September 20, 2024
One of the most famous lines in the movie “A Few Good Men” is when a character in the movie says, “You can’t handle the truth.” From the time of the ministry of Jesus in the first century, nonbelievers have attacked Christians because of our affirmation of Scriptural truth. In reality, nonbelievers “can’t handle the truth” that Jesus is the living God and the One and only Savior.
Acts 14 describes an early persecution in which unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and “poisoned their minds against” Christian believers in the city of Iconium. The believers went to Lystra, where the inhabitants worshipped a variety of pagan gods such as Hercules, Zeus and Apollo. A message of a Jewish savior would not have been received well.
Paul commanded an invalid, “Stand up on your feet!” The residents of Lystra misunderstood the source of the healing and began to view Barnabas and Paul as gods. They thought Barnabas was Zeus in human form. Since Paul was the key speaker, the crowds understood Paul to be Hermes, the messenger of Zeus. The local priest of Zeus planned to appease the gods by offering bulls and wreaths at the city gates.
In response to the confused worship the city residents gave to Barnabas and Paul, the apostles tore their robes — an outward expression of the agony they felt inwardly. Paul denied that he and Barnabas were gods by stating that the people of the city were no different from them. Barnabas and Paul viewed the confusion of the local population as an opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus.
In contrast to the gods the residents of Lystra worshipped, Paul highlighted the one God’s message since the people had no exposure to Scripture. Paul pointed to the witness of the acts of God in nature. God gave rain from heaven and fruitful seasons.
Paul’s Jewish opponents traveled many miles from Antioch and Iconium to stone Paul and drag him outside the city. Paul’s opponents mistakenly thought they made a martyr of Paul. The believers in Lystra gathered around Paul, presumably in prayer.
Paul got up and went into the town before departing with Barnabas for Derbe. In Acts 16, Paul encounters a disciple named Timothy in Lystra. Paul may have shared with the young Timothy the likelihood of persecution before Timothy officially became part of Paul’s ministry associates.
Paul not only proclaimed the gospel and evangelized, but he also discipled new believers. He strengthened believers by challenging them to continue in the faith and by reminding them of the possibility of persecution.
The point is that believers experience hardships in the Kingdom of God. Paul and his ministry team did not leave churches without leadership. They appointed elders in the churches they founded and committed them to the Lord. How can you encourage others to remain steadfast in the faith?
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This lesson was written by Mark Rathel, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and originally published by The Baptist Paper. This study is based on the Explore the Bible curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources.
