At Lystra
TRANSLATION
(8) In Lystra, a lame man was sitting there, a cripple from birth who had never walked. (9) He was listening to Paul as he spoke. When Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed, (10) he said, “Stand up on your feet.” The lame 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) They called Barnabas “Zeus,” and Paul they called “Hermes” because he was the chief spokesman. (13) Then the priest of Zeus whose temple was at the entrance of the city brought oxen and garlands to the gates and was about to offer a sacrifice with the crowd. (14) But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, (15) “Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human beings like you. We bring you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to serve the living God who created heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. (16) In past generations he let the nations walk in their own ways. (17) Yet, he has not left himself without a testimony doing good by giving you rain from heaven, bountiful harvests, plenty of food, and filling your hearts with joy.” (18) And with these words they barely restrained the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.
(19) But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and, having swayed the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. (20) But while the disciples were gathered around his body, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. (21) After they had preached the Gospel and had made many disciples there, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, (22) strengthening the hearts of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and telling them that through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God. (23) And after they had appointed elders in every church, with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
(24) Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. (25) And when they had preached the Word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. (26) From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had now completed. (27) When they came and asssembled the church together, they reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. (28) And there they spent a long time with the disciples.
OBSERVATIONS
In spite of severe opposition from the Jews and Paul’s stoning at Lystra, the first missionary journey among the Gentiles ended successfully with growing churches established in several towns in Asia Minor. Repeated words in this segment included the names of “Paul” (vss. 9, 11, 12, 14, & 19), “Barnabas” (vss. 14 & 20), “Zeus” (vss. 12 & 13), and the city names of “Lystra” (vss. 8 & 21), “Antioch” (vss. 19, 21, & 26), and “Iconium” (vss. 19 & 21). “Feet” and “walked/walking” each occurred twice (vss. 8 & 10) along with three occurrences of “men” (vss. 11 & 15), “offer sacrifice” twice (vss. 11 & 18), “city” four times (vss. 13, 19, 20, & 21), “God” four times (vss. 15, 22, 26, & 27) along with “the Lord” (vs. 23), and “disciples” three times (vss. 21, 22, & 28).
OUTLINE
I. Because Paul healed the lame man, the crowd in Lystra identified the apostles as gods and were barely kept from offering sacrifices to them. (8-18)
II. Although stoned by a hostile crowd, Paul with Barnabas continued their missionary journey to Derbe as well as revisiting and appointing elders in the churches that they had founded. (19-23)
III. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch to report on the success of their missionary journey. (24-28)
IDEA STATEMENT
In spite of fierce opposition, Paul and Barnabas successfully completed the first missionary journey.
APPLICATION
In recounting the sufferings he had undergone for the sake of Christ in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul specifically cited his experience in Lystra. After having been stoned, he was dragged out of the city and left for dead. Amazingly, Paul survived the ordeal and was able to continue with Barnabas to Derbe, a journey of about thirty miles, the very next day. How Paul was able to do this apart from the miraculous working of God to heal his wounds is difficult to comprehend.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul described how he had been caught up to the third heaven, the paradise of God, to “hear things that cannot be told.” Some scholars have speculated that this vision may have taken place while he lay unconscious from the stoning he had endured. This battering may have resulted in injuries that he would later call his “thorn in the flesh,” physical impairments which kept him humble despite the revelations he had been given.