August 11th, 2024 -People & Places

Scripture Passages:  Acts 14:1-20

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Gospel and Culture

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Where are they? 
What seems unusual about the usual?
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.

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Sometimes the preacher gets credit
There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.

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There will be opposition
2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

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God's backing
3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.

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Complex dynamics
4 The people of the city were divided; ... 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled...

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How do you see faith?
Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed

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Why did they say this?
 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

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Full bodied response
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you.

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Old habits run deep
 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

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Judgement
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.

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For continued consideration:
1. Discern your syncretism
2. Take teaching opportunities
3. Wonder about persecution