Acts 14

Ac 14:1-7.

MEETING WITH

SIMILAR

SUCCESS AND

SIMILAR

OPPOSITION AT

ICONIUM,

PAUL AND

BARNABAS

FLEE FOR

THEIR

LIVES TO

LYSTRA AND

DERBE, AND

PREACH

THERE.

"After this detailed account of Paul's labors at Pisidian Antioch, Luke

subjoins only brief notices of his further labors, partly because from

the nature of the case his discourses must have embraced nearly the same

topics, and partly because the consequences that resulted assumed quite

a similar shape" [OLSHAUSEN].

1. they went both together into the synagogue--Though Paul was now

the prominent speaker and actor, yet in everything Barnabas went along

with him.

a . . . multitude . . . of the Greeks believed--meaning probably the

religious proselytes, as opposed to "the Gentiles" mentioned

Ac 14:2.

3. Long time therefore abode they--because in spite of opposition they

were meeting with so much success.

speaking boldly in the Lord--rather, "in dependence on the Lord," that

is, on their glorified Head.

who gave testimony to the word of his grace--a notable definition of

the Gospel, whose whole burden is GRACE.

and granted--"granting," that is, who confirmed the Gospel by granting

miraculous attestation to it. (The "and" is wanting in the best

manuscripts).

5. an assault made . . . to stone them--rather here,

"an impetuous movement" with a view to stoning them: for in

2Co 11:25,

Paul says, "Once I was stoned," and that was at Lystra, as

expressly related in

Ac 14:19.

(PALEY'S remarks--Horæ

Paulinæ--on this singular coincidence between the Epistle and

the history are very striking).

fled--(See

Mt 10:23).

6. unto Lystra and Derbe--the one some twenty miles to the south, the

other some sixty miles to the east of Iconium, somewhere near the bases

of what are called the Black Mountains and the roots of Mount Taurus;

but their exact position has not yet been discovered.

Ac 14:8-21.

AT

LYSTRA

PAUL

HEALING A

CRIPPLE, THE

PEOPLE

ARE

SCARCE

RESTRAINED FROM

SACRIFICING TO

THEM AS

GODS, BUT

AFTERWARDS,

THEIR

MINDS

BEING

POISONED,

THEY

STONE

PAUL,

LEAVING

HIM FOR

DEAD--WITHDRAWING TO

DERBE,

THEY

PREACH AND

TEACH

THERE.

There being no mention of the synagogue at Lystra, it is probable there

were too few Jews there to form one.

8-10. there sat there a certain man . . . a cripple from

his mother's womb . . . The same heard Paul speak--in the

open air and

(Ac 14:11)

to a crowd of people.

9. who steadfastly beholding him--as he did Elymas the sorcerer when

about to work a miracle on him.

and perceiving that he had faith to be healed--Paul may have been led

healing, and His present power; and perceiving from the eagerness with

which the patient drank in his words, that he was prepared to put his

own case into the Redeemer's hands, the Spirit of the glorified

Physician came all upon Paul, and "with a loud voice" he bade him "stand

upright upon his feet." The effect was instantaneous--he sprang to his

feet "and walked."

11-13. in the speech of Lycaonia--whether a corruption of the

Greek tongue, which was well enough understood in this region,

or the remains of some older tongue, is not known.

The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men--the language of an

unsophisticated people. But "that which was a superstition in Lycaonia,

and for which the whole "creation" groaned, became a reality at

Bethlehem" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].

12. they called Barnabas, Jupiter--the father of the gods, from his

commanding mien (CHRYSOSTOM thinks).

and Paul, Mercurius--the god of eloquence and the messenger and

attendant of Jupiter, in the heathen mythology.

13. the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city--that is, whose

temple stood

before their city, brought oxen and garlands--to crown the victims and

decorate, as on festive occasions, the porches.

14-18. when . . . Barnabas and Paul heard--Barnabas is put first here,

apparently as having been styled the "Jupiter" of the company.

they rent their clothes and ran in--rather (according to the true

reading), "ran forth."

among the people, crying out . . . Sirs, why do ye these things?--This

was something more than that abhorrence of idolatry which took

possession of the Jews as a nation from the time of the Babylonish

captivity: it was that delicate sensibility to everything which affects

the honor of God which Christianity, giving us in God a reconciled

Father, alone can produce; making the Christian instinctively feel

himself to be wounded in all dishonor done to God, and filling him with

mingled horror and grief when such gross insults as this are offered to

him.

15. We . . . are men of like passions, &c.--How unlike either

imposture or enthusiasm is this, and how high above all self-seeking do

these men of Christ show themselves to be!

unto the living God--This is the most glorious and distinctive of all

the names of God. It is the familiar phraseology of the Old Testament.

which, in such contrast with all that is to be found within the

literature of heathenism, is shown to be, with its sequel, the New

Testament, the one Book of the true religion.

who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all . . . therein--This

idea of creation, utterly unknown alike to rude and to cultivated

heathenism, would not only define what was meant by "the living God,"

but open up a new world to the more thoughtful part of the audience.

16. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways--that

is, without extending to them the revelation vouchsafed to the seed

of Abraham, and the grace attending it; compare

Ac 17:30;

1Co 1:21.

Yet not without guilt on their part was this privation

(Ro 1:20,

&c.).

