Gods and Stones - The Book of Acts

In this Bible Story, Paul is nearly stoned to death by Jewish Christians who seek to control Gentiles by the law. They are dangerous and controlling. Yet Paul does not let the stones stop him. This story is inspired by Acts 14. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is Acts 14:19 from the King James Version.

Episode 229: As Paul and Barnabas entered Iconium to preach, both Jews and Gentiles were receptive and restored by the message of love and mercy in Jesus that they brought. But not everyone in the city was happy about this change. Certain men of influence added poison to these teachings and stirred the people against Paul and Barnabas. So they fled to Lystra where they healed a man and were called gods by the men of the city. Just as Paul and Barnabas convinced the crowd that they were mere men, the elders of Antioch came and captured Paul, bringing him out to the city to be stoned. But because of what God did for him, Paul went right back to the city the next day to continue preaching the good news of Jesus.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. And there came thither certain Jews from
Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul,
drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Ats fourteen nineteen. Meditating on the events of Acts fourteen,

(00:23):
I have decided to double down and fix myself steadfastly
on my course of action. I will not deviate from
the original plan you have given me. I realize my
calling to be a resource and a solution to some
one's problems. As I am building my life, I will

(00:44):
not be surprised by the rocks of jealousy and envy
that get hurled my way, and even as some connect
and cause pain to me, I thank you that, like Paul,
you will place a team around me of individuals who
are like minded and who will help mend and heal

(01:05):
the wounds I just received. I will remain thankful and
faithful for the rich relationships you are continually placing around
my life. I am blessed indeed in Jesus name, Amen,

(01:26):
thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible. In
a year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Com, Gods and stones.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
In our last story, Paul and Barnabas began their journey
to preach the Gospel in parts of Greece and Rome.
Although they were met with some opposition, the Lord moved.
Now Paul has met with some of the greatest challenges
he has ever faced. Inspired by the Book of Acts.

Speaker 4 (02:06):
We're so glad you joined us on the Bible and
of your podcast today. The Bible into your podcast is
an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to
you each week through the support of listeners just like you.
Your support today is so important that we want to
thank you for your gift by giving you a copy
of my book called The Jesus Book. It is a

(02:27):
powerful guide that shows how every book of the Bible
points to Jesus and how his living word, the truth
of God's Word, will transform your life. So to get
a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go to Jack
Graham dot org slash Jesus. That's Jack Graham dot org
slash Jesus and thank you for your support. In our

(02:49):
previous episode, we heard how Paul and Barnabas, prompted by
the Holy Spirit, traveled to Cyprus. There they preach the
message of Jesus in the synagogues across the island and
winning many to Christ. We also heard how Paul stood
against a magician, a false prophet named Bart Jesus, rebuking
him and judging him with blindness because he tried to

(03:11):
prevent people from turning to Jesus. And we saw Paul
defending their ministry to the Gentiles, who were just as
much a part of God's plan for salvation as the Jews. Today,
we'll hear as Paul and Barnabas preach in Iconium and Lystra.
They'll see many turned to Christ, but also face great opposition.

(03:31):
Paul will feel the sting and the pain of persecution
as his body endures torture for the sake of the Gospel.
So let's hear now the word of God.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
A war for the hearts of God's people emerged from Iconium.
Paul and Barnabas entered into the city with words of love, knowledge,
and forgiveness. Both Jews and Gentiles felt their hearts melt
due to the mercy of Jesus. People who felt far
off from God were brought near. People who were trapped
in a cycle of destructive sin were restored Jesus was

(04:05):
being glorified. However, there was a den of wolves seeking
to take the sheep of God away. Certain Jewish leaders
spread words of discouragement among the people. They added to
the grace of Jesus by saying that there were still
works that could get you into Heaven. They came off
as holy, but Paul could see the truth. They were
men taking the place of God. They thought they could

