From Groups of Disciples to Churches
Acts 14: 8 -24
Bernard Mukwavi
October 20 , 2024
8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The 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.
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. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet 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.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
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. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
Introduction
Acts 14:21-23 highlights the essential aspects of effective Christian ministry.
Participating in the mission of God. The nature of the church is to join in what is known as “Missio Dei” (the Mission of God). The church does not have the mission, but God has the church for His mission. Paul and Barnabas were about joining God into His mission. They preached the gospel in the city of Derbe and won a large number of disciples. The Context is that Paul and Barnabas were sent by God through the Antioch Church to go and spread the Gospel to regions beyond Antioch. They preached in the towns which were mainly in the Roman provinces of Syria, Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Galatia and the word of God was accompanied by signs and miracles. Many Gentiles came to the faith, but religious Jews would usually cause trouble for Barnabas and Paul that in most cases they had to leave the new disciples to flee to other towns. Acts 13:1–14:25.
Barnabas and Paul's first missionary journey is estimated to have lasted about one to two years, from AD 46 to AD 48. Towards the end of the missionary journey, they decided to go back to the sending church in Antioch after going through the towns where they had left disciples.
They returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. This is being grounded in the faith. This speaks of perseverance in the faith as an essential aspect to the Christian ministry.
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. At this point groups of disciples become churches. The transition from gatherings of disciples to being recognized as churches is marked in the biblical text by key actions that Paul and Barnabas took. This transformation occurred when certain organizational and spiritual practices were established within these gatherings. The word church is used to describe them only after elders are appointed in the groups of disciples.
With prayer and fasting, they committed the new elders to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. This speaks of reliance on God. Praying over the elders indicates a spiritual commissioning of these communities, entrusting them to God’s care and recognizing them as autonomous local churches but interdependent with other local churches.
The elders lead under God’s leadership. Later speaking to a group of elders from Ephesus in Miletus Paul said, “28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. (Ac 20:28–30)