Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. Lystra, to which Paul and Barnabas had fled (Ac 14:6), was an ancient Lycaonian city 18 miles from Iconium. Caesar Augustus turned it into a Roman colony for veterans. Lystra also contained uneducated Gentiles and a few Jews (Ac 16:1).

2. There was a particular man there whom the physician Luke described as having “no strength in his feet” (adunatos - unable) to use his feet, lame from birth (lit. “mother’s womb”), and had never been able to walk.

B. The Holy Spirit Drew Paul’s Attention (Ac 14:9).

1. The lame man was listening to Paul preach the gospel. When Paul noticed the man he “fixed his gaze” on him (cf. Ac 3:4). The word atenizō literally means to stretch or strain as in stare intently. In this context, the implication was that the Holy Spirit drew Paul’s attention to this man.

2. Paul perceived that he had “faith to be healed.” Faith played a part in healing, both Jesus’ ministry (Mt 8:10; 9:22 cf. Mt 13:58) as well as the apostles’, but not always (cf. Ac 3:6; Lk 7:14; Ac 20:9-10). This man’s faith was a genuine faith that was in God, His power, and/or His salvation.

3. This miracle confirmed Paul’s apostolic authority even as a similar miracle confirmed Peter’s (Ac 3:4-6).

C. The Apostle Paul Healed the Man (Ac 14:10).

1. This is the third time that a cripple was healed in the book of Acts (Ac 3:1-10; 9:33-35), but this time it was a Gentile. So, miracles have come to both Jew and Gentile.

2. Paul commanded this man to do what he could not possibly do before. He was to “stand up” (anistāmi), stand “straight” (orthos), and stand on his “feet” (podas).

3. Being a miracle from God, who does exceedingly abundantly above what we ask, the lame man “leaped up” (hallomai - quick movement, spring up) and began to walk.

II. THE PAGANS WORSHIPPED PAUL AND BARNABAS (Ac 14:11-14).

A. The Crowds Believed it Was the Work of the Gods (Ac 14:11).

1. After seeing the miracle of healing, the people believed that it was the work of the gods.

2. They believed that Paul and Barnabas were incarnations of the gods and came down in the “likeness” (homoioō - similar or like) of men.

3. However, shouting in the Lycaonian language, Paul and Barnabas did not understand what they were saying.

B. They Called Barnabas Zeus, Paul Hermes (Ac 14:12)

1. They began shouting that Barnabas was Zeus (Lat. Jupiter). Zeus was the god whom the city worshipped (cf. Ac 14:13). He was supposedly the “king of the gods” and called the “father of the gods and men.” Therefore, they thought he ruled the sky, lightning, and thunder as well as law, order, and justice.

2. They also believed that Paul was Hermes (Lat. Mercury). Hermes was also a god, though he was the speedy emissary between worlds and the messenger of the gods.

3. They thought that Paul was Hermes, because he was the main person preaching (“chief speaker” cf. Ac 14:9).

4. To better understand the thinking of the Lycaonians, there was a tradition written by the poet Ovid (43 BC - 17 AD). In this story, Zeus and Hermes disguised themselves as beggars and went to the city of Lystra. They went from house to house asking for food and lodging. They were turned down by everyone except for an old peasant by the name of Philemon with his wife Baucis. After taking them in, the tradition states that Zeus and Hermes destroyed the village except for the home of Philemon and Baucis. Zeus turned their home into a magnificent temple, where they served as priest and priestess. At death, Zeus changed them into intertwined trees in a bog.

C. The Priest of Zeus Wanted to Sacrifice to Them (Ac 14:13).

1. Historical evidence points to the pagan practice of building temples dedicated to Zeus outside the city walls, sometimes called, “the-temple-outside-the city.”

2. The priest of the temple was ready to sacrifice with the crowds, having brought bulls draped in “garland” (stemmata - wreath of flowers or wool).

D. Barnabas and Paul Were Horrified (Ac 14:14).

1. At first, Paul and Barnabas did not comprehend what the great commotion. But as soon as they became aware of it, they reacted with horror and abhorrence.

2. The symbol of of tearing one’s robe is as much an extreme emotional response as it is a dreadful outward response (Ge 37:34; 2Sa 13:30-31; Mk 14:63). Paul and Barnabas reacted to the blasphemous statement that they were gods.

3. They “rushed out” (ekpādaō - run and spring out) into the crowds and “cried out” (krazō - shriek, scream; different from Ac 14:11) for them to stop.

III. PAUL PREACHED THE LIVING GOD TO THE PAGANS (Ac 14:15-17).

A. They were Only Men (Ac 14:15a).

1. Their words were as much a sermon as a desperate plea. They could not wrap their minds around “why” the crowd would do such a thing after hearing the gospel.

2. It was blasphemy to make men, who are of the “same nature” (homoipathās - similar or same human infirmities and passions, cf. Jam 5:17) on the same level as God.

B. They Preached the Gospel (Ac 14:15b).

1. The preached the gospel that all sinners, including themselves, needed to embrace.

2. It was the true gospel that causes men to forsake pagan worship and worship the true and living God.

C. Men Must Turn from Pagan Worship to the Living God (Ac 14:15c, d).

1. Coming to the truth delivers man from “vain” (mataios - useless, worthless) living and worship of idols and false gods.

2. The gospel does not bring men into a relationship with a dead, non-existent, imaginary god (i.e. Zeus), rather with the one and only “living” God (He 3:12).

D. The Living God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth (Ac 14:15e).

1. The one true living God is the eternal God, who is Creator of all things, in heaven, in earth, and in the sea (Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6).

2. Being the eternal Creator demands that He brought the universe into existence without any preexisting materials (creatio ex nihilo - “created out of nothing,” Ge 1:1; Heb 11:3).

E. The Living God Permitted the Nations to Go Astray (Ac 14:16).

1. God called the Jews to be His chosen people and gave to them His Law and revelation. In this sense, He did not choose the other nations nor give them special revelation. At times, He did not hinder (“permitted,” eaō - allow or not hinder) them in rejecting Him and going their own ways (Ro 1:21-24).

2. Paul will say to the Athenians, that although God overlooked the “times of ignorance,” all men must come to Christ to escape the judgment (Ac 17:30-31).

F. The Living God Left Evidence (Ac 14:17).

1. But God did not withhold evidence (amarturos - without witness, evidence) of Himself. First, He gave the evidence of His power in creation (Ro 1:18-20). Also, He gave evidence of His righteousness in giving man a conscience (Ro 2:14-15).

2. Paul states that He gave evidence of His wisdom and providence in giving a self-replenishing world that sustains and supplies life with rains and harvests.

3. He also gave evidence of His nature and goodness in satisfying men’s hearts with food and gladness.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS.

A. Another missionary quality is humility. He must not point to himself but to Christ. Neither can he take any glory for himself, but rightfully give it to Christ (1Co 1:27-31; 2Co 12:9).

B. We must be equipped in the Scriptures to win every audience to Christ (1Co 9:19-23).

C. A good biblical argument is what it takes to convince reasonable men. But unreasonable men will not even be convinced by the evidence God has already given to them (Lk 16:31).

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516