Acts 14:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

NIV: But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

NASB: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brothers.

CSB: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

NLT: Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.

KJV: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

NKJV: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.

The second stop made by Paul and Barnabas in the province of Galatia feels like a rerun of the first. In Pisidian Antioch, they went to the local Jewish synagogue and showed how Jesus of Nazareth fit the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah as given in our Old Testament. Many of the Jews and the God-worshiping Gentiles believed them and followed Jesus. The synagogue leaders, however, rejected their message and incited the city's influential Gentiles to drive them out of town (Acts 13:13–52).

The same thing seems to be happening in Iconium. The passage doesn't describe what Paul teaches in the synagogue, but it's probably similar to his message in Pisidian Antioch. Many of the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles believe (Acts 14:1), but those who don't engage in a false information campaign. Undeterred, Paul and Barnabas respond by staying and teaching more, and God affirms their decision by allowing them to perform miracles to validate their words. Eventually, a group of people will threaten to stone them, and the two leave and travel to Lystra (Acts 14:3–7).

This reaction is the exact opposite of what God intended. The Abrahamic covenant was that the descendants of Abraham would bless the world (Genesis 12:3). They do this by providing the Messiah who died and rose again to offer the world forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. When Paul travels, he goes to the synagogue first because Jesus is for the Jews first (Romans 1:16) who are then supposed to share Him with the Gentiles (Acts 1:8). But like the Sanhedrin who pushed Pilate to crucify Jesus (Mark 15:6–15), the leaders of local synagogues fall to jealousy (see Acts 13:44–45; 17:5). God's purpose for the Jews was to share the Messiah. Instead, they held tight to the power and influence they had in their insular communities. Fortunately, early Jewish Christians like Paul did spread Jesus' message to Gentiles.

Acts 14:1–7 records how Paul and Barnabas fled persecution in Pisidian Antioch and arrived in Iconium. As becomes their habit, they share Jesus' story in the local synagogue and watch many Jews and Gentiles agree to follow Jesus. Like in Pisidian Antioch, other Jews and Gentiles reject their message. The pair stay as long as they can, teaching and starting the church, until their antagonists threaten to stone them. Paul and Barnabas leave the new believers and travel south and east to establish new churches but will return on their way back through (Acts 14:21).

Acts 14 describes the last half of Paul's first missionary journey. He and Barnabas leave Pisidian Antioch, near central modern-day Asia Minor, and travel southeast to Iconium where they establish a new church. In Lystra, Paul heals a man born crippled. The amazed people insist Barnabas is the Greek deity Zeus, and Paul is Hermes. They attempt to offer sacrifices to them, much to the horror of the two evangelists. When antagonists from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium arrive, Paul is stoned but survives. The pair travel to Derbe, then retrace their steps, encouraging the new churches before sailing back to Syrian Antioch.

Paul's first missionary journey, recorded in Acts 13—14, gives a glimpse of issues that the church will face throughout its entire existence. When presented with Jesus's story, some will accept Him while others will not. Opposition is sometimes violent. Some integrate into church life easily, but for centuries the church has struggled with how to integrate those from vastly different cultures. This raises the crucial question of which aspects of faith and worship are biblical, making them universal, and which are cultural, and therefore optional? In Acts 15, the church leadership will start a discussion on that subject which continues even today.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.