AM Bible Study Group: February 22, 2023 from Acts 14:21-28
Theme: Paul’s experience in Lystra teaches us that the gospel is worth preaching to lost people—even in times of danger for the preacher.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
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We can’t picture the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey accurately unless we picture him with a bit of a limp when it was over.
In the final stages of his work, he must have been quite a sight. He hobbled along—bandaged, bruised, scared, and perhaps mending a few broken bones. It was good that he had Dr. Luke along as a traveling companion. This was because, in the city of Lystra, the people to whom he preached had been so persuaded against him by the opponents of the gospel that they stoned him, dragged him out of the city, and left him for dead. But we saw his courage in Acts 14:20. Even though it might have been tempting to ‘throw in the towel’, we’re told;
when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe (Acts 14:20).
He and his ministry partner had been given a commission from the Lord in 13:1-3. And since that commission had not been revoked, it needed to continue—even though the work was hard. This is true gospel courage on display.
Where does such faithfulness come from? Surely, it isn’t mere human stubbornness that kept Paul going. Perhaps we see a clue in what he wrote to the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. With respect to his gospel ministry, he wrote;
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God (Acts 4:7-15).
It wasn’t Paul. It was the Lord Jesus at work in Paul that enabled him to do what he did. You and I may not be called to ministry in the same way that Paul was called. But I certainly want that kind of faithfulness to characterize my service to the Lord Jesus; don’t you? Only the Lord Jesus can give that to us—but we must go forward with faithful trust and obedience to Him.
Paul—and Barnabas also—serve as an example to follow. In Acts 14:21-28, we read of how these two missionaries continued with the work all the way to its completion. Let’s go on to read about the end of their first missionary journey, and the completion of the work that they were given to do in the power of the Lord Jesus. And as we do so, we will see that though the work is hard, God’s faithful ministers are enabled by Him to complete the mission He gives them.
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First, we notice the brief mention of …
1. THE MINISTRY IN DERBE (v. 21a).
Derbe was a city in Cilicia that was located about 70 miles southwest of Lystra—where Paul had been stoned. Think of what a painful journey that must have been for him! But as evidence of the power of God at work in his fragile ‘clay jar’ of a body, he faithfully went. And all that we are told about this ministry are these words—almost as an aside—in verse 21;
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples … (v. 21a).
Not much is said—certainly not in comparison, anyway, with the other cities that were mentioned in this first journey. But think of what it is that is told to us. We’re told that they preached the same gospel that had been opposed elsewhere, and that they “made many disciples”. And notice what is not told to us. We’re not told of any opposition or resistance. It’s as if God had rewarded their faithfulness under trial with a rich harvest in Derbe—at the end of the missionary circuit.
It’s interesting to note that the name of the city means “Narrow Gate”. In His Sermon on the Mount, our Lord said;
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
If Derbe represents the completion of the first phase of the work of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles, then it was certainly come to by a ‘narrow gate’ of opposition and trial. But God blessed the faithfulness of His workers.
But as we read on, we find that the two missionaries didn’t say, “Well; we’ve gone as far as Derbe in this difficult work. Let’s keep on going east and head for home.” Instead, there was more work to do. So, as we read on, we next find …
2. THE STRENGTHENING OF THE CHURCHES (vv. 21b-23).
Verse 21-22 tells us that, after preaching in Derbe—and after seeing many come to the Lord,
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith … (vv. 21b-22a).
The cities in which they had already ministered had experienced a great deal of opposition to the faith firsthand. They had seen fierce enemies of the gospel stir up the people against the message. They had watched as the gospel preachers were forced to leave—almost as soon as the people began to believe. And they had even seen the horrible sight of Paul being stoned and dragged out of the city as dead. It was vital that the souls of the disciples—newly born in the faith—be strengthened and encouraged and exhorted to remain true to Jesus. And do you notice the message that Paul and Barnabas preached to them on their second visit? We’re told verse 22 that they were encouraging the believers;
and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (v. 22b).
They no doubt preached this message because, as they stood before the church, the people could see how wounded and bruised Paul must have been. They would have, perhaps, been mistakenly thinking that following Jesus would have made life easier. But Paul was a living example of how much devotion it takes to follow Jesus. Perhaps Paul and Barnabas would have—in the end—been able to say to them something like what Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5;
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer … (2 Thessalonians 1:3-5).
Now; the strengthening of these churches wasn’t just in terms of exhortation and encouragement. They also needed to be established with good, faithful, sound pastoral leadership. So; as we read in verse 23;
So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed (v. 23).
The completion of the work of these two missionaries would have included not only modeling gospel courage to the people, but also passing that gospel courage on to leaders and shepherds of the churches. These pastors would have had to serve under sobering circumstances; knowing the trials that Paul and Barnabas had to endure in their cities. But this truly was a work that was diligently brought to a full completion by these missionaries—to then be carried on and nurtured by faithful pastors. The work wasn’t completed until the gains of the mission had been secured.
And that leads us to note one more thing; and that is …
3. THE FINAL REPORT (vv. 24-28).
Verses 24-25 tell us;
And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia (vv. 24-25).
These were the cities that they had first passed through—after leaving Cyprus—to make their way into the regions of Pisidia, Pamphylia, and Cilicia. And the city of Perga is particularly worth noting. That was the city from which John Mark had left the missionary team and returned home—as is told to us in Acts 13:13—after the hard trials the team experienced in Cyprus. It may have been painful to return to Perga—reminding them, as it would have, of John Mark’s sad failure. But their return there only underscores further their faithfulness to complete the work.
And complete it they did! Officially! We’re told in verse 26;
From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed (v. 26).
What great words those are!—“the work which they had completed”! It was an almost unimaginably hard work—one that took them through ‘much tribulation’. But the power of God demonstrated itself in them by the fact that, as they faithfully went, it was brought to a full finish.
And look carefully at the formal report as it’s described to us in verses 27-28. We’re told;
Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples (vv. 27-28).
God had actually used all the trials and difficulties to spread His kingdom. The missionaries had endured through the trials and tribulations, and had gone through the ‘narrow gate’ (Derbe). And as a result, God “opened the door of faith to the Gentiles’!
What a celebration that ‘missionary report’ must have been!
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Truly, we must “through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God”. But God, whose kingdom is advanced by those tribulations, also sustains His workers in the midst of them. As Paul himself was able to testify to Timothy, near the end of his life;
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me (2 Timothy 3:10-11).
In our own calling from God—in our own work for Jesus’ kingdom—let’s learn the lesson from Paul’s and Barnabas’ example: that though the work is hard, God’s faithful ministers are enabled by Him to complete the mission He gives them all the way to the finish.
And so, let’s go with trust in Him all the way—until the work is truly and faithfully done.
AE