Acts 14:8-18
- The miracles, which the disciples performed, were done for two reasons.
First, they gave credence to their testimony. They were doing the very thing
the Savior had done. It also drew attention to their message. Unfortunately, in
this instance Paul and Barnabas are considered to be gods. They have to do some
quick explaining that the power to heal comes from the Savior who is the author
of all life.
Paul
proclaims the gospel to the people living in Lystria
To the living
God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them Paul called the Lystrian crowd to consider the real
God, the One who stands behind all creation, not one of the lesser (and
imaginary) Greek gods.
The things Paul mentions in Acts 14:17 (He did good… gave us rain from heaven… and
fruitful seasons… filling our hearts with food and gladness) were just the
kind of things these people would think that Zeus gave them. Paul told them
these blessings come from the true God who lives in heaven, not from Zeus.
God’s kindness to all men (in giving rain and fruitful
crops) should be seen as a witness of His love and power, something theologians
sometimes call common grace.
Paul did not preach to these pagan worshippers the
same way he preached to Jews or those acquainted with Judaism. He did not quote
the Old Testament to them, but instead appealed to natural revelation, to the
things that even a pagan could understand by looking at the world around them.[2]
[1] Paul and Barnabas are idolized, Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS for personal and congregational use
[3] Collect for Easter 6, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St., Louis
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