Chapter 14

(Acts 14) And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. {2} But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. {3} Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. {4} But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. {5} And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, {6} They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: 

One thing to know about this region and these cities is that they almost certainly are the region called Galatia in the New Testament. Understanding what happened here is important to understanding the first of Paul's epistles, the one to the Galatians, not least that these churches are almost exclusively Gentile.

{7} And there they preached the gospel. {8} And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: {9} The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, {10} Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. {11} And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. {12} And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

These are not Jews, they are pagans to the core as will be apparrent. 

{13} Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. {14} Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, {15} And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: {16} Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. {17} Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. {18} And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

When Paul writes to these people in the book of Galatians he will speak of what they were "in time past." Right here we have the evidence of what they were. They were not Jews. It was Jews coming on the scene from Antioch that caused the succeeding problem.

 {19} And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. {20} Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came 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 had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, {22} Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. {23} And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. {24} And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. {25} And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: {26} And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. {27} And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. {28} And there they abode long time with the disciples.

How long, exactly, we don’t know. But during this time, an unfortunate division in the early church had begun to develop. Knowing human nature, I suppose it should come as no surprise that the early church was divided. There was no screening of Baptism candidates, and so there were believers and then there were believers. 

For a long time, many, both inside and outside the church, considered the Christians as just another sect of Judaism. After all, they were all Jewish. They hadn’t changed their God. Not only were they all Jews, they were Torah observant Jews. For a long time, many, both inside and outside the church, considered the Christians as just another sect of Judaism. After all, they were all Jewish. They hadn’t changed their God. Not only were they all Jews, they were Torah observant Jews.

But just as their were sects of Judaism in the first century, disciples were baptized out of all those sects, and they inevitably brought a lot of their cherished ideas with them. The problem was, that while Jesus honored the written law, He was constantly in conflict with Judaism per se. Judaism used the written law as its cornerstone, but the central pillar of Judaism is the Oral Law–what came to be called the Talmud. 

Try to keep this one fact straight as we proceed. Judaism is not the religion of the Old Testament. A lot of people, reading Paul’s epistles, assume that Paul is contrary to OT law, when it is Judaism, a particularly legalistic form of Judaism, that he is in conflict with.

We have already seen that the early church, composed almost entirely of Jews, was very reluctant to allow full fellowship to gentiles. They were in no hurry at all to take the gospel to Gentiles and had to be prodded along the way to do so. Some of them accepted what God had done, however reluctantly. Others were still clinging to the past. We should have no trouble visualizing this, because it is totally true to human nature.

We would like to think of the early Jerusalem church as pristine, united, and perfectly joined together. Perhaps if I just reminded you that the church in that age was also composed of human beings, you could come down to earth and realize that there were political parties in the early church. Well, here comes one in chapter 15.

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