(04:28):
ascend to perfection by their good deeds, but they were
painfully and utterly wrong. Nevertheless, a great deal of people
began to believe these Jewish leaders. Their minds were poisoned
by false teachings. The city was divided and growing restless.
Soon there was a large call to have Paul and
Barnabas stoned, so they fled to Listra before more chaos

(04:50):
would emerge. However, Listra would prove to have its own
demons awaiting. Paul and Barnabas arrived on the shores of
Listra with hope that people could be saved by Jesus.
As they were walking, they came across a man who
could not use his feet. He was crippled beyond repair
and had never truly been able to walk since birth.
Paul knelt down to him and said, stand and walk.

(05:12):
So the man was healed. The crowds gathered and watched
Paul heal this man through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But they saw no spirit. They saw Paul, they saw Barnabas.
The gods have come down to us. They shouted, It
is Zeus and Hermes. Then the men of the city
prepared bulls and calves to offer up at the temple
of Zeus. Paul and Barnabas watched in terror as men

(05:36):
and women bowed to them as gods. They could barely
stand the weight of their worship. It was too much
to bear. The two men ran to the steps of
the temple of Zeus. Stop, they shouted. People were about
to prepare a sacrifice when Paul tore his robes to
reveal his bare chest. I bleed as you do, Paul yelled.

(05:56):
We are men. We are men who bring you the
good news of the Living God, the only God. But
even as Paul spoke these words, they seemed to fall
on deaf ears. Night fell and all the chaos of
the day had ceased for a moment. Paul slept soundly
in his bed, finding a brief moment of peace under
the stars. The silence was broken by footsteps coming closer

(06:20):
to Paul. He awoke to a small lamp hanging over him.
It was the elders from Antioch. They had found him.
Before Paul could move, they grabbed him and bound him
with ropes. Paul struggled to break free, but the men
had tied his hands and feet together. They drug him
for miles back to Antioch. The morning was breaking and
Paul had been tied to a post outside the city.

(06:42):
He looked around. Large stones caked with dried blood sat
on the floor. Paul knew this place. He was well
acquainted with a stony marina. The first stone was a
direct blow to the head, but not strong enough to
knock him out. Paul peered up at the angry stairs
of Jewish leaders. One of them wound up and threw
the stone directly at his rib cage. Paul heard two

(07:04):
of his ribs snap underneath the weight of the rock.
He gasped for air and coughed up blood. Then a
third stone was thrown. This time had hit him in
the eye, sending his thoughts swirling into madness. A barrage
of stones came afterwards, Paul screamed as his bones snapped
under the hurled stones. Soon Paul was reduced to an

(07:25):
unconscious and limp body. His breathing had slowed and he
was completely covered in blood. Thinking he was dead, Paul
was left on the side of the gate outside Antioch.
Hours had passed and Paul was just beginning to regain
feeling in his limbs. As he did his best to
prop himself up against the wall, he saw some of

(07:45):
the believers running up to him. They took him in
and nursed his wounds back to health. Paul rested all
day and then was back to preaching the next day.
He would not allow broken bones and torn skin to
prevent him from preaching the gospel. A whipped back did
not prevent Jesus he carried his cross forward with intent
to put an end to shame and sin. Paul would

(08:08):
do the same. No amount of pain would keep him
from following Christ.

Speaker 4 (08:15):
Our reading today in the Book of Acts finds Paul
and Barnabas in Iconium, having fled there when the Jews
and Antiochs stirred up persecution against them. In Iconium, they
preached in the synagogue, and many Jews and Greeks alike
came to faith in Jesus. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was
moving through these men, and the message of salvation in

(08:35):
Christ alone was being embraced by more and more people.
But the Holy Spirit was not the only one movie.
As is always the case, when God is at work,
the enemy is at work as well, trying to destroy
the good things of God. So we heard that unbelieving
Jews and Iconium began to stir up anger against Paul
and the other Christians. They poisoned the minds of the

