Acts 14: 1 - 28
Road Rage
14 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were preaching the gospel there. 8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. 19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples
In reading about Paul and his traveling companion’s brutal treatments what kept popping in my head was ‘Road Rage.’ This explosive experience is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by a driver of a road vehicle, which includes rude gestures, verbal insults, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted toward another driver in an effort to intimidate or release frustration. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults and collisions that result in serious physical injuries or even death. It can be referred to as an extreme case of aggressive driving.
The term originated in the United States in 1987–1988 from anchors at KTLA, a television station in Los Angeles, California, when a rash of freeway shootings occurred on the Interstate 405, 110, and 10 freeways in Los Angeles. These shooting sprees even spawned a response from the AAA Motor Club to its members on how to respond to drivers with road rage or aggressive maneuvers and gestures.
According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that examined police records nationally, there are more than 1,200 incidents of road rage on average reported per year in the United States, a number of which have ended with serious injuries or even fatalities. These rates rose yearly throughout the six years of the study. A number of studies have found that individuals with road rage were predominantly young (33 years old on average) and 96.6% male.
In some jurisdictions, there can be a legal difference between "road rage" and "aggressive driving." In the U.S., only a few states have enacted special aggressive driving laws, where road rage cases are normally prosecuted as assault and battery (with or without a vehicle), or "vehicular homicide" (if someone is killed).
The legal definition of road rage encompasses a group of behaviors expressed while driving, or stemming from traffic-related incidents. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property; an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway." This definition makes an important distinction between a traffic offense and a criminal offense.
A stressed driver’s behavior depends on that driver’s coping abilities. Generally, drivers who scored high on aggression tests used direct confrontation strategies when faced with stress while driving. Strategies include long horn honks, swerving, tailgating and attempting to fight the other driver. Many drivers who experience road rage have admitted that they believe they commit more traffic violations. Driving presents many stresses any time a person is behind the wheel because of high speeds and other drivers making different decisions. As stress increases, the likelihood of a person having road rage increases dramatically, and if a person has road rage, their stress levels increase. Typically, younger males are most susceptible to road rage.
According to one study, people who customize their cars with stickers and other adornments are more prone to road rage. The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value or condition. Furthermore, only the number of bumper stickers, and not their content, predicted road rage.
Road rage is not an official mental disorder recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), although according to an article published by the Associated Press in June 2006, the behaviors typically associated with road rage can be the result of a disorder known as intermittent explosive disorder that is recognized in the DSM.
So, we are going to witness the apostle Paul and his associates fully experience while on the road to evangelize road rage. In today’s study we are going to see how in evangelism overwhelming joy can quickly turn to significant danger. Remember back in chapter 9 when our Lord spoke to His disciple regarding Saul. He said this, “15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians chapter 11 verse 25 he tells us what the things he had to suffer,25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep.
So, I believe that Paul could say or other people say, ‘It is easy to pick out Paul. You can tell that it is he by all the lumps on his head.’ Today we are going to learn about how he got stoned.
Having been expelled unexpectedly from the Roman colony of Pisidian Antioch a decision had to be made as to which road to take. The Via Sebaste (Augustus Road) which went from Ephesus to the Euphrates passed through Pisidian Antioch coming from the west and became two roads, one of which went north through mountainous territory to the Roman colony of Comana, and the other south east across rolling plain, arriving after eighty miles at Iconium. It was the latter road that they took. This was leading them back towards the sea.
Iconium was very much a Greek city, and prided itself on its semi-independence, being ruled by its own assembly of citizens (Demos) who would vote on civic matters. It was situated on the high plateau, away from the sea, in a well watered and productive region, its delightful surroundings including verdant forests, fertile plains and mountains in the background.
It will be noted that what follows is very much in summary form. They attended the synagogue and preached successfully over a period of many weeks, they faced opposition and recognized that that opposition was seeking to build up a case against them, they continued to speak boldly, they performed signs and wonders, and finally, when they learned that plans were afoot to stone them to death which were likely to get the agreement of the assembly, they moved on
14 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
Arriving in Iconium they went as usual to the synagogue and spoke so effectively from week to week that large numbers of both Jews and Greeks believed, so that a reasonably sized church was established.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.
