Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles
6 - Trails and Triumphs
We are following Paul on his first missionary journey bringing the gospel to places where it was hitherto unknown. Last time we left Paul and his companion Barnabas in the city of Antioch in Pisidia where they had preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. There were believing Gentiles present in the synagogue on that first Sabbath who had heard Paul say as he started his sermon, “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen”. He was addressing himself to the Jews present and to the Gentiles making it clear that his message was for both groups. As a result of Paul’s outstanding presentation of the gospel of Christ he had been invited to speak again on the following Sabbath. You will find the account of this in Acts chapter 13 where we read in verse 44 that, “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.”
Among that great crowd on this second occasion there would have again been Jews and the believing Gentiles who worshipped with them in the synagogue. No doubt there would also have been many in the crowd who were pagans, worshippers of false gods. This coming together of such a large crowd to hear the word of God filled the Jews with jealousy and they began to oppose Paul and to talk abusively against what he was preaching. Again we see that whenever there is a faithful declaration of the word of God and the gospel is preached, there will be opposition of one kind or another, as the Apostle was to experience time after time on his travels. It was as a result of this rejection of his message by the Jews that Paul made his great pronouncement, “Since you reject the word of God to you, and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us.”
It was always God’s intention that his ancient, chosen people the Jews would be those who would be his witnesses to the Gentile world. Paul quotes to them Isaiah 49 verse 6: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” In this as a nation, they had signally failed. This declaration produced great joy among the Gentiles because they now knew that they could worship the God of the Jews without becoming Jews themselves. Verse 48 tells us that “they honoured the word of the Lord and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” But we must note that although the Jews in that city had rejected the gospel, wherever Paul went he continued to preach the message to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles in accordance with his God-given mission.
Acts chapter 13 ends by telling us that “the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from the region.” How sad it is that so often it is prominent people and people of influence who oppose the gospel and those who preach it, even in our day. Verse 52 however closes the chapter with a note of victory! We are told that as they left that place and moved on to Iconium, “the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” In this we are reminded of the words of James chapter 1 verse 2 where he writes: “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” And perseverance was something that the great Apostle demonstrated again and again as he faced opposition and great hardship as he went about fulfilling his great commission. As they left Antioch, the Apostles in biblical fashion, “shook the dust from their feet” as a witness against those who had rejected the word of life.
Travelling with Paul, this now great evangelist, we can note some of the characteristics of his approach to evangelism. The first is concentration. Instead of trying to reach every township in an area, Paul focused on the major cities. There his aim was make real disciples who would in turn continue the work and take the message further afield.
As we read the gospels we note the mission and ministry of the Lord Jesus. We see that he spent three years instructing a small group of men who, as a result of his intensive training, turned their world upside down. In his great commission recorded in Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 to 20, our Saviour included three key stages in the preaching of the gospel: salvation, baptism and the discipling or systematic teaching of new believers so that they too would become “fishers of men.”
Secondly, we can note the principle of consolidation. We will see that Paul, when he returned to Antioch in Syria, went by the same way that he came, in order to encourage the new believers and to take note of those who were already showing gifts of leadership, and commending them to an all-keeping God who cared for them as no one else could.
Having left Pisidian Antioch Paul and Barnabas travelled to Iconium which was some one hundred miles, or around one hundred and sixty-one kilometres, distant. On arrival they followed the pattern they had previously set, going first to the synagogue to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s background gave him both a deep love for his nation and an ability to reach them. In the synagogue they had a ready made audience, and Luke records that both Paul and Barnabas spoke so effectively that “a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.” We are told that the Apostles “spent some considerable time in Iconium speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” This again caused opposition to develop among the unbelieving Jews who stirred-up the unbelieving Gentiles and a plot was made to ill-treat and stone Paul and Barnabas. Because of this danger they fled the city and moved on to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in the region of Lycaonia.
In Acts chapter 14 verses 8 to 10 we have Luke’s account of the healing of a man in the city of Lystra who had been lame from birth and had never walked. He was listening to Paul as he was proclaiming the message of Christ. Paul, we are told, “looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed.” We wonder, had this man heard reports of the miraculous signs and wonders that had taken place in Iconium? Luke does not tell us. Perhaps the man was moved as Paul spoke about Jesus and thought with faith, “if only Jesus had come here, He would have made me walk.” Seeing his faith Paul said to the man “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
We are reminded of the account in Acts chapter 3 of the healing by Peter and John of another man who was lame from birth. When questioned by the religious leaders “by what power or what name did you do this?”, Peter replied, “Know this and all you people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” Concerning Jesus, Peter went on to say “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This is the message that Paul and Barnabas preached that day in Lystra. It is the same message today, that the Lord Jesus Christ not only heals the sicknesses of the body, but by his death and glorious resurrection he has provided for the healing and forgiveness of sin sick souls who will place their faith in him.