And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
At Lystra Paul commanded a man crippled from birth who had faith to be healed to stand upright, and when he leaped and walked the crowd cried in their own tongue that the gods had come down in human form. They named Barnabas after the father of their gods because of his venerable appearance, dignified bearing, and kindly benevolence, and Paul after the messenger god because he was the active, earnest, eloquent chief speaker. The priest of Jupiter brought oxen and garlands to the gate to sacrifice to them as visitors from heaven, but the apostles tore their clothes in horror and rushed among the people declaring they were only men of like passions and that worship belongs alone to the living God who made heaven and earth and gives rain and fruitful seasons. The same idolaters who would have worshiped them soon turned to hate and stoned Paul when hostile Jews misrepresented the apostles as deceivers, showing how quickly a crowd without faith anchored in the true God turns from honoring to condemning.
Mistaken for Heathen Gods
The naming came after the complete healing of a well-known man crippled from birth who had never walked. Paul perceived that he had faith to be healed and commanded him with a loud voice to stand upright on his feet, and the man leaped and walked. When the people saw what Paul had done they cried out in the Lycaonian language that the gods had come down to them in the likeness of men.
That cry reflected their tradition that gods sometimes visited the earth from heaven. It belonged to Lystra, where there was no Jewish synagogue though a few Jews lived there, and where the temple of Jupiter stood in a conspicuous place and the people were worshipers of Jupiter. Barnabas was called Jupiter, the father of the gods, because of his venerable appearance, his dignified bearing, and the mildness and benevolence expressed in his face and countenance. Paul was called Mercurius or Mercury because he was the chief speaker, active, earnest, quick, and eloquent in words of warning and exhortation.
The people of Lystra were ignorant, credulous, and superstitious idolaters. This was in contrast to the educated people of Athens who were famous for intelligence and education. They tried to fit the apostles' teaching about Christ into their idolatrous faith and to connect the new doctrine with their own superstition as far as they were able. Paul addressed them in the Greek language to lead them to a correct knowledge of the one to be adored, God the Creator and Jesus the Saviour.
Refusing Worship, Facing Opposition
Out of gratitude the priest of Jupiter brought oxen and garlands to the gates to offer sacrifice to the apostles as visitants from heaven, and with music and a vast crowd with sacrificial beasts and offerings pressed to the house gate to worship them. Only with much persuasion and explanation were they stopped from sacrificing, leaving them disappointed that their religion was not exalted. Paul and Barnabas were filled with indignation, horror, grief, tore their clothes and rushed among the people to stop the worship. They declared they were only men of like passions and that worship belongs alone to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them. In times past He let all nations walk in their own ways, yet He left witness of Himself by doing good and giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling hearts with food and gladness. They presented themselves as representatives of the God of heaven and of His Son the great Healer, giving the people their first conception of faith in the true God and of the worship and honor due Him.
The idolaters who would worship the apostles proved fickle and easily led. When Jews from Antioch and other cities followed after them and persuaded the people with false reports, falsehood and misrepresentation that they were deceivers, the wonder and admiration quickly changed to hate, insult and abuse. This shows how quickly a crowd without faith anchored in the true God can turn from honoring to condemning. Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city as dead shortly after refusing worship. As the disciples stood mourning about him he rose up and went with them into the city, the Lord preserving his life because his work was not done.
Paul's identification as the chief speaker means he was certainly not a mean or contemptible speaker. He spoke so convincingly in the demonstration of the Spirit with a force of eloquence that held even the greatest men under convincing power as they listened, so that thousands of Jews and Gentiles believed. Yet the success was not to be attributed to the man but to the power of God upon him, with angels making the Word effective. The episode belongs to a successful soul-winning tour in which Paul and Barnabas entered every place they could get an entrance, planted churches, revisited them, and returned to Antioch from which they had been recommended by prayer and counsel. The whole of Acts 14 is a pattern for laborers together with God in the last days to study and follow. Opposition, persecution and a furious mob did not turn Paul from serving Christ, and he later used the influence a remarkable event gave him to lead people toward the gospel. When he returned to Lystra, the scene of his former danger, he found the converts not intimidated by violence but confirmed in faith, believing that through trial and suffering the kingdom of Christ would be reached.