But Iconium was a very democratic city with its own broad assembly which determined civic matters. Thus the Jews who were unresponsive (‘disobedient’), and even hostile, and who were unhappy at what was happening in their synagogue, and offended by it, knew that if they wanted to be able to proceed against the new Christians they would only be able to do so if they whipped up sufficient Gentile support. They knew that they would need a majority opinion in the assembly in order to be able to do anything. And the result was that over the weeks they began to stir up a good number of Gentiles, seeking to turn them against those who were being converted to Paul’s teaching.
3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Meanwhile Paul and his party were able to continue on unafraid, encouraging the persecuted believers (‘the brethren’) and no doubt also themselves seeking to build up popular support. Thus they were able to remain there a long time, and continue to speak boldly in the Lord, bearing witness to ‘His grace’, that is, proclaiming the Good News of the unmerited favor that God had revealed towards man and what through His unmerited favor they could receive in Jesus Christ. At the same time the Lord backed them up by granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
The result of both sides seeking this kind of general support in the assembly was a gradually divided city, with part supporting the Jews, and part the Apostles. In the nature of their governing body this would also be reflected in any vote cast by their assembly. It was still clearly seen to be a close call. The very strict Jews and fervent idolaters were on one side. Those who admired Paul and rejoiced in the miracles that were being done, or who despised idolatry, were on the other.
Please note here the first use of the term ‘Apostles’ of Paul and Barnabas. There is perhaps the intention to contrast the earthly authority with the heavenly. They had been authenticated by the signs and wonders (2 Corinthians 12.12), and were those who had been ‘sent forth’ from Antioch by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore Barnabas was probably a witness of the resurrection, as Paul was, ‘as one born out of due time’ (1 Corinthians 15.8). The term ‘apostle’ is occasionally used of messengers of the churches, but Luke here probably intends to indicate full Apostleship, an Apostleship which Paul elsewhere specifically claims
5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were preaching the gospel there.
Eventually the Jews felt that they had built up enough support to be able to vote down the supporters of Paul and Barnabas and were confident that they could obtain the agreement of the assembly to the Pauline party being shamed and stoned. It should be noted that such a combination of Jews and Gentiles could only have arisen as a result of compromise by the Jews. Instead of treating idolatry with the scorn that they normally reserved for it, they would have had to gain support by speaking as though it were a respectable alternative, (unlike, of course, the new Christianity) and to point to its ancient traditions, traditions which they would point out these new Christians were said to be undermining. It would gain them votes on the assembly, but only at the cost of their religious integrity.
However, their ploy clearly succeeded and ‘an onset’ (a rushed decision?) was made against the evangelists in the assembly. News of this clearly reached the Christians and the result was that as things were getting too hot, and it was becoming apparent that the pro-Jewish party had gained the ears of the majority of the assembly and intended to use the opportunity to misuse the evangelists and stone them, presumably on the grounds of blasphemy, the Pauline party cut short their visit and left the city, albeit unwillingly (fled), moving on along the Via Sebaste first to the Roman colony of Lystra, twenty four miles away from Iconium (and one hundred and four miles from Pisidian Antioch), and then to Derbe (both cities of Lycaonia), and there again preached the Good News, both in the cities and in the surrounding regions. Thus the political system had enabled them to remain in Iconium longer than they might at first have expected, given the opposition.
A description is now given of the rather colorful events that occurred during their ministry in Lystra. The incidents represent an interesting parallel to previous events. The lame man who leaps up and walks parallels the lame man in 3.1-11 who did the same and of the parallel nature of Peter’s and Paul’s ministries; and the hailing of Paul and Barnabas as gods parallels the incident of Herod Agrippa in 12.20-23, the difference being that while Herod accepted the acclaim Barnabas and Paul instantly reject it. They claim that none must be worshipped but God alone (Luke 4.8), and that all worship must be directed towards the true heavenly King.
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
It is probable that this incident occurred at the gates of the city. There would regularly be a space there which could be used for assemblies, and therefore for preaching. As Paul preached there (the man heard Paul speaking) he saw the cripple, eagerly listening, with the faith shining in his eyes. He was a man who had been crippled from birth, one who had never walked. And Paul, seeing that he had faith to be made whole, called over to him in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and walked’.
It was done openly before all as an acted out parable. It proclaimed to all that they had come to make men whole, even though they had been ‘crippled from birth’. It informed them that there was now One among them Who could heal them body and soul.
