My husband is a construction worker – an electrician with cross-training in HVAC and maintenance. Our garage has a myriad of tools, so much so that we can barely fit the car into it.  Have you ever noticed how many tools a doctor or a dentist have at their disposal? The reason the doctor sends us to the hospital is because there are even more tools there.

God has an infinite number of “tools” at His disposal, so that He is able to accomplish His will in a variety of ways and achieve the exact result He desires. Many Christians resist this, sometimes unknowingly. Some Christians, for example, insist that God no longer employs miracles, banning the signs and wonders of Acts in this age. Conversely,  some people seem to think that miraculous intervention is God’s only tool; they expect, even demand, that miracles be a part of their constant experience. I think both these groups perceive God as too small.

The Book of Acts is a dramatic description of the infinite array of tools at God’s disposal, which He sovereignly employs to achieve His predetermined ends. The first missionary journey was one example of how God assembled His tools to accomplish His tasks.

Divine intervention caused Paul and Barnabas, otherwise engaged in teaching the church of Antioch, to set out on a missionary journey. On Cyprus, the singular incident given any detailed treatment is of Jewish opposition causing a Gentile to come to Christ. Clearly, miraculous events were afoot, with the blinding of Elymas.

The remainder of chapter 13 focused on the evangelization of Pisidian Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas preached after leaving Cyprus. At Pisidian Antioch, Paul proclaimed the gospel focused toward Jews or Jewish proselytes. Paul called upon his audience to accept Jesus as God’s anointed King, the Messiah, and reject and renounce the actions taken by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, who orchestrated His death. He also warned them about rejecting the gospel, drawing on Old Testament prophets. We see no miracles as we did on Cyprus.

A number of those who heard were convinced and converted and they, along with other interested folks, invited Paul back to preach the next Sabbath. A throng of Gentiles arrived for that service, causing the unbelieving Jews to become jealous and oppositional, even blaspheming against Jesus. Paul and Barnabas’ response poses as a major turning point. Pointing to Isaiah 49:6 as a command to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, they turned from the Jews and directed their attention toward the Gentiles, which brought about the salvation and rejoicing of the Gentiles, and predictably, more intense opposition from their Jewish opponents. Shaking the dust off their feet, they left Pisidian Antioch for ministry in other places, leaving behind a congregation of joyful saints, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

“And it came about that in Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a great multitude believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles, and embittered them against the brethren. Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; and there they continued to preach the gospel.” Acts 14:1-7

Arriving at Iconium, Paul and Barnabas spoke the gospel with power and a large number were converted, including Jews and (God-fearing) Greeks. There were those who heard who did not believe and actively opposed the ministry of these two apostles by stirring up resentment toward the saints on the part of unbelieving Gentiles, perhaps those of prominence and position.

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium for quite some time after opposition to their message arose. This was not their usual pattern, but they had good reason. The Jewish opposition had, this time, stirred up opposition toward the new believers rather than the apostles. The First Church of Iconium required teaching and encouragement during this time. It would appear the opposition was mainly verbal, not violent, so until the opposition got around to plotting a stoning, Paul and Barnabas remained to proclaim the gospel and take the heat rather than the new followers.

Paul and Barnabas preached with boldness, but they also performed “signs and wonders,” –gospel-attesting miracles. These signs and wonders may not have convinced and converted men, but they did cause the opponents of the gospel to fear and respect Paul and Barnabas. The opponents of the gospel were not eager to take on men who could perform signs and wonders. (This seems to be the reason why the apostles were able to stay on in Jerusalem when the rest fled, Acts 8:1).

The city was divided by the powerful preaching and resulting conversions on one side and strong resistance and opposition on the other. In time the opposition intensified, culminating in a violent intention to kill the two apostles. When word of the plot to stone Paul and Barnabas reached them, they departed hastily, moving on to the cities of Lystra and Derbe, and their suburbs (14:6). Leaving town did not silence these two, however, for they kept right on preaching the gospel.

“And at Lystra there was sitting a certain man, without strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze upon him, and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. And when the multitudes 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.” And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the 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. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order 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.

“And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and 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.” And even saying these things, they with difficulty restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.” Acts 14:8-18

We are not told that Paul and Barnabas went to a synagogue in Lystra and preached there. As was their custom, the lack of mention may mean that there was no synagogue there, or it could simply meant that Luke chosen to focus on this healing and the ministry to Gentiles—pure pagans—as opposed to Gentile God-fearers, who would be found at the synagogue. It would seem that Paul and Barnabas were engaged in “street preaching” in Lystra.

A lame man sitting nearby heard the preaching of Paul. Apparently he exhibited a keen interest and faith sufficient to both save and heal him. Paul, knowing that he had the power of the Spirit to heal the man, and that the man had the faith to be healed, commanded the man to stand up and walk. The man leaped up and began to walk. If he was anything like the man Peter and John healed, he probably danced with joy, following Paul and Barnabas and testifying to what had happened through their hands.

The pagan crowd became immediately enthusiastic, but Paul and Barnabas were truly in heathen territory. Paul was probably preaching in the Greek language, which was not the native tongue of these Lycaonians (they used Greek commercially; it was not their first language). In their excitement, the crowds of Lystra reverted to their native tongue, which apparently Paul and Barnabas did not understand.

I’ve been there, folks, in a crowd of people whose language I did not understand who were all speaking about me! Paul and Barnabas were perplexed as they heard the excited speech and saw preparations for some sort of ceremony were being made. They did not know the nature of the ceremony, so perhaps they questioned those around them, in Greek, to determine what was happening. Somehow, they discovered they were about to be worshipped as an incarnation of the “gods,” Zeus (the principal god) and Hermes (the son of Zeus, and his spokesman). Horrified at the thought of such worship, they immediately began to convince the crowd to stop. This was precisely the opposite of what they hoped would happen!

