Home | What's New |
Mission Statement | Location|
Services | Calendar |
Lessons |
Committees | Activities |
Search | Links
Music, Search By: Hymnal / By Tune
/ Music Book |
Scott's Reference Library
Acts 14:8 through Acts 14:18 (NIV)
8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and
had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly
at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, “Stand up on your
feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language,
“The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and
Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus,
whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city
gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes
and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15“Men, why are you doing this? We too
are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn
from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea
and everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way.
17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving
you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of
food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18Even with these words, they had
difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 8-18
All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, that most
precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in
which we were born, and from the dominion of sinful habits since formed; we
shall be made able to stand upright and walk cheerfully in the ways of the Lord.
When Christ, the Son of God, appeared in the likeness of men, and did many
miracles, men were so far from doing sacrifice to him, that they made him a
sacrifice to their pride and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working
one miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this world,
which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors and mistakes find easy
admission. We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of
stoning them; but when they spake of worshipping them; they could not bear it,
being more concerned for God’s honour than their own. God’s truth needs not the
services of man’s falsehood. The servants of God might easily obtain undue
honours if they would wink at men’s errors and vices; but they must dread and
detest such respect more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the
Jews, who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in Christ;
but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set right their mistakes in
natural religion. Compare their conduct and declaration with the false opinions
of those who think the worship of a God, under any name, or in any manner, is
equally acceptable to the Lord Almighty. The most powerful arguments, the most
earnest and affectionate addresses, even with miracles, are scarcely enough to
keep men from absurdities and abominations; much less can they, without special
grace, turn the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.
See Healing