A man lame from his mother’s womb. This miracle performed by Paul is almost identical to the miracle that Peter and John did in Jerusalem (Acts 3). The one real difference is that the man whom Peter healed had no expectation of it, thinking Peter was going to give him some money. But this man in Lystra had faith to be made whole. He believed in the power of Jesus to heal, and he hoped that one of Paul’s wonders and signs would be worked on him. Paul was glad to oblige. Like the man Peter healed, this man immediately leaped and walked.
#4) Acts 14:11-13
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” 12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
i) The gods have come down! The reaction of the populace to this miracle was not anticipated by Paul. The purpose of working miracles was to confirm the word preached (Mark 16:20). Paul’s miracle had another quite undesirable effect. Unlike Peter in Jerusalem, Paul was in a pagan city. Pagan reasoning took over: only gods can do wonders, so Paul and Barnabas must be gods. This story illustrates how miraculous powers needed to be used with great care; and helps to explain why they were granted only for a short time.
ii) Zeus and Hermes. These are the Greek names. The Latin or Roman names are Jupiter (for Zeus) and Mercurius (for Hermes). It was believed that Mercurius (Mercury) was the messenger of the gods.
#5) Acts 14:14-18
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
i) Why are you doing this? Had Paul anticipated the reaction to his healing of the lame man, perhaps he would have spoken more emphatically on these things earlier, before the priest of Zeus brought out garlands and oxen for a sacrifice.
ii) The living God who made the sky... Paul and Barnabas’s frantic message to the crowds comes down to this: your gods are lifeless; they are myths; they cannot do anything; and we are just mortals; don't worship us, but worship the true and living God.
iii) Let all the nations go their own ways. Paul would later write of the idol-worshiping nations, "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity..." (Romans 1:21-25), "Having overlooked the times of this ignorance, God is now declaring to humanity that all people everywhere should repent" (Acts 17:29-31).
iv) Only just. This was a narrow escape. Paul would rather be stoned than be worshiped! Had Paul and Barnabas not managed to persuade the crowd to cancel the sacrifice, the two preachers would have been devastated and would not have forgotten the disaster in Lystra. Fortunately they were able to avert it.
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 14:1-18
a) The verses describe how Paul and Barnabas were persecuted in Iconium, and mistaken for gods in Lystra.
#1) Acts 14:1-4
14 In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. 2 But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
i) In Iconium. When thrown out of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium, the next town to the southeast (see map this page). Much the same things took place there as in Antioch: Paul and Barnabas first went to the synagogue; many believed their message, but others opposed them —in spite of the miracles which Paul and Barnabas did. Then came the persecution, as we see in the next passage.
#2) Acts 14:5-75 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
i) A mob were going to stone Paul and Barnabas. In Antioch they'd been driven out of town. Now in Iconium, they were going to be killed. But someone told them about it, so Paul and Barnabas fled to the next towns southward, Lystra and Derbe. But they didn't stop preaching the word. In Lystra they had a quite different experience, as the next passage shows.
#3) Acts 14:8-10
8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.
i) A man lame from his mother’s womb. This miracle performed by Paul is almost identical to the miracle that Peter and John did in Jerusalem (Acts 3). The one real difference is that the man whom Peter healed had no expectation of it, thinking Peter was going to give him some money. But this man in Lystra had faith to be made whole. He believed in the power of Jesus to heal, and he hoped that one of Paul’s wonders and signs would be worked on him. Paul was glad to oblige. Like the man Peter healed, this man immediately leaped and walked.
#4) Acts 14:11-13
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” 12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
i) The gods have come down! The reaction of the populace to this miracle was not anticipated by Paul. The purpose of working miracles was to confirm the word preached (Mark 16:20). Paul’s miracle had another quite undesirable effect. Unlike Peter in Jerusalem, Paul was in a pagan city. Pagan reasoning took over: only gods can do wonders, so Paul and Barnabas must be gods. This story illustrates how miraculous powers needed to be used with great care; and helps to explain why they were granted only for a short time.
ii) Zeus and Hermes. These are the Greek names. The Latin or Roman names are Jupiter (for Zeus) and Mercurius (for Hermes). It was believed that Mercurius (Mercury) was the messenger of the gods.
#5) Acts 14:14-18
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
i) Why are you doing this? Had Paul anticipated the reaction to his healing of the lame man, perhaps he would have spoken more emphatically on these things earlier, before the priest of Zeus brought out garlands and oxen for a sacrifice.
ii) The living God who made the sky... Paul and Barnabas’s frantic message to the crowds comes down to this: your gods are lifeless; they are myths; they cannot do anything; and we are just mortals; don't worship us, but worship the true and living God.
iii) Let all the nations go their own ways. Paul would later write of the idol-worshiping nations, "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity..." (Romans 1:21-25), "Having overlooked the times of this ignorance, God is now declaring to humanity that all people everywhere should repent" (Acts 17:29-31).
iv) Only just. This was a narrow escape. Paul would rather be stoned than be worshiped! Had Paul and Barnabas not managed to persuade the crowd to cancel the sacrifice, the two preachers would have been devastated and would not have forgotten the disaster in Lystra. Fortunately they were able to avert it.
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