17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness--Though the

heinousness of idolatry is represented as so much less in the heathen,

care to add that the heathen have divine "witness" enough to leave them

"without excuse."

he did good--scattering His beneficence everywhere and in a thousand

forms.

rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons--on which human subsistence

and all human enjoyment depend. In Lycaonia, where, as ancient writers

attest, rain is peculiarly scarce, this allusion would have all the

greater effect.

filling our hearts with food and gladness--a natural colloquialism,

the heart being gladdened by the food supplied to the body.

18. with these sayings scarce restrained they the people that they had

not done sacrifice to them--In spite of this,and Peter's repudiation

of all such honor

(Ac 10:26),

how soon idolatrous tendencies began to show themselves in the

Christian Church, at length to be systematized and enjoined in the

Church of Rome!

19. came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium--Furious

zeal that would travel so far to counteract the missionaries of the

Cross!

persuaded the people--"the multitudes."

and having stoned Paul--(See on

Ac 14:5).

Barnabas they seem to have let alone; Paul, as the prominent actor and

speaker, being the object of all their rage. The words seem to imply

that it was the Jews who did this; and no doubt they took the lead

(Ac 14:19),

but it was the act of the instigated and fickle multitudes along with

them.

drew him out of the city--By comparing this with

Ac 7:58

it will be seen that the Jews were the chief actors in this scene.

20. as the disciples stood round about him--sorrowing. So his

labors here had not been in vain: "Disciples" had been gathered, who

now rallied around the bleeding body. And one appears to have been

gained on this occasion, of far more importance than all the

rest--TIMOTHEUS. See on

Ac 16:1-3.

(It could scarcely have been at the subsequent visit,

Ac 14:21,

for the reason given in

2Ti 3:10, 11;

while at the third visit,

Ac 16:1-3,

he was already a Christian).

he rose up--It is possible that this recovery was natural; the

insensibility occasioned by such treatment as he had received sometimes

passing away of itself, and leaving the patient less hurt than appeared.

But certainly the impression naturally left on the mind by the words is

that the restoration was miraculous; and so the best interpreters

understand the words. This is confirmed by what follows.

came into the city--Noble intrepidity!

next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe--a journey for which

he could hardly be fit if his recovery had been natural. (As to Derbe,

see on

Ac 14:6).

21. and when they had preached . . . to that city and had

taught many--rather, "had made many disciples" (Margin); but

probably without suffering any persecution, as Derbe is not mentioned

along with Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra

(2Ti 3:11).

Ac 14:21-28.

PAUL AND

BARNABAS

RETRACE

THEIR

STEPS,

RETURN TO

ANTIOCH IN

SYRIA, AND

THUS

COMPLETE

THEIR

FIRST

MISSIONARY

JOURNEY.

21, 22. they returned . . . to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, confirming

the souls, &c.--At Derbe, Paul was not far from the well-known pass

which leads down from the central tableland to Cilicia and Tarsus. But

his thoughts did not center in an earthly home. He revisited the places

where he had been reviled and persecuted, but where he had left as sheep

in the desert the disciples whom his Master had enabled him to gather.

They needed building up and strengthening in the faith, comforting in

the midst of their inevitable suffering, and fencing round by permanent

institutions. Undaunted therefore by the dangers that awaited them, our

missionaries return to them, using words of encouragement which none but

the founders of a true religion would have ventured to address to their

earliest converts, that "we can only enter into the kingdom of God by

passing through much tribulation" [HOWSON].

23, 24. when they had ordained them elders--literally, "chosen by show

of hands." But as that would imply that this was done by the apostles'

own hands, many render the word, as in our version, "ordained." Still,

as there is no evidence in the New Testament that the word had then lost

its proper meaning, as this is beyond doubt its meaning in

2Co 8:19,

and as there is indisputable evidence that the concurrence of the people

was required in all elections to sacred office in the earliest ages of

the Church, it is perhaps better to understand the words to mean, "when

they had made a choice of elders," that is, superintended such choice on

the part of the disciples.

and had prayed with fasting--literally, "fastings," thus setting them

solemnly apart. This last clause confirms our interpretation of the

former. For if "ordination" was by prayer and fasting (see

Ac 13:3),

why should it be said they first "ordained elders," and after that

"prayed with fasting?" Whereas if the first clause refer to the

choice and the second to the ordination, all is natural.

they commended--"committed"

them--that is, all these churches.

to the Lord--Jesus.

25. when they had preached the word in Perga--now doing what, for some

reason, they had not done on their former visit, but probably with no

visible fruit.

they went down into Attaila--a seaport on the Gulf of Pamphylia,

drawing to itself the commerce of Egypt and Syria.

26. sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been

recommended--(See on

Ac 13:3).

27. when they had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that

God had done with them, &c.--As their call and mission had been solemn

and formal, in the presence of and by the Church as well as the Holy

Ghost, they dutifully, and no doubt with eager joy, convened the church

and gave their report of "all that God had done with them," that is, by

and for them.

and how--in particular.

he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles--to such even as

before had not been proselytes. (See on

Ac 11:21;

and on the language, see

1Co 16:9;

2Co 2:12;

Col 4:3).

The ascribing directly to God of such access to the Gentiles is to be

noted.

28. there they abode long time--"no little time." From the

commencement of the mission till they left Antioch to go up to attend

the council at Jerusalem, some four or five years elapsed; and as the

missionary journey would probably occupy less than two years, the rest

of the time would be the period of their stay at Antioch. (But see

Chronological Table.)