As you are studying these chapters, sometimes it's helpful to have a visual of the places where Paul traveled. Here's a map of Paul's First Missionary Journey starting from Antioch in Syria (not to be confused with Antioch in Pisidia) and ending in Derbe in Lycaonia, where Paul retraced his steps, strengthening the churches he founded, as he made his way back to Antioch in Syria. Paul may have undergone this journey over a two-year timeframe from AD 46-48.

One interesting tidbit about Paul's first missionary journey: He began his missionary outreach by focusing on cities with a concentration of Jews (cf. Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16), even when the path to those cities were more treacherous than others. Archeological evidence from the region bears this out (link).

Even though Paul was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (cf. Galatians 2:8), he had a deep affection for his own people and desired their salvation (cf. Romans 9:1-5; 10:1). He only determined to focus on the Gentiles when they stubbornly and violently rejected the Gospel (cf. Acts 13:46-47). Even then, he sought out the places of Jewish concentration (e.g. Acts 14:1).

Paul clearly experienced both acceptance and rejection of his Gospel message. Some of the rejection was very violent (Acts 14:19). But this did not deter him one bit. He faithfully carried out his commission from the Lord (cf. Acts 20:24).

Friends, let us also faithfully carry out God's calling on our lives. As Paul experienced, the divine calling does not guarantee comfort or popularity or success. It may require suffering, persecution and loss. However, we are not called to be comfortable, popular or successful. We are called to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead (Acts 14:19).

Paul and Barnabas do a miracle in Lystra, and the people begin to worship them as gods. Paul tells them not to worship him, nor the idols, but to worship the one true God in heaven. Then some anti-Christian Jews come from the neighboring cities and succeed in persuading the people of Lystra to turn against Paul, so that they stone him and throw him out of their city.

From worshiping Paul to stoning him, how fickle people can be. It was the same when Jesus was crucified. Those who welcomed Him into Jerusalem with praises and palm branches would not many days later clamor for His crucixion.

I praise God that my faith does not originate with me but is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9), for I am no less fickle than the people of Lystra. If it were not for God fortifying my faith, I would have lost it many times over. Paul's faith was also divinely fortified. Even after he was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead, he went back into the city (Acts 14:20). He did not cease to preach the Gospel. So Paul wold confidently declare in his final letter to Timothy before he was martyred:

And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day (2 Timothy 1:11-12).

Father, give us all such confidence to live for you and to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us not be discouraged by our circumstances or be thwarted from our mission, for which we have been left on earth to do. Amen.

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk (Acts 14:8-10).

Paul looks intently at a man, who had been lame from birth, and commands him to stand up. The man is healed. Do you recall a similar healing event earlier in Acts but through the agency of Peter?

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk (Acts 3:2-8).

While Peter dominates the first half of the Book of Acts, Paul clearly dominates the second half. Through events like this, Luke seems to be connecting the ministries of the two apostles, demonstrating the authenticity of their apostolic calling. Even in the giving of the Holy Spirit, which was the unique provenance of apostles (e.g. Philip could not confer the Holy Spirit in Acts 8 because he was not an apostle), Paul is shown to have the same power as Peter (cf. Acts 19:6).

Paul knew, just as Peter did, that the lame man could and would be healed. The text reads that Paul saw that the lame man "had faith to be made well." I wonder if it is our bias that makes us want to assume that this lame man's faith was of his own derivation rather than what was given him by the Lord. The text does not explain, but both are possibilities. I believe the latter fits the thesis of other, more detailed texts. Saving faith is a gift of God (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). Healing faith is also a gift of God. It is never the size of faith that works miracles but the source of it. If it is from the Lord, even a mustard-seed faith can move mountains (cf. Matthew 17:20). Paul knew that the lame man was given a faith that could and would heal him. That is why Paul could confidently command the lame man to stand up, and he did. 

Friends, only apostles and those directly touched by them could do these miracles, which should make every claim to miraculous healing power today suspect and require verifiable documentation. The documentation of the miracles of Paul and Peter authenticated their apostleship, which is the primary reason why their writings were accepted by the early church as Scripture. Paul performed the unique works of an apostle of Christ:

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12).

