Footsteps #26

From Antioch of Pisidian, they travelled about 30kms southwest to an obscure village called Lystra. “While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting.” NLT (Acts.14:8) Luke records only one story; the healing of a lame man. However, the crowd was so impressed by the miracle that they mistook Paul and Barnabas for gods, and wanted to offer them sacrifices. The people, who were steeped in ignorance, attributed the miracle to the legend in their history of two such men who would visit the region. 

With such a story circulating in this region, the reaction of the people to Paul’s miracle comes as no surprise. The story also helps to explain why the crowd assumed that the missionaries were those two gods. Paul and Barnabas, however, were able to stop their false worship. In the end, some opponents from Antioch and Iconium caused a complete reversal of the situation, and Paul was stoned, v19, and left for dead.  

After preaching “and making many disciples,” v21, the company retraced their steps back to Antioch in Syria.  Along the way “they encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts.14:22, NLT). This is not contradicting the message of salvation by grace alone, but preparing the believers in Galatia for what is inevitable. If these new believers were unaware that persecution for their faith would come, they would be less likely to continue in the faith when it did. Is this saying directly applicable to all church believers? In light of other NT texts, the answer is yes. Great persecution did break upon the church and many lost their lives as a result. Had not Jesus Himself declared, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16.33 NLT. Jesus, talking about the end of the world and quoting Daniel said there would be “a great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world…” (Matt24:21.) The book of Revelation chronicles this time of trouble through centuries of history