"Persistence" (Acts 14:19-21)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/17/2018 11:01 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  “Persistence”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  Acts 14:19-21

            Message of the verses:  “19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,”

            I know that in some cases that when Paul was ministering in one city and had to leave because people in that city were abusing them because of the gospel that they would follow them to another city and cause trouble for him there.  However it is not know if this is why these people from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra or whether or not they were perhaps there on business.  At any rate they were there and they certainly caused trouble for Paul.  I mentioned in an earlier SD that perhaps Paul had actually died from this stoning.  Many years ago when I was at Moody’s Founders Week I heard a pastor, don’t remember his name, but he said that he believed that Paul actually died here and that is when he had his trip to heaven as seen in 2 Corinthians 12.  I certainly don’t know if this is what really happened, but it does sound reasonable to me.  These men won over some of the people in Lystra and convinced them to stone Paul and the text says that they supposed him to be dead.  Luke does not record what it was that was so troubling to them from what Paul was speaking about, but probably they did not want to hear about Jesus and that He came lived, died, and rose again.

            John MacArthur argues that Paul did not die from this stoning (perhaps he heard the same pastor at Founders week that I did), and he gives some reasons from the words used in these verses.  “Supposing’ is from Nomizo, which usually means ‘to suppose something that is not true.’  Nomizo appears in Acts 7:25, where Moses wrongly supposed the Israelites would understand that God had sent him to deliver them.  In Acts 8:20, it describes, Simon’s false assumption that he could buy the Holy Spirit’s power.  Nomizo is used in Acts 16:27 to describe the Philippian jailer’s nearly fatal supposition that the prisoners had escaped…The predominant New Testament usage of nomizo argues that Paul was not dead, and the crowd’s supposition was incorrect.”

            I will not dwell on this as his arguments for Paul to have died and went to heaven as talked about in 2 Corinthians 12 are valid and so we will move on to say that the men who stoned him thought he was dead and did not realize that he was alive. At any rate after they left Paul went into the city.  Paul may not have died but I suppose that it took some courage for him to get up and go into the city in the condition he must have been in.

            Even though Paul had to be hurting from this experience he and Barnabas moved on to Derbe which was forty miles away.  This very long trip must have take a long time, but because of Paul’s love for the Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry that He had given Him he continued to go and preach the gospel.  Sometimes when we read passages like this we seem to forget the agony that Paul went through to continue to preach the gospel in all the different cities he went to.  We must remember what the Lord said to Ananias:  “"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16  for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake."”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In my prayer time I have included a section to pray for the persecuted church, those who are suffering each and every day for the cause of Christ, and there are many who are suffering for His cause today, so it is good for those of us who are not suffering in the ways that they are to pray for them each day.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will give me continued wisdom as I study for my Sunday school lessons on the book of Revelation each week.  This week we begin chapter five and although I have my lesson plan for the entire chapter I do not think that I will get through the entire chapter tomorrow.  I desire to serve the Lord in teaching this book to those who are in my class.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Paul” (Acts 18:6).

Today’s Bible question:  “Where shall the ransomed of the Lord return?”

Answer in our next SD.

3/17/2018 11:45 AM