One Way

We left off this week’s discussion with the question, “What could faithfulness to God look like as you go about your week?” I think it’s easier to be faithful when you spend more and more time with God. Our discussions keep building on each other. Spend time with God in prayer and by reading His Word. Then when opposition or trials come, your faith is not in yourself but in the one you’ve been spending time with.

One Way

There is a reason that Paul is so often referenced in Christian circles, and it isn’t just because his written output comprises nearly half of the books of the New Testament. I believe it is because he exhibits a trait that many Christians wish they had, single-minded determination. Paul’s (we see it finally become Paul in Acts 13:9) behavior raises the question in every Christian’s heart, what is it you actually believe, and what is its inherent follow-up? What are you willing to do about it? His actions in the 13th chapter of Acts begin to answer this question for us. And this account begins at the church in Antioch. This would be the base from which Paul would launch his missionary journeys and where we find him at the beginning of this one. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:2-3) A few notes before we begin. First, God called them in the midst of worshiping and fasting. Sometimes we look for God’s calling on our living room couch or as we drive to work. Maybe if we seek His voice, we should be closer to the source? Secondly, while they wasted no time before heading out, they did wait until they were done fasting and praying before embarking on the journey. The priority was God, no one or nothing else.

Barnabas and Paul were about to step into a world wholly unfamiliar with such pious devotion, however. (Written breakdown preceded by corresponding verses)

(Acts 13:4-12 )-- From the outset, they faced opposition. Beginning with their tour of Cyprus, they preached to the whole island, traveling to synagogues to address the congregations there. They moved throughout the island, eventually coming to the capital of the province, Paphos. The proconsul, the Roman emperor’s emissary there, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wished to hear the word of God. Verse 7 refers to him as an intelligent man, and we know that he employed a Jewish attendant named Elymas, whom Scripture refers to as a false prophet. We are told that Elymas opposed them and attempted to use his position to influence the proconsul against the faith. It is here we see the boldness in Paul’s actions “[F]illed with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” (Acts 13:9b-11a) We are told that this happened immediately and in the audience of the proconsul, who became amazed about the teaching of the Lord and believed. A question, why do we not see such miracles in this day and age?

(Acts 13:13-51)-- The pair continued to travel, this time to the town of Perga and then to Pisidian Antioch. While attending the synagogue, they were asked by the leadership if they had a word to share with the people there. Paul was happy to oblige. Beginning with the time the Israelites were in Egypt, Paul ran through the history of God’s people and His dedication toward them. Paul stressed how these events paved the way and proved the necessity of Jesus and that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant God made with His people. Acts records that those who heard the message were excited, and they invited them to speak the following Sabbath. So interested were the people, “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.” (Acts 13:44) But it was this excitement that dismayed the existing leadership, and they found themselves jealous of the attention these newcomers were receiving. Of course, this gives the lie to their intentions. If one is looking to glorify God only, then the crowds should have been a cause for celebration and not bitterness. “But the Jewish leaders 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 their region” (Acts 13:50). Another question, how could the excitement of the crowd be overcome by such a smaller group?

(Acts 14:1-28)-- Upon arriving in Iconium, we see a familiar pattern emerge. After great success in speaking in the synagogues, great numbers of Jews and Greeks began to believe. But those who refused to believe also refused to listen anymore. Even after “spending considerable time there,” even “perform[ing] signs and wonders,” the city remained divided. “There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them” (Acts 14:5) (emphasis mine). After discovering the plot, Barnabas and Paul left for the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe, continuing to preach the gospel.

It was here that, in the midst of speaking, Paul saw a man that was lame from birth. Paul also saw that this man had the faith to be healed, so he called out to him with an order to stand. Upon doing so, the crowd was overcome with amazement and wonder. So much so that they began to believe that Barnabas and Paul were Greek gods in human form. They believed Barnabas to be Zeus and Paul to be Hermes as he was the chief speaker. The fervor grew to the point that the priest of Zeus for the city brought bulls and wreaths to prepare sacrifices for the two men. When informed of this, both Barnabas and Paul tore their clothes in anguish and rushed to correct the crowd. “Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” (Acts 14:18)

Then, following them from Antioch and Iconium, the murderous conspirators who sought to silence this missionary pair came in and won the crowd over against Barnabas and Paul. So much so that they actually stoned Paul and, believing he was dead, dragged his body outside the city to rot. “But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got back up and went back into the city.” (Acts 14:20a) (emphasis mine). After being lynched by an angry mob and left for dead, Paul returned to the city. Although he and Barnabas left the next day for Derbe, they came back again later to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Syria. All cities were led by those who rejected them, all cities where they had faced violence and threats of violence. Another question, what on earth could they possibly have been thinking?

In our discussion, we touched on the notion that following God requires a different life, something vastly removed from the world’s standard. That’s only putting it mildly. To see Paul and Barnabas is to witness something entirely alien to the typical human experience. Not self-aggrandizing, but humble, yet not timid or fearful. Bold without arrogance or pretense, forceful without anger or viciousness. Determined to the point of recklessness with complete disregard for personal safety in complete subservience to a will not their own. The question was posed as to whether this missionary journey could be considered a success or a failure. To witness Paul and Barnabas is to see that these words do not even enter into their calculus. They only care that they are obedient. Paul would later write, describing Jesus, in a missive to the church at Philippi (2:8), “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death–even death on a cross!” They knew they had been given a mission, and they were willing to see that through, even to the death.

Although, how did such opposition overcome the dedication of these missionaries? Note in the above examples that those who refused to believe worked almost exclusively through the local leadership to enact their will. This should stand as a lesson to remember that although we are not called to be of the world, we still live within it and would be wise to understand its workings. It would also be wise to ensure that as many as possible in leadership positions share the value of evangelizing the faith. At the very least, to find those that are not outright opposed to it. Although the opposition is sure to find us one way or another, we would do well to remember these examples and to note Barnabas and Paul’s response. Which was to boldly stand and continue to preach, regardless of who or what threatened to intervene. We also ask why such signs and wonders were performed in these crowds that we fail to see today. Although it is a matter of genuine curiosity and confusion, what strikes me is that the end result remains about the same. Even with the miracles, the cities remained divided, and the people refused to believe. Of what use is a sign or wonder to confirm something that so many will assiduously ignore?

Single-minded determination. Another word for this is faithfulness. The closing question posed to our group was, what would faithfulness to God look like throughout the week? An interesting thought experiment, what would your community look like with missionaries such as Paul and Barnabas active in it? In every circumstance, people were hungry to hear what they were offering. Jew or Gentile, Greek or Roman, it didn’t matter. The people responded to hearing the word of the Lord. How starved so many must be now, and how eager they may just be to hear it? There’s only one way to find out. Paul and Barnabas were called to a mission. Its goal may sound familiar, to seek and save the lost. They traveled to every city they could and talked to as many people who would listen. What is our calling? What do you believe? What are you willing to do about it? Please indulge me with a good quote from a good movie. “We all like to believe we’d run into the burning building, but until we feel that heat, we can never know for sure.” We are born with fire licking at our heels, and so is your neighbor and your co-worker, and everybody else. Ours is a world on fire, waiting for the match to strike. Which way are you running, and why?

Jordan Williamson