Iconium, Lystra, Derbe & Back
Acts 14:1–28
Overview
Paul’s first missionary tour continues and finishes further into the territory of Galatia. This portion of Paul and Barnabas’ missionary journey contains one of the most unforgettable stories. Paul’s time in Lystra is a message which is deeply prophetic to modern, western Christians. There is much to be learned and gleaned from the fourteenth chapter of Acts.
This section will conclude Paul’s first missionary journey. The chronological references in Acts and the Pauline epistles make it difficult to tell just how long it took Paul and Barnabas to complete their first missionary journey. Commentators estimate it took them between almost one year and nearly two years. They travelled a minimum of 500 miles by sea and 700 miles by land. Beitzel estimated that Paul covered a total of about 1,400 miles on this journey. (Beitzel)
Cities
Iconium — Iconium was a good 90 miles southeast of Antioch and was the eaternmost city in Phyrgia. Under Emperor Claudius, the city was given the privilege of calling itself Claudiconium, and it may be that at this juncture it became a Roman colony. It is important to notice that the route Paul and Barnabas are following and their persecutions may be independently attested to in 2 Tim. 3:11 and also in the acts of Paul. This route involved following, among other roads, the Via Sebaste, the main Roman road connecting the Roman colonies in the region. The road was broad and well paved, built to accommodate wheeled vehicles traveling to Iconium and Lystra, both cities in the region of Lycaonia. However, in order to reach Derbe, Paul and Barnabas would have had not take an unpaved road about 100 kilometers in a southeasterly direction from Lystra. (Witherington, Mitchell, Hansen) “Iconium” comes from eikon, the Greek word for “image.” According to Greek mythology, Prometheus and Athena recreated humanity there after a devastating flood by making images of people from mud and breathing life into them. (Longenecker) Iconium was, “a garden spot, situated in the midst of orchards and farms, but surrounded by deserts. . . . Iconium, too, owed its bustling business activity to its location on the main trade route connecting Ephesus with Syria and the Mesopotamian world, as well as its orchard industries and farm produce.” (Merill)
Lystra — Lystra (modern Zoldera) was a Roman colony. It was the furthest east of the fortified cities of Galatia. Lystra was about 20 miles south of Iconium. Twenty miles was a normal day’s travel in the Roman Empire at this time. Lystra served as a market town of Lycaonia in south central modern-day Turkey. Luke did not mention synagogue evangelism here. Evidently, there were so few Jews that there was no synagogue in Lystra (or in Philippi). (Constable) Instead, there was a temple to Zeus near the gates of the city, and a statue of Hermes dedicated to Zeus was found here as well. Lystra would have sat on the hill in the image.
Derbe — Derbe was a city in the district of Lycaonia in the Roman province of Galatia in south-central Asia Minor. It sat on a major route connecting Iconium to Laranda and was about 60 miles from Lystra. Inscriptions found in homes from excavations shows that Christianity had a major presence after Paul left the city.
Attalia — Ports in antiquity were often satellite towns of larger and more important cities situated some distance inland for protection from pirates. So Luke’s mention of Attalia here probably has no more significance than his mention of Seleucia (13:4), the port of Syrian Antioch, and merely identifies the place of embarkation for the voyage back to Syria. (Longenecker)
Background
Stoning — The Gentiles and the Jewish rulers took the initiative in persecuting the evangelists. The attempt to stone them appears to have been an act of mob violence rather than a formal Jewish attempt at execution (cf. 7:58–59). “It would have required a regular Hebrew court to sanction it [a legal stoning], and it would never have been tolerated in a Roman colony.” (Constable)
Greek Myth — There was myth that was passed down through generations that informs the incident in Lystra quite well. Here is a shorter retelling of the myth:
Here came Jupiter [Zeus] in the guise of a mortal, and with his father came Atlas’ grandson [Mercury or Hermes] he that bears the caduceus, his wings laid aside. To a thousand homes they came, seeking a place for rest; a thousand homes were barred against them. Still one house received them humbled indeed, thatched with straw and reeds from the marsh; but pious old Baucis and Philemon of equal age, were wed in that cottage in their youth, and in that cottage had grown old together; there they made their poverty light by … bearing it in a contended spirit. It was of no use to ask for masters or servants in that household, the couple was the whole household, together they served and ruled. And so when the heavenly ones came to this humble homeand stooping entered by the lowly door, the old man set out a bench and urged them to rest their limbs, while over this bench Baucis threw a rough covering. Then she raked aside the warm ashes on the hearth and fanned yesterday’s coals to life… Then she took down from the roof some fine-split wood and dry twigs, broke them up and placed them uner the little copper kettle. [The tale proceeds to explain how they prepared the best meal they possible could for their guests, evn attempting to set up couches on which the gods could recline and dine in comfort.] Bsides all this, pleasant facesand lively and abounding good will were found at the table.
