Today’s passage is about when Paul and Barnabas go to Iconium and Lystra There they met “a man crippled in his feet” from birth. (8) Paul said, “Stand up on your feet.” (10) and “the man jumped up and began to walk.” (10) The people that saw that were surprised. They thought that Paul was the Greek god, Hermes and Barnabas was another Greek god, Zeus. Therefore, Paul said to the crowds, “Men why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.” (15)
This is a message that is spoken to the Gentiles who did not know the Old Testament. Therefore, this message is a necessary one for Japanese who sometimes make people god. (For example, the emperor) Today let’s look at 3 aspects of turning to the real faith in the living God.
I. Those people who believe and those who don’t believe (vs. 1-7)
From Pisidian Antioch Paul and Barnabas set out for the town of Iconium, about 100 kilometers to the East. First in Iconium too they entered the synagogue and preached the Gospel. As a result many Jews and Greeks entered the faith. “But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers” who had just believed. (2) Looking at this we get the image that the Jews were enemies against the Gospel and the Gentiles accepted the Gospel. However, it wasn’t that simple. Before when we looked at the Jews in Pisidian Antioch, there were many who rejected the Gospel and persecuted those who did. However, there were some that joyfully listened and accepted the Gospel. This time in Iconium is the same. There were both Jews and Gentiles who heard Paul’s message and entered the faith. On the other hand, there were come who didn’t accept the Gospel and stirred up problems for those who did. Therefore, there was no difference between Jews and Gentiles. Those who believed, believed. Those who didn’t believe, didn’t believe. The same was true of the Gentiles too. Some believed and some didn’t.
Therefore, it is clear what Paul was called to do. That was to preach the Gospel boldly. This can be seen in verse 3, “Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord.” No matter who the people that they are speaking to are what is needed is to speak the Word of God boldly. Then God will work in their hearts and the work of salvation will take place. Here it says, the Lord “confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (3) The miracles and wonders were a sign that what they were preaching was from the Lord. This means that God was stamping his stamp. It is an encouragement to know that God gives his stamp.
Wherever Paul brought the Gospel not only was there joy of salvation, but there was also uproar. In this town the people were divided in two: those who supported the Jews and those who supported the apostles. The Gentiles and Jews, together with their leader made a plot “to mistreat” Paul and Barnabas “and stone them.” (5) Therefore, Paul and Barnabas escaped to the Lycaonian cities and continued to preach the Gospel there.
From this episode we can see that where the Word of God is preached, it produces divisions. In Pisidian Antioch when the people heard “the words of salvation” they were divided between those who “were glad and honored the word of the Lord (13:48) and were appointed for eternal life and those who rejected “the words of salvation”. Here too depending on the attitude that they took towards the Word of the God, the people were divided either with the Jews or with the apostles.
I Cor. 1:18
The cross divides people into either “the perishing” or “the saved”. There is no middle ground. Those who hear the Word are divided into those who believe it and accept it and those who don’t.
Matt. 10:34-37
Some people say that this passage is why they hate Christianity. They think Christianity causes conflict, not peace. That is because they don’t understand what real peace is. Peace does not mean lack of conflict. It is much deeper than that. It is obtained through our relationship with God. When our sin is taken away and our relationship with God is right, then we can have peace. This may cause conflict, but this is only for a short time as part of the process of making peace take root in our hearts. In the end we will always be led to blessing.
Which side are we living on? God’s side, in other words, the side of the apostles? Or the side of the Jews who didn’t accept the Word of God? There is no middle ground. If you hear God’s word, and follow it then you are on the side of the apostles. There maybe conflict, but in the end you will be blessed.
II. Faith to be healed (vs.8-13)
Next let’s look at the greatness of God’s work among those who believed. First let’s look at verse 10. After the persecution in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra which is about 30 Kilometers south of Iconium. In this town there was no Jewish synagogue. Therefore they preached in the center of town where people gathered. There they met a man who was crippled from birth. He was listening to Paul speak. When Paul looked at him, he “saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (9, 10)
In chapter 3 at the beautiful gate Peter healed a crippled man. The healing at the beautiful gate is very similar to this healing. However there are several differences. For example the person that Peter healed was a beggar, but the person Paul healed wasn’t. He was just one of many people listening to Paul’s message. Also Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (3:6) and then took him by the right hand and helped him up. Paul only said, “Stand up on your feet!” (10) However, the biggest difference is that the person who was healed by Peter as a result of the healing wakened to a faith of praise. The person that was healed by Paul had “faith to be healed” (9) so he was healed. Let’s look at what faith to be healed is.
By the way the man listened, the way he soaked up what was being said, Paul was able to tell that he was ready to believe and be saved. In other words, he was really searching for God.
However, just because you listen to the Word of God does not mean that you are going to be healed. The words that are used for “faith to be healed” in the original meaning meant “faith to be saved”. By looking at verses 11-13 and the event that happens here we can see in what ways he had a “faith to be saved”. In these verses Paul and Barnabas are worshipped as Greek gods.
The crowds were surprised at what Paul had done and shouted, “The gods come down to us in human form!” (11) and then they called Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes. Both of these names are names of Greek gods. Then in front of the city gates they brought bulls and wreaths because they wanted to offer sacrifices to Barnabas and Paul.
According to legend, a long time ago in the area of Lystra, the two gods, Zeus and Hermes, became men. They didn’t tell who they were so no one would let them stay in their home. They stayed in a very broken down poor house owned by an elderly couple. Even though the couple was very poor they showed hospitality to their guests whom they met for the first time. Therefore, Zeus and Hermes told the couple who they were. Then they flooded the whole town except for this couple. The crowd was afraid of making the same mistake so they wanted to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.
Paul and Barnabas said that they were just men like them and that the healing was just a sign to them to turn to the living God. They said that they didn’t have any special power. In other words, this crippled man from birth, while listening to Paul’s message, a faith in the living God began to grow in his heart. The religious heart in Lystra was to sacrifice to idols made by man, and look for their own profit that could be seen with their eyes. In order to obtain that they were willing to do whatever they thought was necessary. However, the crippled man didn’t put his faith in such worthless idols because he had faith in “the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.” (15) While listening to Paul’s message, he began to have such a faith. This faith saves. This type of faith not only saves us but also heals our body. This is “faith to be healed.”
This is the same now and in every age.
Hebrews 13:8
If we today listen to God’s Word, and have faith like this crippled boy, we will be saved. Then we too like this crippled boy will experience the unbelievable work of God. This will be more wonderful than the crippled boy jumping up and walking.
III. Turn to the living God (vs. 14-18)
Paul told the crowds who were trying to sacrifice to them, “Turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.” (15) Japanese too, worship idols made by humans, look to religion for their own profit, check on the direction they should build when they build a house, check about what name they should name their children, check the calendar for a good day before they plan an event, etc. Our lives are controlled by these things and we are no different than the people of Lystra. However, the Bible teaches that these kinds of things are worthless. We are to turn from these things and turn “to the living God.” (15)
In the past, God “has not left himself without testimony; He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (17) In this age besides the general testimony, God has shown his mercy by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to this world so that all that believe in him might have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
John 3:16
God’s grace has been given so let’s believe and accept God’s grace and turn to God and seek to be with this Living God. This is salvation. We need to believe in Christ and return to Him.