At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas go to the local synagogue as was their custom. Again, they were well received by Jews and Gentiles, but a few jealous ones stirred up the others against the disciples again. Paul and Barnabas have their "talk" backed up by "walk." God performs great things through them. Before the dissenting locals could hurt the apostles, they move on. There is more Good News to spread.
In Lystra they heal a crippled man. Remember, healing is a sign of God's power and accompanies faithfulness. Paul and Barnabas are proclaimed God by the locals. They assume the apostles are the Greek gods they know. Paul and Barnabas resist the titles and have difficulty convincing them otherwise.
The local Jews from previous towns stir up the crowd against the apostles and stone Paul, leaving him for dead. He wasn't but leaves town afterwards and heads home (Antioch ) still leaving an impact anyway.
On the way home, Paul and the rest encourage the local disciples in each town they had been before (and some new ones.) They appoint leaders as well for each church after prayer and fasting (giving up something for a time in order to concentrate on God.) Paul and the team celebrate the successes of the Gospel when they return home and offer their work to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment