Thoughts From Acts 14 - Part 3

 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.26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. Acts 14:19-28

         Of all the things that Paul went through, and he lists them all in 2Corinthians 11, this stoning had the biggest impact, I believe, on Paul. First, I think he had a near death experience as described in 2 Cor 12;

" I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell."

       This beatific vision kept him going during hard times because he had already seen the glory awaiting him so he could say, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"

       Second, he knew he was invincible. What do I mean by that? I think he joined Peter who didn't need to fear Herod's imprisonment because in John 21 Jesus had already told him that he would live to an old age, and David who didn't need to fear Goliath because he was told he'd be king someday. Ananias, and I believe he relayed this to Paul, when sent to lay hands on Paul to remove his blindness, was told that Paul would preach before kings. That hadn't happened yet, so Paul was invincible until then. If you can survive a stoning, you can survive anything. He was so emboldened that on his way home, instead of avoiding that city, he went right back through it.

      Third, I think it physically, permanently damaged him. Maybe this happened at another time, but Paul alludes to bad eyes or a malady of vision, possibly his thorn in the flesh which may have been a direct result of this stoning. This malady kept him humble and reliant on God and allowed churches to minister to his needs when he came, not just the other way around. Paul came in at times like a sick puppy rather than a roaring lion and softened his normally brash personality endearing him to the churches.

      Lastly, this doubles the mission efforts. When Paul gets back to Antioch, there sits John Mark who left the trip after a nice time on the island of Cyprus. He missed out on all the rejection, running for their lives, stoning, and establishing of churches in the midst of persecution. Paul says, "He's not coming on any more trips with me!" Barnabas, always the encourager takes John Mark with him. Paul takes Silas, and now two missionary teams set out.

      When he later penned, "All things work together for good", this event was an "all things". Look at the pain in your life and see how God is working in it to bring good. You may not see it yet, but you will either in this life or the next.