Paul and Barnabas Preaching in One City After Another
1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Paul and Barnabas are run out of more towns! But look what they do until they are run out. When opposition rises against them, that’s when they would stay and preach more. They knew that the new believers in Iconium would face a big struggle against all of the unbelieving Jews, so they stayed there to strengthen them.
It’s really hard to decide when to keep on going and when to flee a conflict. For Paul and Barnabas, it was a constant question to stay or to go from some of these cities. Just like any hard situation, there are so many factors to consider when you are trying to decide to stick around or move on.
Fortunately for them, the Holy Spirit was confirming their message with signs and wonders in Iconium. You’d think that would be enough to make them stay, right?
It wasn’t until the threats of violence and physical harm started that they fled the city. It’s a big deal to do that, because the villages and countryside are outside of Roman watch. They aren’t going to have Roman soldiers around to stifle a riot or to rescue them from an angry mob. They are also going to have more trouble finding a synagogue at which to preach.
The countryside around Lystra and Derbe wasn’t full of Jewish country folk. It was full of people that worshipped Zeus and Hermes (aka Mercury). For the first time recorded in Acts, Paul and Barnabas are in majority pagan territory preaching the Gospel.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us through difficult circumstances and sometimes by favor. There isn’t any formula with a good, solid relationship, is there? Paul and Barnabas are still going on, preaching the Gospel to whoever will listen. That passion and calling comes out in letters like Romans and Galatians. Wherever he went, he knew the calling was to preach the Gospel. The discernment was a matter of which city, to which people, and for how long.
These questions won’t get any easier as the book of Acts goes on, but the work of spreading the message will continue.
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