Acts 14:8-20 Sacrifices and Stones
Good morning! Turn with me to Acts chapter 14, page 923 in the pew Bibles.
The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1,
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies.
I wonder if Paul didn’t have this account from the book of Acts in mind when he wrote those words. It continually amazes me how Scripture is connected if you’ll avail yourself to look for the connections.
Let’s pray.
Last week we looked at the beginning of chapter fourteen in the book of Acts where Paul and Barnabas were in the city of Iconium preaching the gospel. Lots of people came to faith in Jesus and lots of people were stirred up in opposition. Those who were opposed made a plan to kill the apostles but when they learned about the plot they left town and went to the city of Lystra.
Now remember how I said the Scripture is all connected? The cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe are all in a region known at the time as Galatia. Does that name sound familiar to you? The churches that Paul planted in those cities were the original recipients of the Letter to the Galatians. When you read the book of Galatians, keep your finger in Acts 13 and 14.
Knowing the accounts of Paul’s work in Acts really does give context to his letters and gives us a fuller picture of the meaning of what he wrote.
This account in Acts 14 is a literal display of what Paul would write years later in 2 Corinthians 4 that I read at the beginning. The gospel treasure held in jars of clay to show the power is from God and not from us.
Let’s look at the text together. Acts 14:8-20.
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
So, there is a lot going on here.
Paul had been preaching to the people there in the city of Lystra and among the crowd was a guy whose feet had been crippled from birth. Clearly the Spirit was moving in his heart and he was paying close attention to what Paul had been saying.
Believe it or not, preachers can usually tell who’s paying attention…
Paul saw that he had faith to be made well and he told him to stand up. The man jumps up and began walking around in the sight of everybody. To be clear, it was not the man’s faith that healed him, it was the Holy Spirit that healed him through Paul.
Often when I read accounts of healing like this I wonder, “why doesn’t everybody who has faith in Christ get healed like this?” The only answer I know of is that God had special purpose in healing this individual and here we are 2000 years later reading about it, so maybe the purpose of healing this one guy will be accomplished among us today, who knows.
The crippled man’s reaction to the Word of the Lord is to obey, to spring up and walk around. But how does the rest of the crowd react? He responded with obedience but they respond with superstition.
We were just talking about this in Bibles study this week about the power of emotions when it comes to our approach to God. Sometimes they are too powerful as we see here in this account.
11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
What a mess! I’m sure that this was not the altar call that Paul had in mind!
The crowd’s emotional response to the miracle was to fall back on their old ideas and superstitions instead of turning to the One true God who had actually performed the miracle.
This sounds a little fantastical but in reality it’s more common than you might want to admit. There was a mix of truth and superstition at work here and that’s a mix that is still popular today, that is why we are so concerned here with what the Bible actually says instead of what worldly or even religious tradition might suggest.
But faith is not just correct information, nor is it raw emotion. Faith must be distinguished between knowledge possessed by the mind and from the highly excited feelings of the heart because it’s neither of those things. Faith is trust in the person of Jesus and it results in obedience to Him and His Word.
The man with the feet had faith, but the crowd only had emotion and not knowledge of what the source of the power of what had just happened to this man was. And in their ignorance they went and got some cows…
I know it sounds silly, or maybe I’m just making it sound that way but how often do we see people giving credit for the work of the Lord to other things, to good luck or coincidence or even hard work. How often are we guilty of thinking that ourselves?
Paul and Barnabas reacted the way we should react at that idea.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
John Calvin wrote, “This is the holy indignation which should be enkindled in the souls of God’s servants whenever He is robbed of the honor due Him. That man will not readily serve God with an upright heart who is not animated by the ‘godly jealousy’ of which Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 11:2, and who does not watch over the honor of his Lord with as much perseverance and diligence as a husband watches over the fidelity of his wife.”
Giving credit to Zeus and Hermes instead of to Jesus was blasphemy and sacrificing to those false gods because of this miracle was idolatry. Not a small deal!
This was not a Jewish crowd obviously. They only knew of the Greek pantheon of gods. The apostles could not base their gospel presentation on the Old Testament, these people didn’t know anything about it. Instead they preached the gospel based on nature and God’s revelation of Himself through it.
Romans 1:18-23 says,
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. And the fickle crowd quickly and easily turned on them.
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
Paul literally offered his own body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. And though we are under no threat of persecution of that magnitude the Lord still requires the same willingness from us. The sacrifices that please the Lord are not offered to dead idols or statues or to mortal men but to the One true Living God. Those sacrifices are not external gifts made up of fruits of the field or oxen decorated with garlands, what He requires is believing, penitent, obedient hearts.
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies.
Amen.
