MPV Commentary

Restrained from Sacrificing to Them as Gods, but Afterwards, Their Minds Being Poisoned, They Stone Paul, Leaving Him for Dead—Withdrawing to Derbe, They Preach and Teach There.

There is no mention of a synagogue at Lystra, suggesting that there were too few Jews in the area to form one.

8-10. A certain man was sitting there who had been crippled from birth. He listened intently as Paul spoke in the open air to a large crowd.

9. The man fixed his gaze on Paul, just as he had done with Elymas the sorcerer before performing a miracle on him. Perceiving that the man had faith to be healed, Paul was moved by the Spirit of God and commanded him to stand up on his feet. Instantly, the man sprang to his feet and began walking.

11-13. The people of Lycaonia spoke in their own dialect, which may have been a corruption of Greek or an older language. They said that the gods had come down to them in human form. However, this superstition was actually fulfilled at Bethlehem when God became incarnate as Jesus Christ.

12. The crowd called Barnabas "Jupiter," the father of the gods, due to his authoritative presence. Paul, on the other hand, was referred to as "Mercurius," the god of eloquence and messenger of Jupiter in their mythology.

13. The priest of Jupiter, whose temple stood before the city, brought oxen and garlands to crown the victims and decorate the porches.

14-18. When Barnabas and Paul heard this, they were outraged and ran out among the people, crying out, "Sirs, why are you doing these things?" This was more than just a reaction against idolatry; it was a deep sense of reverence for God that only Christianity can produce.

15. We are men of like passions with you, but we have not come to promote our own interests. We serve the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. This idea of creation was unknown to both uncivilized and cultured heathens.

16. In the past, God allowed all nations to live according to their own ways without revealing Himself to them. However, this did not mean they were guiltless (Romans 1:20).

17. Nevertheless, God left himself a witness among the heathen, doing good and scattering His beneficence everywhere. He provided rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

18. Despite Paul's words, the crowd was barely restrained from sacrificing to them as gods. However, this tendency would eventually show itself in the Christian Church, leading to idolatrous practices being systematized and enforced in the Church of Rome.

19. Certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived at Lystra, inciting the people against Paul. They persuaded the crowd to stone him, leaving him for dead. Barnabas was spared, but Paul was the primary target due to his prominent role as a speaker.

20. As the disciples stood around Paul, sorrowing, one of them, Timotheus, appears to have been converted on this occasion. It is possible that Paul's recovery from his injuries was natural, but it seems more likely that it was miraculous.

21. The next day, Paul and Barnabas departed for Derbe, where they preached the gospel and made many disciples without facing persecution.