“Iconium” comes from eikon, the Greek word for “image.” According to Greek mythology, Prometheus and Athena recreated humanity there after a devastating flood by making images of people from mud and breathing life into them.(Longnecker, 431-32)
Iconium was, ‘… a garden spot, situated in the midst of orchards and farms, but surrounded by deserts. … Iconium, too, owed its bustling business activity to its location on the main trade route connecting Ephesus with Syria and the Mesopotamian world, as well as its orchard industries and farm produce.’ (Longenecker, 431)
A large and opulent city of Asia Minor now called Konieh. The provinces of Asia Minor varied so much at different times, that Iconium is assigned by different writers to Phrygia, to Lycaonia, and to Pisidia. Christianity was introduced here by Paul, A. D. 45. But he was obliged to flee for his life for a persecution excited by unbelieving Jews, Acts 13:51 14:1-6. They pursued him to Lystra, where he was nearly killed, but afterwards, A. D. 51, he revisited Iconium, Acts 14:19-21 2 Timothy 3:11. The church continued in being here for eight centuries, but under the Mohammedan rule was almost extinguished. (ATS)
14:1 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.
Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue as was typical.
They spoke in “such a way”
Hamburger: (Author unknown)
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
“But” Luke continued the contrast between the God’s witnessed and the opposition they faced. They faced forces of darkness from the religious world, physical world, and spiritual worlds. God used His great power through the apostles, and there appears that the enemy mustered all of his might against the Message of Life.
[Here again,] the Jewish authorities who would not accept the gospel took active steps to expel the two missionaries, and did their best to prejudice the minds of the local magistrates and the citizen body against them. (Bruce 271)
Poisoned minds.
3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord,
Continued to speak. Sometimes they shook the dust from their feet.
It seemed to take some time for the opposition to add some bite to their persecution efforts. Perhaps they feared the people for some time and had to wait for the excitement of the miracles, signs and wonders to subside. The signs from the Lord may have caused the Jewish leaders to fear the people while the apostles remained popular. Nevertheless the longer the apostles preached, and as the opposition organized, clearer lines were being drawn and soon everyone would have to choose what side they were on. (Bruce, 271)
3b. 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.
It seems probable that there were here no forcible or public measures to expel them, as there had been at Antioch Acts 13:50, and they therefore regarded it as their duty to remain. God granted them here also great success, which was the main reason for their continuing a long time. Persecution and opposition may be attended often with signal success to the gospel. (Barns)
A revival of [truth] often produces excitement by the bad passions of opposers. The enemies of the truth form parties, and organize opposition. It is no uncommon thing even now for such parties to be formed; but the fault is not in Christianity. It lies with those who form a party against [truth], and who confederate themselves, as was done here, to oppose it. (Barns)
God put’s the power in the message. When one walks in God’s will individual and collectively in community, one shall see power in the actions of life.
Man muddies the waters / Jesus says they will be clarity.
- Sheep / Goat
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.
Greek: ὁρμή (hormē): a violent motion, impulse. (Blueletter)
The Gentiles and the Jewish rulers took the initiative in persecuting the evangelists. The attempt “to stone them” appears to have been an act of mob violence, rather than a formal Jewish attempt at execution (cf. 7:58-59). (Constable, 297)
Consequently Paul and Barnabas moved (“fled”) south into the geographical “region” of “Lycaonia,” which was also in the Roman province of Galatia. “Lycaonia” means “land of the wolf.” This became the next area for their ministry. They left one political area to start afresh in another. (Ramsey, 68)
There is no back-down in their strategy.
-The fully had entrusted themselves to Almighty God.
Lystra was about 20 miles south of Iconium. Twenty miles was a normal day’s travel in the Roman Empire at this time. Luke did not mention synagogue evangelism here. Evidently there were so few Jews that there was no synagogue in Lystra (or in Philippi). (Constable, 298)
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.
How he perceived this is not said. Perhaps it was indicated by the ardor, humility, and strong desire depicted in his countenance. He had heard Paul, and perhaps the apostle had dwelt particularly on the miracles with which the gospel had been attested. The miracles performed also in Icontium had doubtless also been heard of in Lystra. (Barnes)
“… Paul and Barnabas had the gifts of an apostle, the sign gifts. They came into these places without any New Testament with the message of the gospel. What were their credentials? How could they prove their message was from God? The sign gifts were their credentials—they needed them.” (McGee, 4:571. Cf. 17:11)
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,
[saying in] Lycaonia - What this language was has much perplexed commentators. It was probably a mixture of the Greek and Syriac. In that region generally the Greek was usually spoken with more or less purity; and from the fact that it was not far from the regions of Syria, it is probable that the Greek language was corrupted with this foreign admixture. (Barnes)
Archaeology has turned up evidence of a legend in Lystra that Zeus and Hermes once visited an elderly couple who lived there, a man named Philemon and his wife Baucis.2 This supposedly took place before Paul and Barnabas’ visit. Apparently the locals concluded that these gods had returned. Zeus was the chief god in the Greek pantheon, and Hermes was his herald. The residents of Lystra identified Barnabas with “Zeus” (whom the Romans called Jupiter). Perhaps he looked dignified and authoritative. They called Paul “Hermes” (the Roman Mercury) because he was the chief speaker. According to Greek legend, Hermes invented speech and was an eloquent speaker. The English word “hermeneutics,” the science of interpretation, comes from this word.(Robertson, 3:210)
For a good article on Zeus and Hermes see: “Zeus” @ https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/; and “Hermes” @ https://www.worldhistory.org/Hermes/ respectively.
"… it must be remembered that ancient historians looked for and believed in the existence of repeated cycles or patterns in history, such that one could learn from what has gone before and to a certain degree know what to expect from the future. (Footnote 273)
The gods … - All the region was idolatrous. The gods which were worshipped (sic) there were those which were worshipped (sic) throughout Greece.
