14:5-7
The opposition was organised, and there was a plot among both Jews and Gentiles to “mistreat and stone them”. The gospel brings a threat to our way of living, for we are not living according to God’s ways.. We can react by repenting and believing, or by hardening our hearts all the more.
Paul and Barnabas learnt of the plot and so fled to Lystra and Derbe. So we see in this section two reactions to opposition. In the first instance they “doubled down” and preached all the more. The second they fled. There is a time to stand firm, and a time to flee. While fleeing, they continued to preach the gospel, they did not stop preaching.
14:8-10
They arrived at Lystra and the account begins with a miracle. Just as Jesus did many more miracles than those recorded in the gospels, so did the apostles. 14:3 just says they did signs and wonders. Here we are given details. The reason for the detailed account is that it is essential for understanding the events that followed. They encountered a man who had been lame from birth and had never walked. So the subsequent healing was all the more amazing, and could only have been a miracle. The man listened to Paul, at some point Paul looked directly at the man. Paul “saw that he had faith to be healed”. Now, does this mean that he had faith specifically for healing, or that he had faith in the gospel so that he could be healed? Probably the former, but maybe not. Whatever the case, Paul commanded him to stand on his feet, which the man did, jumping up and beginning to walk. The gospel sets us free from all sorts of things.
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