(08:58):
gentiles against these men. So Paul and Barnabas remained there
for some time to make sure the truth was clearly
taught and the new believers were grounded in the faith
so that when they last, they would not be shaken
by lies or by the false teachers. Finally, their enemies
tried to have them stones so that they had to flee,
and they went to Listra, where they encountered a man

(09:21):
who was unable to walk. His feet had not worked
since he was born. Paul looked upon him with compassion
and spoke to him, saying, stand upright on your feet.
This miraculous healing got the attention of the people of Listra,
but they misunderstood what was happening. These Greeks believed in
many gods, and when they saw the healing, they began

(09:42):
to praise Paul and Barnabas, believing they were Hermes and Zeus,
Greek gods. At first, Paul and Barnabas did not understand
what was going on, But when the priest of Zeus
brought bulls and calves to offer sacrifices to them, they
were horrified, tearing their clothes a sign of their rejection
of such blasphemy. Paul then spoke to them, urging them

(10:05):
to see they were not gods but mere men. He
then preached a simple message to them in terms that
related to their pagan understanding. So we read in Acts fourteen,
verses fifteen to seventeen, these words, We bring you good
news that you should turn from these vain things to
a living God who made the heavens and the earth,

(10:27):
and the sea and all that is in them. In
past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in
their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without
a witness, for he did good by giving you rains
from heaven and fruitful seasons. Satisfying your hearts with food
and gladness. Paul was getting on their level. He is

(10:48):
building a bridge to share the gospel, and this is
an important aspect of how we share our faith. While
the core message of Jesus and the gospel of His
grace never changes, we always look for ways to reach
our culture with the message of the gospel. We bring
the message of good news in the context so that

(11:09):
heroes can comprehend it. And yet still, even after their
protest and witness to the truth of the God who is,
many still wanted to see them as gods. We're told
they were scarcely able to stop them from offering sacrifices.
For many in the crowd that day, they were simply
not ready to comprehend or receive the gospel. The truth is,

(11:31):
we could speak the words of truth that we are
called to deliver, but we can't force anyone to believe
or understand them. We then heard how the Jews in
Antioch and Iconium were determined to stop these men. They
came to Listra and took Paul by force to stone him.
Paul had seen this happen before. Surely he remembered how
he had led similar rage when he was persecuting the church.

(11:55):
Now Paul himself was the target of the persecution. He
was stoned and dragged out of the city and left
to die, But the disciples gathered around him, and Paul
rose up, pressed down but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned,
struck down but not destroyed. Most people would have run
as far away as possible, but not Paul. He entered

(12:17):
the city again and the next day went to Derby
to continue preaching the gospel. There was no stopping his mission,
and there is no stopping the good news of Jesus Christ.
He and all the believers understood their trials and tribulations
were a part of following Jesus. They were willing to
take up the cross in order to proclaim the cross,

(12:38):
and they knew it's worth it all to give our
all to follow Jesus. Let's pray. Dear God, We thank
you for the scripture and the powerful testimony of the
apostle Paul, his resilience and perseverance in the face of trials.
Thank you for so many who have gone before us

(12:58):
in martyrdom and to live faithfully, for you to proclaim
your words so that we could be delivered the truth
of the Gospel. May we also be faithful in our
own generation and courageous to boldly share Jesus Christ. And
it is in his name that we pray. Amen. Thank
you for listening to today's Bible into Your podcast, and

(13:20):
before we go, I wanted to let you know that
the Bible into Your Podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint
Ministries and can only come to you each week through
the support of listeners like you. Your support today is
so important that we want to thank you for your
gift by giving you a copy of my book called
The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful guide that

(13:42):
shows how every book in the Bible points to Christ
and how you can better read and understand the Bible
and how God's Word transforms our lives. So to get
your copy of The Jesus Book, simply go to Jaggraham
dot org slash Jesus. That's Jaggraham dot org slash Jesus
and thank you for your support.