Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 14:8 - 14:18
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_14:8-18
8At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. 9This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us." 12And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you 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. 16In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." 18Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
Act_14:8 "At Lystra" This town was Timothy's home (cf. Act_16:1). This is a Roman colony established by Augustus in a.d. 6. There was probably no synagogue here, so Paul and Barnabas conducted street preaching.
▣ So that there was no possibility of a trick or deception (cf. Act_3:2). There are three specific descriptive phrases describing this man'spermanent condition.
1. no strength in his feet
2. lame from his mother's womb
3. had never walked
▣ "no strength" The term adunatos usually means "impossible" or literally "unable" (cf. Luk_18:27; Heb_6:4; Heb_6:18; Heb_10:4; Heb_11:6), but here Luke uses it like the medical writers in the sense of impotent or weak (cf. Rom_8:3; Rom_15:1).
It is interesting that Luke, in many ways, parallels Peter's and Paul's ministries. Peter and John heal a lame man in Act_3:1-10 now so too, do Paul and Barnabas.
Act_14:9 "when he had fixed his gaze on him" Luke uses this phrase often (cf. Act_3:4; Act_10:4). See note at Act_1:10. Paul saw that this man was listening intently. Therefore, he commanded him to stand up and walk (cf. Act_14:10) and he did!
▣ "that he had faith to be made well" This is used in the OT sense of the term "saved," meaning physical deliverance. Notice that Paul's ability to heal was based on the man's faith. This is often, but not exclusively, the case in the NT (cf. Luk_5:20; Joh_5:5-9). Miracles had several functions:
1. to show the love of God
2. to show the power and truth of the gospel
3. to train and encourage the other believers present
Act_14:11 "in the Lycaonian language" Obviously Paul and Barnabas did not understand what the crowd was saying. This was the indigenous language of the region.
Act_14:12 "calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker" A local tradition asserted that the Greek gods often visited humans in human form (cf. Ovid, Metamorphoses 8:626ff). From local inscriptions we learn this was an area where Zeus and Hermes were worshiped (cf. Act_14:13).
Notice that Barnabas is mentioned first. This is probably because Paul, as the spokesperson, would be understood by these pagans as the equivalent of Hermes (Mercury); the silent Barnabas must then be the high god Zeus (Jupiter).
Act_14:13 "gate" This could refer to the city or, more probably, to the temple of Jupiter (Zeus) which was located just outside the city gate and facing it. It was a time of great confusion and misunderstanding.
Act_14:14 "apostles" See note at Act_14:4.
▣ "tore their robes" This is a Jewish sign of mourning and blasphemy (cf. Mat_26:65; Mar_14:63). It surely would have communicated even to these pagans that there was a problem.
▣ "rushed out" This is a common term in the Septuagint for "leaping out" or "rushing out," though it is used only here in the NT. Paul and Barnabas sprang up and out into the midst of the crowd.
Act_14:15-17 Here is a summary of Paul's first sermon to pagans. It is much like his sermon on Mars Hill (cf. Act_17:22-33).
Act_14:15
NASB, NKJV "men of the same nature as you"
NRSV "we are mortals just like you"
TEV "we ourselves are only human beings like you"
NJB "we are only human beings, mortal like yourselves"
The term is homoiopathçs, which is a compound of "the same" and "passions." This term is used only here and in Jas_5:17 in the NT. The locals had thought Paul and Barnabas were gods (homoiôthentes, cf. Act_14:11), which means "made like" men. Paul uses the same root to denote their common humanity. Luke shows the humility of Paul and Barnabas in contradistinction to Herod Antipas in Act_12:20-23.
▣ "you should turn from these vain things" The term "vain" means empty, void, non-existent. Paul is directly confronting their superstitious paganism.
▣ "to a living God" This is a play on the term YHWH, which is from the Hebrew verb "to be" (cf. Exo_3:14). YHWH is the ever-living, only-living God. See hyperlink at Act_1:6.
▣ "who made" This is a quote from Exo_20:11 or Psa_146:6. The Hebrew term Elohim (cf. Gen_1:1) describes God as creator and provider (cf. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 468-469) as YHWH describes Him as Savior, Redeemer (cf. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 471-472) and covenant-making God. See special Topic at Act_1:6.
Act_14:16 "In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways" This phrase may be an allusion to Deu_32:7-8 in which Moses asserts that YHWH establishes the boundaries of the nations. Theologically this affirms God's care and attention to the nations (Gentiles, cf. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament, pp. 258-259). God desired that they know Him, but the fallenness of humanity caused superstition and idolatry (cf. Rom_1:18 to Rom_2:29). However, He continued to pursue them (cf. Act_14:17).
The Gentile's ignorance of God is contrasted with the Jews' knowledge of God. The irony is that Gentiles respond in mass by faith to the gospel, while Jews respond in mass rejection and persecution toward the gospel (cf. Romans 9-11).
Act_14:17 "He did not leave Himself without witness" This is the concept of natural revelation (cf. Psa_19:1-6; Rom_1:19-20; Rom_2:14-15). All humans know something about God from creation and an inner moral witness.
▣ "rains. . .food" The local pagan tradition said that Zeus was the giver of rain and Hermes was the giver of food. Paul, following Deuteronomy 27-29, affirms God's control of nature.
These pagans did not know God so the covenant curses of Deuteronomy are replaced by God's patience (cf. Act_17:30; Rom_3:25; Rom_4:15; Rom_5:13). Paul was God's unique choice (apostle to the Gentiles) to reach the nations! Paul uses God's creation and provision through nature (cf. Psa_145:15-16; Psa_147:8; Jer_5:24; Jon_1:9) as his point of contact.
It is interesting that there is nothing of the gospel per se in this sermon summary. One assumes that Paul continued in the same line of reasoning as he did in his Athenian sermon in Act_17:16-34. One wonders whether Luke got this summary from Paul or possibly Timothy (this was his home).
Act_14:18 This is an eyewitness detail.