NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 44
A cts 1 4 : 1 3
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he was the chief speaker. 13 Now the temple
of Zeus was located just outside the town.
So the priest of the temple and the crowd
brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the
town gates, and they prepared to offer sacri
fices to the apostles.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul
heard what was happening, they tore their
clothing in dismay and ran out among the
people, shouting, 15 “Friends,* why are you
doing this? We are merely human beings—
just like you! We have come to bring you the
Good News that you should turn from these
r worthless things and turn to the living God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and
everything in them. 16 In the past he per
mitted all the nations to go their own ways,
17 but he never left them without evidence of
himself and his goodness. For instance, he
sends you rain and good crops and gives you
food and joyful hearts.” 18 But even with these
words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely re
strain the people from sacrificing to them.
19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch
and Iconium and won the crowds to their
side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out
of town, thinking he was dead. 20 But as the
believers* gathered around him, he got up
and went back into the town. The next day
he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas Return through
Pisidia and Pamphylia
21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe
and making many disciples, Paul and Barna
bas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch
of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the be
lievers. They encouraged them to continue
in the faith, reminding them that we must
suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom
of God. 23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed
elders in every church. With prayer and fast
ing, they turned the elders over to the care of
the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia to
Pamphylia. 25 They preached the word in Per
ga, then went down to Attalia.
The Successful Return
to the Antioch Church
26 Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch
of Syria, where their journey had begun. The
believers there had entrusted them to the
grace of God to do the work they had now
completed. 27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they
called the church together and reported
everything God had done through them and
how he had opened the door of faith to the
Gentiles, too. 28 And they stayed there with
the believers for a long time.
The Council at Jerusalem: Conflict
over Gentiles (15:135)
The Challenge of the Judaizers
While Paul and Barnabas were at An
tioch of Syria, some men from Judea
arrived and began to teach the believers*:
“Unless you are circumcised as required by
the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
15
14:15
Exod 20:11
Ps 146:6
Matt 16:16
Acts 10:26
1 Thes 1:9
Rev 14:7
rmataios (3152)
1
Cor 3:20
14:16
Ps 81:12
14:17
Ps 147:8
Rom 1:20
14:19
Acts 13:45
2 Cor 11:25
2 Tim 3:11
14:22
2 Tim 3:12
14:26
Acts 13:13
14:27
1 Cor 16:9
Col 4:3
Rev 3:8
15:1
Lev 12:3
Gal 5:2
15:2
Acts 11:30
Gal 2:110
s apostolos (0652)
1
Cor 9:1
15:3
Acts 11:19; 14:27
The Debate in the Jerusalem Church
2 Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them,
arguing vehemently. Finally, the church de
cided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusa
lem, accompanied by some local believers,
to talk to the s apostles and elders about this
question. 3 The church sent the delegates
to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the
way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the
14:15 Greek Men. 14:20 Greek disciples; also in 14:22, 28. 15:1 Greek brothers; also in 15:3, 23, 32, 33, 36, 40.
mythological appearance cited by the
poet Ovid (in which the gods Zeus and
Hermes came to visit the area but were
unrecognized except by an old couple;
see Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.616–724). So
the people set out to honor these sup
posed gods.
14:1318 The apostles opposed the
people’s idolatry and their attempt to
offer sacrifices to them. They directed
the people’s worship to the living God;
the apostles were his representatives
as they brought the Good News of the
Christian message.
14:1920 The crowd became fickle when
some Jews arrived from Antioch and
Iconium and easily turned the people
against the apostles. • They stoned Paul
and dragged him out of town: Paul later
referred to this time of persecution as a
lesson (2 Tim 3:1112). • thinking he was
dead: That Paul got up and went back
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
into the town suggests that God miracu
lously healed him of his wounds.
14:20 The next day he left: Paul later
returned to Lystra on his second mis
sionary journey (16:1).
14:2223 The apostles were diligent
in following up with those who had
made a Christian profession of faith.
These new disciples needed to be
nurtured, supported, and encouraged
(15:32, 41; 16:40; 18:23; see 1 Thes 3:2;
4:18; 5:14). • Paul and Barnabas . . .
appointed elders: See “Church Lead
ers,” Titus 1:59.
14:2628 As soon as Paul and Barnabas
returned home to Antioch from their
first missionary journey, they called the
church together and gave a full report of
their evangelism and discipleship. They
humbly acknowledged divine guidance
in opening the door of faith to the Gentiles (see 11:18; 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12).
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
Similar reports (Acts 15:4, 12; 21:19)
always stressed the activity of God as
working through the ministries of his
servants (see Rom 15:1718; 1 Cor 3:59;
15:1011).
15:1 These men from Judea were Jewish
Christians who taught the necessity of
circumcision (and with it, conversion to
Judaism) in order to be saved. The cen
tral issue was how Gentiles were to be
received into Christian fellowship. Paul
wrote his letter to the Galatians about
this time to counter the same teaching
in Galatia (see Galatians Introduction,
“Date of Writing”).
15:23 The Antioch church decided
to send . . . delegates to Jerusalem to
resolve this matter in discussion with the
apostles and elders there. En route, the
entourage visited believers in Phoenicia
and Samaria, where the Christian faith
had made substantial inroads (ch 8).
POETRY & WISDOM
