This morning I was reading through some of Acts, and was trying to get a sense of some of the work Paul did on his first missionary journey. He, along with Barnabas, was sent out from Antioch, directed so by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2-3). They had some significant successes in establishing churches through out what would be considered Southeast and central Turkey today. In several of the cities, because of their success, the Jews got jealous and stirred up trouble for them. Nonetheless they continued to preach the Gospel, and if not welcomed in one city, moved to the next.
There are two things that stand out in the reading of Acts 13 & 14. First, they were unafraid of persecution, and if necessary moved to a new city if they met much resistance. Secondly, the Lord blessed them with miraculous signs to validate what they were preaching. Here are some excerpts:
On Cyprus - Acts 13:6-12 NIV:
[6] "They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, [7] who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. [8] But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith."
[9] "Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, [10] “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? [11] Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. [12] When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord."
I love how Paul was unafraid in the face of the resistance Elymas was stirring up. He stood His ground and leaned into the authority that He had been given by the Lord. He believed that Jesus has all authority and was unfazed by the enemies tactics, and saw an opportunity for the Lord to be glorified.
In Iconium - Acts 14:1-3 NIV:
[1] "At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders."
I love the fact that Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time in Iconium, in spite of the fact that the Jews had stirred up trouble for them. They persevered and God confirmed their words through signs and wonders and the church grew.
In Lystra - Acts 14:8-12 NIV:
[8] "In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. [9] He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed [10] and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk."
[11] "When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” [12] Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker."
I think this is a great example of how people who have not heard the Gospel respond to seeing miracles, they immediately know that God (a god) is at work. In this case they mistake the source of power, thinking that Paul and Barnabas are Greek gods come to life, but they know that they have seen divine power. I also love the fact that Paul and Barnabas refuse to be glorified, which occurs in the next few verses, and I think this is critical for their hearts. Anytime the Lord moves in power through us, we are tempted to start to think we are special, and here is an extreme example of an opportunity Paul and Barnabas had to just go with what the people were saying. Instead, they humbled themselves and refused to allow pride to creep into their ministry.
Also in Lystra - Acts 14:19-23 NIV
[19] "Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. [20] But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe."
[21] "They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, [22] strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. [23] Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."
I think some of the most understated verses in Acts is seen here in verses 20 and 21. Paul is stoned outside of Lystra, then gets up and goes back into the city! He leaves the next day and continues preaching the Gospel like nothing happened, and then when finished in Derbe, goes back to Lystra again! I don't know about you, but if I was stoned and left for dead by a group of people, I probably wouldn't go back there, and yet that is exactly what Paul does! Clearly they were operating in great faith, and understood the authority they had in Christ.
I also like the fact that Paul wasn't afraid to tell it like it was, saying that hardships were normal to enter the Kingdom of God, and I think especially for those who are sent to expand the Kingdom of God. Make no mistake, present powers and authorities are not happy when they lose face and adherents to the Gospel, and will resist and even attack. Paul and Barnabas persevered in the face of pressure and persecution and planted multiple churches and saw the Kingdom grow to the Glory of God.
Finally, they put their trust in the Lord! They trusted that the Lord was capable of growing these new churches, the did what they could to teach them, but at the end of the day, they appointed some elders and committed them to the Lord, knowing full well that He was more than capable of taking care of these new churches.
Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness toward those who You send out. Thank You that back Your commissioning with power and authority. I pray that You will give Your Church courage and perseverance in the face of resistance and persecution. I pray that You will confirm Your Gospel with signs and wonders, miracles and healings, even as You did for Paul and Barnabas.
Amen!
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