At Lystra Paul commanded a man crippled from birth who had faith to be healed to stand upright, and when he leaped and walked the crowd cried in their own tongue that the gods had come down in human form. They named Barnabas after the father of their gods because of his venerable appearance, dignified bearing, and kindly benevolence, and Paul after the messenger god because he was the active, earnest, eloquent chief speaker. The priest of Jupiter brought oxen and garlands to the gate to sacrifice to them as visitors from heaven, but the apostles tore their clothes in horror and rushed among the people declaring they were only men of like passions and that worship belongs alone to the living God who made heaven and earth and gives rain and fruitful seasons. The same idolaters who would have worshiped them soon turned to hate and stoned Paul when hostile Jews misrepresented the apostles as deceivers, showing how quickly a crowd without faith anchored in the true God turns from honoring to condemning.
Mistaken for Heathen Gods
The naming came after the complete healing of a well-known man crippled from birth who had never walked. Paul perceived that he had faith to be healed and commanded him with a loud voice to stand upright on his feet, and the man leaped and walked. When the people saw what Paul had done they cried out in the Lycaonian language that the gods had come down to them in the likeness of men.
That cry reflected their tradition that gods sometimes visited the earth from heaven. It belonged to Lystra, where there was no Jewish synagogue though a few Jews lived there, and where the temple of Jupiter stood in a conspicuous place and the people were worshipers of Jupiter. Barnabas was called Jupiter, the father of the gods, because of his venerable appearance, his dignified bearing, and the mildness and benevolence expressed in his face and countenance. Paul was called Mercurius or Mercury because he was the chief speaker, active, earnest, quick, and eloquent in words of warning and exhortation.
The people of Lystra were ignorant, credulous, and superstitious idolaters. This was in contrast to the educated people of Athens who were famous for intelligence and education. They tried to fit the apostles' teaching about Christ into their idolatrous faith and to connect the new doctrine with their own superstition as far as they were able. Paul addressed them in the Greek language to lead them to a correct knowledge of the one to be adored, God the Creator and Jesus the Saviour.
Refusing Worship, Facing Opposition
Out of gratitude the priest of Jupiter brought oxen and garlands to the gates to offer sacrifice to the apostles as visitants from heaven, and with music and a vast crowd with sacrificial beasts and offerings pressed to the house gate to worship them. Only with much persuasion and explanation were they stopped from sacrificing, leaving them disappointed that their religion was not exalted. Paul and Barnabas were filled with indignation, horror, grief, tore their clothes and rushed among the people to stop the worship. They declared they were only men of like passions and that worship belongs alone to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them. In times past He let all nations walk in their own ways, yet He left witness of Himself by doing good and giving rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling hearts with food and gladness. They presented themselves as representatives of the God of heaven and of His Son the great Healer, giving the people their first conception of faith in the true God and of the worship and honor due Him.
The idolaters who would worship the apostles proved fickle and easily led. When Jews from Antioch and other cities followed after them and persuaded the people with false reports, falsehood and misrepresentation that they were deceivers, the wonder and admiration quickly changed to hate, insult and abuse. This shows how quickly a crowd without faith anchored in the true God can turn from honoring to condemning. Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city as dead shortly after refusing worship. As the disciples stood mourning about him he rose up and went with them into the city, the Lord preserving his life because his work was not done.
Paul's identification as the chief speaker means he was certainly not a mean or contemptible speaker. He spoke so convincingly in the demonstration of the Spirit with a force of eloquence that held even the greatest men under convincing power as they listened, so that thousands of Jews and Gentiles believed. Yet the success was not to be attributed to the man but to the power of God upon him, with angels making the Word effective. The episode belongs to a successful soul-winning tour in which Paul and Barnabas entered every place they could get an entrance, planted churches, revisited them, and returned to Antioch from which they had been recommended by prayer and counsel. The whole of Acts 14 is a pattern for laborers together with God in the last days to study and follow. Opposition, persecution and a furious mob did not turn Paul from serving Christ, and he later used the influence a remarkable event gave him to lead people toward the gospel. When he returned to Lystra, the scene of his former danger, he found the converts not intimidated by violence but confirmed in faith, believing that through trial and suffering the kingdom of Christ would be reached.