There is an intentional parallel here with chapter 3.1-11. Incidents refer to a man crippled from birth, in both cases eyes were fastened on them, both were commanded to rise up, and both leaped up and walked. But it is not a question of a duplicated story, for there are significant differences, and there must have been hundreds of such healings following a similar pattern. It is simply a matter of the consequences that arose from the particular healings, which were both seen as so memorable (the men had been known from birth) that they made a great impact and caused widespread thought and discussion.
11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
Thus when they saw the miracle that had occurred, instead of coming to find out more and coming to the truth, they jumped to their own conclusions and saw these miracle workers as gods. They declared that the gods must have come down in the likeness of men, and they hailed Barnabas as Zeus (for he was the older and probably the more distinguished looking and maintained a dignified silence), and Paul, because he was the chief speaker, as Hermes. Unfortunately they did it, not in Greek, but in Lycaonian, so that Paul and Barnabas did not understand what they were saying.
This description is true to the facts as we know them. The majority of the people of Lystra were uneducated ‘pagan’ locals, ruled over by Roman elite and educated, so far as they were educated, by a few Greeks. They thus preferred the use of their own language and on the whole did not have the sophistication of either Greeks or Jews.
13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
The priest of Zeus seized the opportunity presented, and responding to popular demand, brought oxen and garlands, either to the Temple outside the gates of the city, or to the place where the two men were, and prepared to lead the crowd in worship by offering sacrifices. That it was opportunism and not genuine credence comes out in that he made no enquiries in order to ascertain the truth. He was playing to the crowds.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
Once Barnabas and Paul realized what was happening they instantly repudiated any such idea. Tearing their clothes in order to immediately demonstrate their deep concern, they sprang forward and called on the men, no doubt in Greek, to desist, asking why they behaved in this way. Then they took the opportunity to proclaim the truth. There is nothing stereotyped about the message.
These were not Jews. Nor were they people with a background in Judaism or philosophy. As they were revealing they were out and out idolaters and simple men. But Paul does not turn away from them. Rather he speaks to them in a way that they will understand. Of no use here is it to mention the past history of the Jews or Greek philosophers. So he proclaims the past history of the world, although in Old Testament terms, so as to draw out that there is only one God, and that He is calling all men now to respond to Him.
He points away from himself and Barnabas, who are but men of similar desires to them, to the Creator of heaven and earth and of all that is. In the past He had left men to walk in their own ways (Isaiah 53.6 - although having provided them with a conscience, a law within - Romans 2.14-16). Yet even so He did not leave Himself without a witness in that He dispensed from heaven rains and fruitful seasons filling their hearts with food and gladness. Thus they should see His power and compassion and turn from ‘vain things’ to the living God Who alone could do such things, turning away from the follies and vain things which were so clearly a constituent of idolatry.
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Thus they sought to turn the people from their foolish path by facing them up to the truth about the living God, the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, thus indicating that they could not be Zeus and Hermes because as there is only one God at least one of these could not exist. And yet such is man’s willingness to worship anything and everything but the true God, they were scarce able by these means to prevent the men from worshipping them.
Had the listeners shown any inclination to respond to the message he would no doubt have continued by giving the full facts of the coming of Christ and His death and resurrection but the unfortunate truth was that because of what had happened he had had to interrupt them at the point of their fervently worshipping their two favorite gods, by denying their existence. This was hardly likely to curry favor with them.
19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
The impression given is that meanwhile these Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium were already present, presumably having come because they had learned that Paul and Barnabas were still taking their message to the synagogues of the region, and taking advantage of the situation they aroused the crowds to antagonism against Paul and Barnabas, probably claiming that they had been deceiving them. The crowds, having had their favorite gods blatantly denied, were ripe to be persuaded. When we have made fools of ourselves we regularly look around for someone else to blame. And they were frustrated to discover that these men were not gods after all and indeed were men who rejected their gods. It did not therefore take long for them to be persuaded that these men were charlatans (and, as men will under pressure, they conveniently forgot the healing.
Stoning was a Jewish punishment and probably allowed in cases of blasphemy (it certainly was in some cases). So it was probably the Jews who led the way in hurling the stones at Paul, and soon all joined in. It was the equivalent of a mob lynching. And once they were convinced that they had killed him, they dragged his body out of the city and left him for dead, possibly in what constituted the site for town rubbish.
