GODS OR DEMONS?

WELCOMED OR STONED?

Acts 14

Paul's in boot-camp! In Philippiaans 4:11 he tells us he has learned to be content or at least able to deal with any condition that comes along – for better and worse. Chapter 14 tells us some of the first lessons of both good and bad times. Although, he needed to get rid of both.

Remember the Antioch church had set them aside at the Spirit's direction, and Barnabas and Paul went on what's known as Paul's first missionary journey. It may be the first foreign missionary journey any time – at least for Christianity. In Chapter 14, they find themselves worshiped as gods and stoned for demons. Man! Talk about an emotional roller-coaster!

But for aa minute let's back up and see what has happened since leaving Antioch.

First, they went by boat to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Luke notes that John Mark was with them. They began a pattern they followed almost everywhere. Since Paul was a well-respected rabbi, trained under the best, he had an open pulpit in any synagogue. From examples of apostolic teaching elsewhere, he almost certainly began by scanning Jewish history from the Exodus through the prophets, often beginning as far back as Abraham. Then he proclaimed what God had done in recent days through Jesus the Messiah and usually adding his own testimony. Throughout Acts, we see the same three results, some believed and joyfully joined their growing numbers, some were interested but not ready to commit, and the third group rejected the message and its messengers. At least half the time, these were fellow Jews who wanted to remain in their belief. A few became violent enough to chase the apostles out of town or even try to kill them. Life following Jesus can be hard.

I found a website of “Christian Hedonists” with one article labeled, “God Wants His Pastors to Be Happy!” Well. I still think of myself as a pastor, even in a retirement, and you know, I never thought of that as God's will for me. Yeah, most of the time I was very happy and enjoyed what I was doing. God created me for that lifestyle. But I would have to say God primarily calls His pastors (and people) to be faithful! To carry out the mission and the assignment he has given them. What about the third world countries in which pastors aare imprisoned for being Christians and trying to win others? Any sound doctrine of ecclesiology and Christian leadership should apply across the globe and in multiple societies.

Meanwhile, back in Cypress and “Asia” (now Turkey) some of the Jews who did not accept that Jesus was the promised Messiah, tried to squelch the new faith they considered a Jewish heresy. They drove Paul and Barnabas out of town. Further they followed him to other towns and told their cohorts to watch out for those imposters preaching heresy.

Their first opponent on Cypress was a “sorcerer” named Elymas, who got really bent out of shape when a government official, the proconsul of the area got interested in Christianity. He began loudly abusing Paul, but the preacher out-trash-talked him and threw a spell of blindness on him. Note he was already blind to the gospel.

The missionaries then left Cypress for the mainland at Perga. At that point, John Mark turned back. No explanation is given, but a bit later when about to set out on a second journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them. Paul refused on the grounds he turned back, and the two split. Noticed God used even this disagreement between two good men to double the missionary force. Notice also Paul picked up Timothy to accompany him and Silas. (I'm getting ahead of the story, but I'm my own editor, so...) You could conclude that from the very beginning training the next generation is vital. Who are you mentoring?

Chapte 13 contains another example of the first century sermons I mentioned above. The audience apparently received the message well, because they hung around afterward and invited them to speak again the next Sabbath. A huge crowd (“the whole city”) came the next week. Some of the Jews disagreed violently and started heckling them. Paul then told them they always preached first to the Jews as God's people, but if they didn't accept the message, they would turn to the Gentiles. He also quoted scripture to show God allowed, predicted, and approved of the whole world getting the message.

And now we come (finally!) to Sunday's lesson from Acts 14. Some troublemakers had followed the missionary expeditions and stirred up the local citizenry about the Gospel. As a result of that pressure, Paul and Barnabas traveled away from the coast into the heartlands of what is not Turkey. The next stop was in Iconium on the border of Capadocia. Cappadocia is still a remarkable area with its “fairy chimneys,” mountains with caves, and homes emerging from the rocks. Google it and click on Images.

In Iconium, the apostles ran into the same emerging pattern. First came successful preaching and many new converts. This led to a division among the people and sometimes rioting. Then Paul healed a man and chaos broke loose. They had no idea what to do. The Greek's first reaction was to call them gods walking on earth. Since a major Temple to Zeus, the chief of the gods (you may remember him from the Roman system as Jupiter) was there in Lystra, the people called them Zeus and Hermes (Mercury). The chief priest of the shrine to Zeus came prepared to offer sacrifice to them. So the same day they were called demonic and divine. With difficulty they convinced the people not to crown them or sacrifice to them.

Next, the persistent Jewish opposition showed up and swayed the crowd back to hostility. So they stoned Paul, pulled him outside the city, and left him for dead. But like Mark Twain, the rumor of his death was greatly exaggerated. He eventually aroused and the next day He and Barnabas left town and resumed their travels. More learning how to be content, via the college of literal hard knocks.

Look down to the last paragraph of the chapter. Paul and Barnabas began to retrace their steps, even into the cities they had been chased out of! They were beginning the process of deepening their discipleship and appointing leaders for the churches. Note especially verse 22: We must go through many hardshipsto enter the Kingdom of God! Hardships? How does that fit into the “prosperity gospel”? You're right, it doesn't. Remember Jesus talking about a wide road and a narrow road?

They retraced their steps, once again visiting the churches they had established. Their intention was to make sure the church was still growing, and the leaders were capable. Eventually, they came back to a huge welcome in their base church of Antioch. They reported their experiences in detail to that congregation and stayed with them “a long time.”

NEXT WEEK: A major crossroad!