July 29, 2021 - Acts 4:18-20
Olympics athletes are presently performing in Tokyo and as is often the situation, the media tries to make superstars out of those who win medals or the winners of their event suddenly become heroes. It appears that these individuals are celebrities and godlike as the television announcers and media exalts and piles accolades upon them.
Paul and Barnabas had fled the outrage in Iconium sparked by Paul’s messages and had come to Lystra about one hundred miles northwest of Iconium. The city of Lystra was a Roman military outpost and apparently had no Jewish synagogue for Paul to begin his ministry. Like Peter in Acts 9, Paul notices a lame man sitting, begging in the street and listening attentively to the conversation that was swirling around him. A miracle resulted and the lame man is suddenly able to walk. Unlike Acts 9, Paul and Barnabas are exalted to be Greek gods that had come to earth. This adoration came from unbelievers who assumed that such power could only come from a Greek deity and therefore Paul and Barnabas needed to be worshipped!
Paul presented a message to these unbelievers based on the assumption that God is one, not many, and Paul and Barnabas were mere men like them. The thought that sacrifices and worship could be done in their honor somehow had to be restrained. (v.18). Shortly after, Paul was stoned and left for dead by those who wanted to venerate him as a god a short time earlier (v.20).
When God works in powerful ways and answers to prayer occur, we need to be sure to give the glory to Him and persuade others to see the presence of the Lord. It is such a temptation to succumb to the urge of being placed on a pedestal, to accept praise and worship which really belongs to the Lord. Paul, later in his ministry identified himself as a bondservant and an earthen vessel that held the treasure of God (2 Corinthians 4:5-7). The apostle John saw the Lord upon the throne and all beings, angels and men fell in worship to Him (Revelation 4:10; 5:8,14; 7:11)! Let us be sure and give praise to our great God as well!