Meanwhile they saw that the mixing bowl, as often as it was drained, kept filling of its own accord, and that the wine welled up of itself. The two old people saw this strange sight with amazement and fear, and with upturned hands they both uttered a prayer. Baucis and the trembling old Philemon, and they craved indulgence for their poor food and meager entertainment. [They then seek to kill their only goose to feed the gods, but he eludes them] Then the gods told them not to ill the goose, “We are gods,” they said, “and this wicked neighborhood shall be punished as it deserves, but to you shall be given exemption form this punishment.” [The gods lead them out of their house up the hill to witness the flooding of the whole region and the destruction of their neighbors, and meanwhile their own house is transformed into a temple.] Then calmly the son of Saturn spoke: “Now ask of us, good old man and wife, worthy of your good husband, any blessing you will.” When he had spoken a word with Baucis, Philemon announced their joint decision to the gods: “We ask that we may be your priests, and guard your temple; and since we have spend our lives in constant company we pray that the same hour may bring death to both of us — — that I may never see my wife’s tomb nor be buried by her.” Their request was granted.(Ovid, Metamorphoses)
Animal sacrifices — Customarily, the pagan Gentiles decorated animals destined for sacrifice to the Greek gods, like these oxen, with woolen garlands and then led them to the place of sacrifice. (Constable)
Tearing clothing — Tearing one’s robe was a common way Jews expressed grief and, in this case, horror over blasphemy (cf. Mark 14:63). Usually they tore the robe for about four or five inches from the neckline. (Constable)
Short speech — Paul’s speech here, apart from his address to the Athenian philosophers (17:22ff.), is the only example in Acts of his technique in dealing with a purely pagan audience; it is a striking example of his ability to reinterpret the Gospel in terms intelligible to his listeners. It differs widely from his approach to Jews and adherents of Judaism, as illustrated by his sermon in the synagogue at Antioch (13:16ff.), where some knowledge of the scriptures could be assumed on the part of his listeners. Here, as at Athens, he proceeds on the basis of natural revelation — the providential order of the universe — which ought to lead men’s thoughts from the cult of idols to the worship of a living God, Creator of all that exists; he expounds this line of argument more fully in Romans 1:19 and 2:14, and he writes of its successful outcome at Thessalonica in I Th. 1:9. (Neil)
Key Ideas
Persecution/tribulation — θλίψεων (thlipseōn ) properly means pressure, or that which constricts or rubs together. It is used to describe a narrow place that hems someone in. It can also refer to tribulation, especially internal pressure, which causes someone to feel confined and without options. (HELPS)
Elder — πρεσβυτέρους (presbyterous) properly means a mature man having seasoned judgment. This word is about experience. Paul doesn’t talk about elders, Peter typically does. This word was borrowed from the Sanhedrin. (HELPS)
City dynamics — The larger towns of Antioch and Iconium seem to have produced more influential churches, but the smaller ones of Lystra and Derbe contributed more young men who became leaders (e.g., Timothy and Gaius). (Constable)
Quotes
“If Satan cannot derail Christian witness with persecution, he will try praise. Too much persecution has destroyed many preachers, and too much praise has ruined many others. One of the problems with miracles is that they often draw more attention to the miracle worker than to God.” -Constable
“Disillusioned fanatics are easily led off into contradictory actions.” -Lumby
“Paul showed that it was his conviction that from the very beginning Christianity must be lived in a fellowship.” -Barclay
Possible Discussion Points
- Paul is concerned with miracles here in Iconium, not for the show but for the credibility they gave his speech. His actions always supported the rhetoric and arguments. Do our actions and work contradict our speech, or demonstrate it to be true?
- As soon as the people of a city began to exalt Paul and Barnabas as gods, Paul was quick to reject the attention and turn their eyes back to Jesus. Today, we worship celebrities and make them our gods. Unfortunately, we do this in the church as well. To what degree do you worship celebrities, Christian or not?
- Paul and Barnabas left Iconium before being persecuted, but returned to Lystra after being stoned so badly the crowd assumed him dead. Some Christians think that we are suppose to pursue suffering, but others believe we are to avoid it at all costs. This contrasting behavior is intriguing. How does this comparison inform your interaction with suffering and persecution?
- Too many Bible teachers portray Paul as one who enters a new city, preaches, wins over some people, and moves onto the next city — leaving the new converts to organize themselves. This is the first time we see Paul intentionally going back into cities he had already visited to establish order and leadership. Are you taking the appropriate steps to raise up new leaders, empower them and release them to lead in the calling God has put on their lives?
- Paul contextualizes his speech here to address a purely Gentile audience, so it is very different than his typical speeches to Jewish listeners. He understands his audience and knows that the language and references he makes to reach one group will not work for another. How conscious are you of the need to personalize and contextualize the message of the gospel when you are sharing about Jesus? What can you do to make the gospel more relatable?
