PAUL AND BARNABAS CONSIDERED TO BE GODS

Acts 14:8-11 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

Fleeing from Iconium and from the threats of assault and stoning, Paul and Barnabas came to a city in Lycaonia named Lystra, which was located a few miles southwest of Iconium. As they entered the city it is evident that they found a convenient place for Paul to preach the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. In their audience they met a certain man who had been impotent in his feet since birth. His crippled condition is not further revealed, whether it was due to the lack of muscular strength or to the deformation of his bone structure. But this we are given: his impotency was so severe that he never had walked.

After preaching God's plan of salvation, Paul, endowed with the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, looked into the heart of the impotent man and perceived that he had faith to be healed. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17) and believing Jesus Christ to be His Son, and the Savior of mankind. It is necessary in order to be healed of one's sins through baptism and become a follower of Christ. And, during this period of the early church of Christ when miracles were used by God to confirm His Holy Word, that same faith was also a necessary condition of miraculous healing of physical diseases and infirmaries. Realizing that faith was present with this crippled man, Paul told him to stand upright on thy feet. Doing so, and realizing his healed condition, he, not only stood, but as proof of his healing, he joyously leaped and walked.

When the people of Lystra witnessed this miracle they seemed to be stunned with amazement. This area of Asia Minor was historically known to be given to idolatry and having numerous gods that originated within the Greek culture at that time. Because of their pagan heritage, the people of Lystra, that saw the lame man healed, attributed the miracle to their idol gods, which they perceived are come down to us in the likeness of men. The following verses tell us that they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. In ancient Greek mythology, Jupiter, the title given to Barnabas, was the chief of all gods. Mercurius (or Mercury) was the god of commerce and science, and also served as the messenger and herald of other gods. Probably because Paul was the main speaker on this occasion, he was given the title of the messenger god. They were so assured that Paul and Barnabas were manifestations of their gods that the priest of Jupiter, that is, the spiritual leader of the temple of Jupiter located in this city, brought oxen and garlands to sacrifice unto them.

Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God. It should be noted here that the word that is here translated "apostles" means "one sent forth with a message." Since Barnabas was not among them, the word does not refer to the apostles of Christ that were specifically called by Him during His personal ministry on earth. Being considered gods by the idolatrous people of Lystra was extremely offensive to Paul and Barnabas, and in protest of this undue adoration, they rent their clothes in grief and sorrow, professing themselves to be mere human beings as were they. Their message declared the Creator of all things as a compassionate, living God - as the only God offering the healing of physical infirmities and a plan of eternal salvation to all mankind. This message spoke directly against the idolatry of paganism. Unlike the living God, their lifeless heathen gods, crafted from wood and stone by men, were unable to heal physical bodies, or offer the sin-cleansing power of salvation to their spiritual souls. And by these actions, Paul and Barnabas restrained the people of Lystra from sacrificing to them as gods.

However, the irate, zealous Jews from Antioch and Iconium followed Paul and Barnabas to Lystra, stirred up the people of this city, and persuaded them to violently resist them and their teaching. Paul was stoned, assumed to be dead, and cast out of the city. But he revived, arose, and continued to serve the Lord.