When the apostles became aware of a “hostile intention of both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers to treat them outrageously and to stone them” (v. 5), they “fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding country; and there they were bringing the good news” (vv. 6-7). Paul saw a certain lame man and said to him, “Stand upright on your feet! And he leaped up and walked” (v. 10). According to verses 11 and 12, “when the crowds saw what Paul did, they lifted up their voice in Lycaonian, saying, The gods have become like men and have come down to us! And they called Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, since he was the leading speaker.” The Latin equivalent of Zeus, the leading god in Greek mythology, and Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is Jupiter and Mercury respectively. In verse 12 the Greek words rendered “the leading speaker” literally mean “the leader of the discourse.” In verse 13 we are told that “the priest of Zeus, whose temple was before the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates, and wanted to sacrifice with the crowds.”
When Barnabas and Paul heard this, “they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like feeling with you, and bring good news to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all the things in them” (vv. 14-15). The “vain things” here refer to idols and idolatry. Here Paul and Barnabas were saying, “Do not regard us as gods and worship us! We are men like you. You should turn from these vain things, these idols, to the living God, who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all things in them.” Here we see that Paul’s preaching to these Gentiles is based on God’s creation.
In verse 16 Paul and Barnabas went on to say that God “in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to go their ways.” Then in verse 17 they uttered a touching word, a word to touch the hearts of the listeners: “And yet He did not leave Himself without witness, doing good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” This was very good gospel preaching. It was based on God’s creation, and eventually it touched the hearts of the hearers. This word is brief, but it is revealing and touching.
We all need to learn of Paul in the preaching of the gospel. In this chapter he did not tell stories. Rather, he gave a brief message that unveiled God as the creator of the entire universe. He also spoke an inspiring word that touched the heart of the people. Paul seemed to be saying, “Throughout the generations, God allowed you to go your own way. He did not punish you, but He did many good things for you. He gave you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, and He filled your hearts with food and gladness.” Let us all learn of Paul and follow his way of preaching the gospel.
In chapter thirteen of Acts Paul preached according to the Old Testament known for generations by the Jewish people. Instead of pointing out God’s creation and the good things God did for them, he spoke to them concerning Christ in resurrection. From this we see that if we are preaching the gospel to those who know the Old Testament, there is no need for us to tell them that God is the Creator. If we say this, they may reply, “We already know that God is the Creator. We are able to teach you concerning this.”
It is very important for us to see that Paul’s preaching of the gospel in chapter fourteen is different from his preaching in chapter thirteen. Whereas he was speaking to Jews in chapter thirteen, he was preaching to Gentiles in chapter fourteen. In preaching to them, he told them that God is the Creator and that He has always been good to them, giving them rain and harvests so that their hearts might be filled with joy. Here we see that Paul preached the gospel in a wise and excellent way.