It will be noted that here, as constantly, the Jews actually went to some lengths to ensure the persecution of Christians, and in fact it would be they who were the main instigators of persecution against the Christians throughout most of the first century. They were a Licit Religion, and themselves safe from state persecution, and that protection extended to Christians because they were seen by the authorities as a Jewish cult. While here the Jews merely worked by inciting popular opinion, later they would do all that they could to expose Christians as members of an Illicit Religion. Much persecution of Christians would have been avoided had it not been for the Jews. Sadly they were as good at hating as at being hated by many Gentiles.
20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
But as the grief-stricken believers gathered round his body, to their surprise Paul rose up and walked into the city, and was able to leave for Derbe the next day. There may be a hint here that it was to be seen as a kind of resurrection. Certainly it was symbolically so. It was an evidence of Christ’s resurrection and a reminder that He Who could heal the lame could also protect this man from the effects of stoning and could raise the dead at the last day.
But Paul must have been very battered and he would probably carry the scars from that incident for the remainder of his life. It was partly of these that he would shortly write, ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus’ (Galatians 6.17). But the remarkable thing is how little the New Testament writers, as with Luke here, concentrate on the depth of their joint sufferings. They looked on them as a necessary part of their ministry and almost shrugged them off.
Recognizing that their continued presence in Lystra would not be for the good of the infant church, and that they must let passions be allowed to die down, Paul and Barnabas made for Derbe, sixty miles away.
So the next day it was felt advisable to depart for Derbe, which has now been identified as near Kerti Huyuk. And there they proclaimed the Good News to the town, and made ‘many disciples’. It was a wholly successful visit, but there were otherwise no incidents of any note. It was possibly even too small to have a synagogue and would therefore not be of interest to the persecuting Jews. Yet it was from Derbe that Gaius the companion of Paul would come.
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Once they had established a group of disciples in Derbe who could have blamed them if they had taken the opportunity offered to make for the nearby port of Perga only a few miles away (they had come round in a circle), the port at which they had first arrived on landing in Pamphylia (13.13)? As they looked back it must have seemed such a long time before. Behind them were hostile towns. Before them could have been an almost immediate pleasant voyage home. But they did not go home. Instead they went back, back the sixty miles to Lystra where Paul had been so severely treated and left for dead, back the further twenty four miles to Iconium from which they had fled in danger of imminent stoning, back the further eighty miles to Pisidian Antioch from which they had been expelled so forcefully, and this in order that they might make strong the souls of the disciples at each place, and exhort them to continue in the faith, and remind them that through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God.
Thus does Luke make clear, as he has done all along, that as the word of God advances and triumphs, persecution and tribulation inevitably follow in its wake? Christians who are having an easy ride need to look at their foundations, for if they are serving the Lord truly they can be sure that Satan will not allow them to left alone for long.
One encouraging thing about these words is the assurance that in each of the cities and towns were sufficient believers to be formed into a church. None had been mentioned at Lystra, but there had been converts nevertheless.
23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
And when they arrived back in those unwelcoming cities that they had left in such haste, they appointed elders in every church, mature men whose faith had stood the test of the days of waiting, and who could therefore be relied on to remain true for the future. Then they prayed together, with fasting (the fasting was so that the prayer might be able to be continuous and not be interrupted), and in their prayers commended the elders and their churches to the Lord on Whom they had believed. It would not be long before he would write to them his ‘letter to the Galatians’.
24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.
Passing through Pisidia they travelled the hundred miles to Perga in Pamphylia, and this time they took the opportunity of ‘speaking the word’ in Perga. After which they went down to Attalia, from where they sailed to Syrian Antioch. After an eventful journey of successful evangelization, and much tribulation, they were coming home.
27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Once home they gathered the church together so that they could report what God had done. There in the gathering they went over all that God had done with them, and how He had so clearly, in an unmistakable way, opened the door of faith to the Gentiles reached otherwise than through the synagogues. And the church whose representatives they had been, no doubt received their news eagerly and gladly, rejoicing in what God had done.
It is noteworthy that there is no thought of reporting to Jerusalem While it was still accepted as an administrative and guidance centre because of the presence of apostles, it was no longer seen as the centre for evangelism because of the revealed attitude of Jerusalem as a whole to the Christian church.
So they stayed there a long time with the disciples
Then they settled down in Syrian Antioch for a time so that they could feed and strengthen their own mother church from which they had originally gone out. They recognized the importance of maintaining a strong and spiritually mature base.
