N=Not gods But Men Acts 14

Paul & Barnabas in chapter 14 are still on their first missionary journey. In Iconium, they speak so effectively both Jews & Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the Gentiles minds against Paul & Barnabas. So they stayed on a while and boldly preached to the people there. Some Jewish & Gentiles made a plot to stone them, but they escaped and headed to Lystra. Usually when they would enter a city, they would head go to the synagogue. Not here. In Lystra, Paul heals a crippled man. The people think Paul is a god. They think Paul & Barnabes are the gods Hermes & Zeus. In Greek mythology, Hermes was the messenger of the gods. Zeus was the chief diety. They start bringing sacrifies to them from the nearby Zeus temple. Paul tells them “We are only men. Bringing you good news about Jesus.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowds from sacrificing to them. Some neighboring Jews came to Lystra and won the crowd over. The people stoned Paul & drag him out of the city. Paul gets back up and goes back into the city! I forgot to say this in the video, but consider how Paul was there at Stephen’s stoning that led to death, and now the people are coming after Paul wanting to kill him. It’s Crazy! From Lystra, they went to Derbe and then returned back through the churches they had started; Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. To review: In Lystra, stoned and left for dead, Iconium, plot to stone them, Antioch, threw them out of the region. Yet, they strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. Paul & Barnabas appointed elders in each church. Requirements of elders: I Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5-9 Returning home through the previous cities, they return to Antioch and gathered the church together and told them about how God had opened the door to the Gentiles. Imagine their conversations to the church at Antioch!!

Acts 14 Review Questions 1. When Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogue in Iconium what was the result? ______2. What did the unbelieving Jews do? ______3. How long did they stay in Iconium? ______4. After leaving Iconium where did they go? ______5. What did Paul observe about the crippled man? ______6. What did the people who saw Paul heal the crippled man begin to shout? ______7. Why do you think the people didn’t get it even after Paul’s message? ______8. Why do you think Paul went back into the city?______9. Explain why Paul and Barnabas went back through those cities at the end of their first journey ______