![\"Paul.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/imgs\/Paul.jpg\")
<\/span>The cycle continues but this time with a new twist in Lystra \u2014 Paul\u2019s miracles evoke an attempt to worship him and Barnabas, a stock response in the ancient world (see Beverly Gaventa\u2019s The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries)<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=jescre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=068705821X\")
\n<\/strong><\/em>):<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
14:8<\/span>\u00a0In Lystra sat a man who could not use his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked.\u00a014:9<\/span>\u00a0This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul stared intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed,\u00a014:10<\/span>\u00a0he said with a loud voice, \u201cStand upright on your feet.\u201d And the man leaped up and began walking.\u00a014:11<\/span>\u00a0So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, \u201cThe gods have come down to us in human form!\u201d\u00a014:12<\/span>\u00a0They began to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.\u00a014:13<\/span>\u00a0The priest of the temple of Zeus, located just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them.\u00a014:14<\/span>\u00a0But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,\u00a014:15<\/span>\u00a0\u201cMen, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.\u00a014:16<\/span>\u00a0In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways,\u00a014:17<\/span>yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy.\u201d\u00a014:18<\/span>Even by saying these things, they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.<\/p>\n
14:19<\/span>\u00a0But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead.\u00a014:20<\/span>\u00a0But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back into the city. On the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Paul preaches the gospel; some respond; opposition arises, Paul and Barnabas have to leave. But this story has something new and different:<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/font><\/div>\n
\nFirst, it appears to be more Gentile in orientation. Paul begins with a miracle, the miracle prompts an exalted view of Paul and Barnabas, they want to offer sacrifices, Paul protests that they are humans, Paul explains the gospel \u2014 God is creator, their worship practices and religion are ineffective, he calls them to turn to the living God, and tells the time to turn is now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSecond, Paul\u2019s touchstone is that creation itself \u2014 think of Romans 1 \u2014 witnesses to God, and what he has in mind is the generosity of God in providing food for humans and providing rains \u2014 this sounds like the scene in Genesis 1.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThird, Paul is trailed by those who opposed Paul\u2019s gospel in Iconium. They stir up strife, Paul and Barnabas must move on.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMissional work entails creative adaptation of the gospel to context and it entails opposition by those whose worldview is turned upside down.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThey thought they had killed Paul; he survived to gospel ever onwards.<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The cycle continues but this time with a new twist in Lystra \u2014 Paul\u2019s miracles evoke an attempt to worship him and Barnabas, a stock response in the ancient world (see Beverly Gaventa\u2019s The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries) ): 14:8\u00a0In Lystra sat a man who could not use his feet, lame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1780],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-acts-of-the-apostles"],"yoast_head":"\n
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