I think we can mark this as the first apologetic sermon. Barnabas and Paul were not giving an evangelistic message and they were not proclaiming the gospel. This was an argument against heathen worship of themselves. There is a similar argument presented in Acts 17 with more detail. They were mere men, not gods and worship of them would oppose the gospel they preached. They had come as the representatives of the one true God, not as manifestations of the heathen gods this crowd worshipped. Their God was the Creator of the heaven and the earth, the Creator of all things. He gave them rains and seasons, crops and happiness. He was not just the God of the spectacular miracles, such as the healing of the lame man; He was the God of the orderly, the day-to-day blessings of life. They would see the hand of God in miracles, certainly, but they must also see His hand in the everyday blessings. This God was not only the God of the supernatural, but of the natural.

God had let the heathen go their own ways in the past, but He had left a witness of Himself in nature. There should have been the witness of Israel, called and commanded by God to be a light to the Gentiles (Acts 13:47), but because of their disobedience, the gospel was being proclaimed in its full form to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas had not come to confirm heathen worship, but to confront them with the true God and His good news of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They had come to turn these heathens from false worship to that which is true. How could they allow these men to worship them? With a deep sense of relief, Paul and Barnabas were finally able to convince the crowds to cease their “worship.”

“But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he arose and entered the city. And the next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.” Acts 14:8-20

It seems that almost immediately Jews from Pisidia Antioch and Iconium appeared in Lystra with stones and convinced the crowd to join them in a rock-throwing party. Paul went from deity to executed interloper in a matter of one sentence. Why such a quick change? The Jews of Iconium had apparently been so upset that they followed Paul and Barnabas to the next town. They probably would have spoken the same native language as those of Lystra, which would facilitate communication. Moreover, the Lystran crowd had heard the gospel and perhaps understood the gospel as a rejection of their religion, which apparently allowed the worship of human beings as gods. They would rather kill Paul and Barnabas than give up what they believed, so they gathered rocks.

Luke’s account of Paul’s rising is very restrained and simple for a miracle and it is indeed a miracle. Luke, a medical doctor, doesn’t say Paul was dead. The hostile crowd presumed he was dead. Stoning was a serious affair and not one people walked away from lightly. I’m sure the disciples were praying, but we are told only that Paul got up and went back into town. It’s almost as though Luke considered the miracle to be that Paul returned to Lystra, not that he got up off the ground. I’ve experienced something similar, minus the rocks, with a visitor to this blog and I think Luke might be right about that. Sometimes the miracle is in the obedience to God and what He will empower us to endure.

“And the next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. And they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and from there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.” Acts 14:20-27

Paul was near home at this point and it might have been easy to head in, but instead, he and Barnabas returned to the cities they had previously evangelized, picking up Perga as well. They sought to edify the churches they had established, appointing elders, commending them to the Lord, encouraging them to stand fast in the midst of persecution, which they taught was a expected part of the Christian experience. They who believed so deeply in God’s ability to save also believed in God’s ability to keep those whom He (Acts 14:23; 20:32) had chosen. They then returned to Antioch.

I think we Gentile Christians today take for granted the wonder, praise and joy the early saints felt at God’s sovereign work in their world. The Jewish Christians never would have conceived of the salvation of the Gentiles. God brought this about through men, but the men He used understood that it was God opening all the doors. They were mere human instruments whom God used to accomplish His task of building His church.

I know people who would seek to limit God’s freedom and creativity; they fail to see in this their own unbelief and lack of comprehending the power and wisdom of God (Romans 11:33-36). Some would say that God does not and cannot employ “signs and wonders” today, as a means of drawing men to faith. Their “God” is too small. Others err in the opposite direction, insisting God’s only tool for saving men is “signs and wonders.” They expect a miracle and nothing else will do. They are not free, as Luke was, to look at the “rising of Paul” as an act of God’s providence—they must have a miracle in it, a resurrection. They do not see the hand of God in the mundane, non-miraculous matters of life. They find it somehow unspiritual to see God’s presence and power in the everyday things, like rain, seasons, and crops. They want God’s presence and power to be displayed by His disruption of the normal. They expect life to be a never-ending sequence of “signs and wonders,” as though their faith depended upon them. Their “God” is too small.

God has many tools and can use any of them to accomplish His purposes. God is always at work, even when we don’t see the evidence. God is no less in control in the predictable events of life than He is when He supernaturally intervenes into human affairs. We should be restrained in our prayer lives, asking for those things God has promised, but leaving the means and methods to Him. I often hear people, myself included, instruct God in how He should answer our prayers. His ways are higher than ours and He knows how to best accomplish what needs accomplishing. We should petition Him so that we recognize His sovereignty and His creativity rather than in a way that restricts (from our human perspective) the way in which He can answer our prayers.  We should beware of those “success schemes and strategies” which are so popular among Christians today. The “church growth” movement has some serious flaws and one of them is the way it seeks to be successful. Churches are not businesses meant to follow a business plan. They are God’s hands and feet, meant to obey God. Our view of success may not agree with God’s view and by advocating the imitation of other churches which we think are successful, we limit the creativity of the church, and the ways in which we expect God to work in and through our church. Even if a church was successful and we were able to determine those things which made it so, is no assurance that imitating its practices would make our church successful, either numerically, economically or in terms of mission.

In the first missionary journey, we saw that God progressively revealed his will and achieved His purposes through a myriad of ways. That creativity makes serving Him exciting. You never know what’s coming next! There are no cookie cutter churches or Christians. There are just those who walk in the Spirit, seeking to obey and follow His direction in our path.