Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 14
1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7 And there they preached the Good News.
1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7 And there they preached the Good News.
Commentary:
14:1 Paul’s witness in Iconium followed the pattern in Pisidian Antioch. He began his witness again in the synagogue (see notes on 13:5; Rom. 1:16).
14:2–3 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again faced opposition. So they remained for a long time. In spite of strong opposition, they were able, by the power of the Spirit, to speak boldly and perform signs and wonders, which once again confirmed the truth of the gospel.
14:4 Both Paul and Barnabas are referred to as apostles (vv. 4 and 14). The word (Gk. apostolos) carries the general meaning of “one who is sent†but it is often used throughout the NT in a more technical term for someone specifically chosen and commissioned by Christ for the proclamation of the gospel, as in the case of the original 12 apostles (e.g., Matt. 10:2; 19:28; Mark 3:14; Luke 9:1; Acts 1:2, 15–26). The apostle Paul understood his calling as an apostle to be comparable to the calling of the original Twelve in this technical sense, that is, as one who had seen Christ and who had been specifically chosen and appointed by Christ. This was based on the fact that Paul, on the road to Damascus, had in fact personally seen the risen Christ and had been chosen by Christ (9:15), and that he had been appointed by Christ and sent by Christ (26:16–17) to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. (See also Paul’s defense of his apostolic calling in 1 Cor. 9:2; 15:7–9; and Gal. 1:1, 12, 16.) Commentators differ as to whether the word “apostles†in Acts 14:4 and 14 refers to Paul and Barnabas as being apostles in the same technical sense as the original Twelve, or whether this is intended in the general sense of “ones who are sent†(cf. 13:2–3, where Paul and Barnabas are “set apart†by the Holy Spirit and “sent … off†by the church in Antioch).
14:6 they learned of it and fled. See note on 9:25. Lystra was 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Iconium and Derbe another 58 miles (93 km) southeast. Both were in the district of Lycaonia within the Galatian province. This verse likely implies that Iconium was not a city of Lycaonia (but rather of Phrygia and/or of the province of Galatia); this claim is supported by inscriptions from Iconium in the Phrygian language.
14:2–3 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again faced opposition. So they remained for a long time. In spite of strong opposition, they were able, by the power of the Spirit, to speak boldly and perform signs and wonders, which once again confirmed the truth of the gospel.
14:4 Both Paul and Barnabas are referred to as apostles (vv. 4 and 14). The word (Gk. apostolos) carries the general meaning of “one who is sent†but it is often used throughout the NT in a more technical term for someone specifically chosen and commissioned by Christ for the proclamation of the gospel, as in the case of the original 12 apostles (e.g., Matt. 10:2; 19:28; Mark 3:14; Luke 9:1; Acts 1:2, 15–26). The apostle Paul understood his calling as an apostle to be comparable to the calling of the original Twelve in this technical sense, that is, as one who had seen Christ and who had been specifically chosen and appointed by Christ. This was based on the fact that Paul, on the road to Damascus, had in fact personally seen the risen Christ and had been chosen by Christ (9:15), and that he had been appointed by Christ and sent by Christ (26:16–17) to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. (See also Paul’s defense of his apostolic calling in 1 Cor. 9:2; 15:7–9; and Gal. 1:1, 12, 16.) Commentators differ as to whether the word “apostles†in Acts 14:4 and 14 refers to Paul and Barnabas as being apostles in the same technical sense as the original Twelve, or whether this is intended in the general sense of “ones who are sent†(cf. 13:2–3, where Paul and Barnabas are “set apart†by the Holy Spirit and “sent … off†by the church in Antioch).
14:6 they learned of it and fled. See note on 9:25. Lystra was 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Iconium and Derbe another 58 miles (93 km) southeast. Both were in the district of Lycaonia within the Galatian province. This verse likely implies that Iconium was not a city of Lycaonia (but rather of Phrygia and/or of the province of Galatia); this claim is supported by inscriptions from Iconium in the Phrygian language.
Questions:
- Paul and Barnabas faced immediate opposition in Iconium. They preached the gospel and they faced opposition. It was tough going for them. It wasn't easy. But they "stayed a long time" there doing what the Lord had called them to do. It would've been easy to just move on once they faced any kind of push back. But they showed true perseverance and boldness. That was the third takeaway on Sunday: When you preach the gospel, preach with BOLDNESS. This has been a hallmark of the early church. At every turn, the believers are praying for more boldness to be able to preach the gospel even in the face of danger. How often do you pray for boldness to share Jesus with people you come into contact with? What is stopping you?
- Once they learned of the plot to kill them, Paul and Barnabas moved on to a different village. They followed the Spirit's leading, just as they have since Pentecost. The prayer of ever disciple should be, "God lead me! Open doors, give me the words to say." Are you living a life that is directed by the leading of the Holy Spirit? Not just in decision making, but in your trying to reach people in your life that are far from God?
Prayer Topics:
- That God would give you boldness to preach the gospel.
- That you would allow the Spirit to guide you every day.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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