They want us to be alert
to similarities and differences:
They invite us to make
comparisons and contrasts.
And we can see a number in
our Bible passage today which I trust we’ll find illuminating.
If you can remember back
to last week, some of today’s passage will be familiar.
Luke tells us in v1 that “At
Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.”
One scholar goes so far as
to translate it “what happened in Iconium was much the same.” (N. T. Wright)
That’s probably rather a
stretch as a translation, but it’s a helpful idea, I think.
Luke doesn’t repeat himself
for the sake of it.
He’s deliberately showing
us a characteristic pattern.
Here’s a norm of gospel
ministry:
Iconium is like
Pisidian Antioch: a characteristically mixed response to the gospel, which is
first for the Jew then for the Gentile.
...
In Lystra, Paul heals a
paralysed man and we find that Paul is like both Jesus and Peter and unlike Herod.
Let’s think about those
three in turn.
Paul is like Jesus:
Jesus continues to work powerfully through his Apostles in the power of the
Holy Spirit
In Lystra, Paul heals a
paralysed man, like Jesus had done in Luke chapter 5.
In fact, there seems to be
a deliberate parallel between Jesus in Luke chapters 4 and 5 and Paul Acts
chapters 13 and 14.
In each case there’s a
confrontation with the devil, a synagogue sermon and a response, and the
healing of a paralysed man.
The point is the big
picture of Acts:
Paul is doing Jesus’ work.
He’s like Jesus.
He’ Jesus’ faithful
servant.
The Apostles act as Jesus
authorised representatives.
Remember that Acts is all
about what the risen Jesus continues to do through his people.
Its no
surprise if Jesus’ people suffer and are rejected because that’s what happened
to the Saviour.
Paul is like Peter: all
the Apostles preached the same gospel, but the presentation was carefully
adapted to their hearers and their needs
The Apostle Peter is
prominent in the first half of the book of Acts, as Paul is in the second half.
And Peter and John healed
a paralysed man in chapter 3, as Paul and Barnabas do in this chapter.
Luke wants us to see that Paul
is acting as a faithful, authentic Apostle.
That will be important because
Paul is the great Apostle to the Gentiles.
He took the good news of
Jesus to the nations in a big way (which was controversial) but he was continuing
what Peter had begun by taking the good news to the Gentile, Cornelius.
There was one united Apostolic
mission from Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
We could add another compare
and contrast, then:
The same essential gospel
is presented in different ways
...
Paul is unlike Herod:
the Apostles are ordinary human beings sharing the good news of Jesus for the
good of others and the glory of the only living, loving Creator God
The Lsytrans’ desire to worship
Paul and Barnabas as gods, might remind us of the people who call King Herod a
god at the end of chapter 12.
...
Lastly,
All Christians are like
Jesus and the Apostles: they can expect the cross then the resurrection,
suffering then glory – “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom
of God”
...
Who will you be like?
Will you be like those who
gladly believe the good news of Jesus?
And will you be like Paul
in boldly and wisely sharing it with others, though it means opposition?
Let me encourage you to ponder
these comparisons and contrasts:
The same gospel of Jesus
and Peter and Paul, presented in different ways and to different sorts of
people.
Producing different
responses: faith from some and opposition from others.
Let us resolve to stick
with the good news of Jesus and share it with others, playing our part in the
unstoppable mission of God.
And so to one living and
loving creator God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit be all
honour and power and glory, now and for ever.
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