At the end of Acts 14, Paul is brutally stoned and left for dead after a group of non-believing Jewish leaders turn a crowd against him (Acts 14:19). In the previous chapter, he and Barnabas had made them jealous when Paul persuasively and effectively explained the Word of God to the crowds at Antioch, and then pointed to the risen Jesus as their savior (Acts 13:45). These non-believing Jews, not content to allow Paul and Barnabas to continue their peaceful work, apparently followed them to Lystra, incited a crowd against Paul, and then stoned him. Those Jewish leaders suffered from a spiritual problem. Their violent and jealous attitudes were marked by what Paul later described as “the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).” Ironically, Paul had once numbered himself among them (Philippians 3:4-6, Acts 7:54-Acts 8:1). But Jesus had since changed Paul and given him a superior spirit.
Their hateful stoning of him was evidence of his new pedigree (John 15:19). And his reaction to that stoning was bona fide evidence of his new spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). When the angry Jewish acolytes mistakenly left him for dead, a group of Christian disciples came to his aid. In their presence, he rose from his injuries – not by way of some mystical and magical spiritual healing – but instead by a spirit-filled courage, a spirit of love, and a spirit of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). As soon as he got up, he fearlessly went right back into the town from where his assailants had dragged him! From there, he reunited with Barnabas and carried on with his mission. Paul was beginning to reflect the love of God, and he was beginning to demonstrate the fruits of the spirit. He loved God and loved people, and because of that, he did not fear the men who tried to kill him (1 John 4:18-21). While Paul’s fear was being replaced by love, the Jewish leaders were being consumed by fear because they had lost their love. That fear was expressed in their jealousy, and it moved them to protect their power and status as oracles, repositers, and teachers of the Law of God at the expense of violence against their ethnic brothers and sisters who had found Christ! They loved their prestige more than they loved the God that gave it to them.
Amazingly, after Paul and Barnabas had preached in some other areas around the region, they returned again to Antioch and Lystra (Acts 14:21-24)! Luke tells us that Paul’s fearlessness and focus opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). And because of that, you are able to live out the truth today.
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