Are come down - The miracle which Paul had performed led them to suppose this. It was evidently beyond human ability, and they had no other way of accounting for it than by supposing that their gods had personally appeared.
In the likeness of men - Many of their gods were heroes, whom they worshipped (sic) after they were dead. It was a common belief among them that the gods appeared to people in human form. The poems of Homer, of Virgil, etc., are filled with accounts of such appearances, and the only way in which they supposed the gods to take knowledge of human affairs, and to help people, was by their personally appearing in this form. See Homer’s Odyssey, xvii. 485; Catullus, 64, 384; Ovid’s Metamorph., i. 212 (Kuinoel). (Barnes)
Major Point:
If Satan cannot derail Christian witness with persecution, he will try praise. Too much persecution has destroyed many preachers, and too much praise has ruined many others. One of the problems with miracles is that they often draw more attention to the miracle worker than to God. (Constable, 300)
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? [worshiping Paul and Barnabas] 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.
“With a pagan audience it was necessary to begin a stage further back with the proclamation of the one true God;” especially in the case of polytheism. (Marshall, 238)
“In past generations” God had revealed Himself to the Gentiles mainly through creation and Israel (cf. Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1). Now He was giving them special revelation through the Church. “This was the first time Luke recorded the preaching of the gospel to a group that was predominantly, if not exclusively, Gentile. Thus this incident became another benchmark of worldwide gospel extension.” (Constable 301)
Timothy was apparently a native of Lystra (cf. 16:1-2; 20:4; 2 Tim. 1:5). He apparently had a Jewish mother and grandmother (cf. 16:3; 2 Tim. 1:5). This may indicate that there were some Jews who lived there. (Constable 301)
"Paul’s speech here, apart from his address to the Athenian philosophers (17:22ff.), is the only example in Acts of his technique in dealing with a purely pagan audience; it is a striking example of his ability to reinterpret the Gospel in terms intelligible to his hearers. It differs widely from his approach to Jews and adherents of Judaism, as illustrated by his sermon in the synagogue at Antioch (13:16ff.), where some knowledge of the scriptures could be assumed on the part of his listeners. Here, as at Athens, he proceeds on the basis of natural revelation—the providential order of the universe—which ought to lead men’s thoughts from the cult of idols to the worship of a living God, Creator of all that exists; he expounds this line of argument more fully in Rom. 1:19ff.; 2:14f., and he writes of its successful outcome at Thessalonica in I Th. 1:9).(Neil, 164)
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. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
One often does not know when violence will break out. It happened to Paul as he went about his everyday life.
They convinced the fickle residents of Lystra that the missionaries were deceivers rather than gods and deserved to die (cf. 28:4-6; Matt. 12:24). A few days earlier, the Lystrans had treated the apostles better than angels; now the treated them worse than animals. (Constable, 302)
Disillusioned fanatics are easily led off into contradictory actions. (Kent, 117)
Some believe Paul died and was raised from the dead. To this view, surely people in Paul’s day had a closer view of what death looked like in their everyday lives.
There is no way to prove this theory, and the text does not give such an interpretation. The evidence is circumstantial at best. But is is amazing that he could walk to a new city the next day. It does seem at least that the Lord helped Paul physically here.
Sidebar:
The text does not explain exactly how the appointment of these elders took place. “They” probably refers to Paul and Barnabas, since they are the subjects in view in the context. However, the Greek word used here (cheirotonesantes, “appointed”) sometimes meant to elect by a vote of raised hands. (Constable, 304)
It seems that there may have been a dual decision in the churches for elders where the apostles had the last say.
Paul showed that it was his conviction that from the very beginning Christianity must be lived in a fellowship. (Barclay, 119)
Note again the importance that Paul and Barnabas placed on prayer and fasting for leaders.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
Apparently they did more discipleship (“strengthening the souls … encouraging … in the faith”) than evangelism, on this return trip to the very cities where the apostles’ lives had been in danger. (Constable, 303)
ILL:
“When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,” tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. “He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’ “‘Luciano,’ my father replied, ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.’ “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book—whatever we choose—we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.” (Commitment)
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. “Iconium.” Bible.org, https://biblehub.com/topical/i/iconium.htm.
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles. The Daily Study Bible series, 2nd ed., Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1962. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Barnes, Albert. “Commentary on Acts 14”. “Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/acts-14.html. 1870.
Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 1960. One vol. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980. As charted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Blueletter Bible. "Lexicon :: Strong’s G3730 - hormē." https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3730/kjv/tr/0-1/.
Bruce, F. F. The Book of Acts: The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Gordon D. Fee, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmanns Publishing Company, 1988.
Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Footnote 273: “See the discussion by [G. W.] Trompf, [The] Idea of Historical Recurrence [in Western Thought], of Polybius, pp. 78 ff., and of Luke, pp. 170ff.” As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
“Commitment.” Guideposts, as quoted in https://bible.org/illustration/commitment.
Kent, Homer A., Jr. Jerusalem to Rome. New Testament Studies series. Brethren Missionary Herald, 1972, reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House and BMH Books, 1985. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Longenecker, Richard N. “The Acts of the Apostles.” In John-Acts. Vol. 9 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. 12 vols., edited by Frank E.Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981, 431-32. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. Reprint ed., Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, and Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. 5 vols., Pasadena, Calif.: Thru The Bible Radio, and Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1983. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Neil, William. The Acts of the Apostles. New Century Bible Commentary series. London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1973, reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1981. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Ramsay, William M. The Church in the Roman Empire before A.D. 170. 3rd ed. London: Hoddar and Stoughton, 1894. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testament. 6 vols. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931. As quoted in Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., Plano Bible Church, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.