AP

Studies in Acts

The Gospel Expands (Acts 14:19-28)

Verses 19-21a The events in Lystra became known to the Jews in Antioch and Iconium, who had expelled Paul. Their hatred of the gospel was so fierce that they had enough energy to make a long and weary journey of 160 km from Antioch and 40 km from Iconium to stamp out the name of Messiah Jesus in Lystra.

Some time must have elapsed between the events narrated in verse 18 and those of 19. It was not hard for the Jews to enlist the disappointed and disillusioned Gentiles. Were Paul and his friend unwilling to be worshipped as gods? That made that it much easier to turn the popular favour into popular hatred. Paul was seized. The Jews had apparently taken the lead, for he was condemned to the usual Jewish punishment of stoning. Would he perhaps have thought at that moment of Stephen, in whose stoning he had taken part? He was taken for dead and dragged out of the city, where people left him.

But the seed of the gospel he had scattered had already borne fruit. He already had disciples in Lystra, saved out of paganism. They came out of the city to pay their last respects to their beloved brother Paul. With intense sorrow they stood in a circle around the battered “dead man” lying on the ground. Was young Timothy also standing with them? Later Paul would call him “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 1:2), which leads us to assume that the apostle was permitted to guide him to conversion on his first journey.

To the great surprise and joy of the disciples, the “dead man” opened his eyes! His bloodied body began to move. Despite his injuries the victim of stoning picked himself up and walked on his own with them into the city! Even though he was not raised from the dead, the fact that a victim of stoning who a moment before had shown no signs of being alive was able to do this pointed to a miraculous preservation and confirmation by his Sender.

This is even more significant when we see him starting out the next morning once again on a trip of some 65 km to Derbe (v. 20b). What a powerful example of the courage of faith he was giving to the new Christians of Lystra. Paul’s wounds would surely not have been healed immediately. Later he explicitly recalls, in his letter to the Galatians, “the marks of Jesus on my body” (cf. Galatians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Timothy 3:11).

After several days, Paul and Barnabas arrived in Derbe, which in that day was a border fortress of the Roman empire and the eastern-most point of their first journey. There as well they brought the Good News and made a multitude of disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke reports nothing about opposition against the proclamation of the gospel in Derbe. When Paul recalls his suffering in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, he mentions nothing of the sort in connection with Derbe (2 Timothy 3:11). One of his fellow workers came from this city: Gaius of Derbe (Acts 20:4).

Verses 21b-28 Despite their harrowing experiences in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, Paul and Barnabas returned to those cities to strengthen the disciples and encourage them to remain true to the faith. They also appointed elders, who would guide the believers and support them in any hardships or persecution. With prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord.

Following the example of ancient Israel, they appointed elders to lead and shepherd the flock as teachers and overseers of the good Shepherd. They did not appoint just one head shepherd for the entire region of Galatia, nor just one overseer for each local church (Greek: episkopos > bishop). A single member council is alien to Christ’s church. In each church they appointed a plurality of older men. The gifts they had to possess would have been the same as those that the apostle would mention later in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 2:1-5. If things proceeded properly, the elections of elders would acknowledge and recognize those Spirit-given gifts.

Presumably at this stage, Jewish believers especially would have come under consideration, those who from youth knew Holy Scripture, like Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14-15), together with God-fearing Gentiles, who had been attending synagogue services for a long time already. After all, newly converted Gentiles would not have been able to instruct others. The elders would have been chosen in consultation and cooperation with the church (cf. Acts 6:3–6).

Paul knew very well his responsibility for the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28). Therefore, he did not abandon them before he implemented three pastoral measures: (1) he instructed them once more (v. 22);

(2) he provided for continuing pastoral supervision and instruction (v. 23a);

(3) he commended the new believers to the care of the living Lord, who had brought them to faith through his Spirit and Word (v. 23b).

About one and a half or two years had passed since the Holy Spirit had sent them forth from Antioch in Syria (13:2-3). Now they embarked on their return trip to the church in that city. They took the same route as on the trip out, which involved again the wearying foot travel from Antioch in Pisidia across the Taurus mountains and its robber hideouts to Perga in Pamphylia, about 160 km. It was here that John Mark had left them earlier (Acts 13:13).

On the trip out they presumably had not preached there. Based on Galatians 4:13–14, some have thought that for health reasons, Paul needed to move as quickly as possible through the hot plains to the higher and cooler region of Pisidia. But now they proclaimed the gospel in Perga as well, and we may also assume that they founded a church there. Next, they descended to Attalia, some 16 km further, an important seaport on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They booked passage on a ship whose destination was Seleucia, the harbour of Antioch. After their arrival, they called the church together and gave a report about the great deeds that God had performed through their ministry. In Asia Minor, churches were founded in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Perga. Would Luke—who according to Eusebius was a native of Antioch—have heard this report in person?

God’s grace was the central focus of these meetings. All the honour went to God’s compassion toward the pagans. God had done the actual work, although he had performed it “with them” as his “fellow workers” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1). In this way he had opened the door to the world of Gentiles so they could receive “access to the Father” through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:18; cf. Acts 11:18). And this apart from requiring them to observe the Law of Moses.

After surviving these challenges, Paul and Barnabas remained some time in Antioch and took part in the instruction of that church (Acts 15:35). It is estimated that they stayed there approximately from August/September of A.D. 47 until the summer of 48. These months would be far from tranquil for them, however. Their gospel offering to both Jews and Gentiles of salvation through faith alone would unleash widespread contention during this time (Acts 15). It could also have happened in this period that Paul had to chastise his fellow apostle Peter (Galatians 2:11–14).

Question:

Both Paul and Timothy had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Paul needed a revelation before he understood them properly. Timothy seems to have entered into a full understanding without any dramatics. What does that tell us about the grace of God?

– Alida Sewell