The reason why there are no apostles today and why such miraculous powers are not displayed today is that, if there were, then we would have to give the same level of Scriptural authority to the pronouncements made by these same modern-day apostles. The miracles were authenticating signs of apostleship, and therefore, prophetic authority. My understanding is that the canon of Scripture is closed until the end; therefore, there is no new Scriptures being written today. But if thse self-proclaimed apostles and prophets, like those at IHOP (International House of Prayer), are truthful in their claims, then their words should carry Scriptural authority. Otherwise, they are liars and imposters and dangerous to the larger Christian community. The lack of documentary evidence for their claims cause me to presume that the latter assessment is correct of today's self-proclaimed apostles and prophets. Therefore, they should be avoided and shunned as those who would poison the truth of Scripture, for while they claim divine authority, they have none. 

Friends, be wary of anyone who claims that they have seen or received revelation from God. It is no shame to confront them by saying, "Prove it." If the Lord Jesus, the apostle Peter and the apostle Paul proved their divine words by their authenticating miraculous works, we can hold this same standard for anyone today that makes such claims. 

Acts 15
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."

This was all that was "required" of the people by the apostles and elders. I wonder if Paul and Barnabas had any conflicting ideas. They seemed very clear in salvation by grace alone. Perhaps it was understood that the proposal was a high recommendation. After all, the letter concludes "If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well" as opposed to “if you do not do these, you renege on salvation.”

From these 4 items you can see the challenges of their time; namely sacrifices to idols, blood, the straggled, and sexual immorality. I can't help but think today's recommendations would be something as: sexual immorality, idolatry for institutions, gluttony, and pride.

So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders (Acts 14:3).

I have previously made the case that signs and wonders had a very particular purpose; namely, to confirm the message of the apostles. The apostles, and those that they laid hands upon, had power to do these signs. But Acts give no suggestion that these powers were meant for every believer. And with the passing of the last apostle, these manifestions of the Holy Spirit would also disappear, as church history also records. 

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Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised,according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved... Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”” (Acts 15:1,5).

In my introduction to the Book of Acts, I mentioned that this book is an historical account of a transitional period. The conflict between Jewish and Gentile believers was in the process of being reconciled. God did this by giving Peter a sign, namely, the blanket filled with unclean animals. God also gave the same sign of tongues to the Gentiles in Cornelius' home as he gave to the Jews in Acts 2. God also did this by calling Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, giving him the same apostolic powers among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12) as the Twelve had among the Jews. 

It appears that there were certain Jewish believers that were insisting that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be saved. This conflict comes to a head in Acts 15, where all of the evidence I presented above is presented. What is more, James, likely the half-brother of Jesus and the pastor of the Jerusalem church, cites Scripture (Amos 9:11-12) confirming the inclusion of Gentiles among the saved. Peter declares,

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:10-11).

Peter declares that salvation is through grace alone and not through the Law of Moses. Paul writes his epistle to the Galatians addressing just this topic. The conclusion of the matter is that the Gentile believers would not have to follow the Law. However, certain measures were recommended so that they might live at peace with their Jewish brothers:

It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath" (Acts 15:19-21).

I have argued elsewhere that Christians are no longer under the Law of Moses. I made this argument based on the biblical teaching that the cross of Christ inaugurated a New Covenant, which has made the Old Covenant obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). Now, this passage should make it absolutely clear that it is wrong to try to apply the Mosaic Law, particularly to us Gentiles, today. We no longer live by the old way of the Letter but by the new way of the Spirit (Romans 7:6).

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They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord (Acts 15:39-40).

Paul and Barnabas parted company because Barnabas wanted to keep his cousin, John Mark, in their missionary travels while Paul did not. Who was in the right here? Not too much commmentary is given; however, we hear no more of Barnabas and Mark from this point forward. What is more, we are told by Luke, the historian, that Paul and Silas were "commended by the believers..." This suggests that the church supported Paul over Barnabas in this matter. Now, it does appear that Mark would later prove to be useful to Paul (Colossians 4:10). He is also the likely author of "the Gospel according to Mark", which is no small honor. 

What might we gather from this? Even if certain believers were not enlisted for this or that ministry because they proved unfaithful, fearful, or incompetent, this did not mean that they would never be chosen for service again. They can serve in other ways or else be restored to a certain ministry in the future. But we ought not to be angry or jealous or bitter when we are passed over for ministry opportunities or when others have greater ministries. We should all have the perspective of John the Baptist, who had this to say when some complained that Jesus' was gaining more disciples than him:

A person can receive only what is given them from heaven (John 3:27).

God gives gifts. God gives opportunities. Therefore, it is sufficient that we be faithful with whatever gifts and opportunities we are given rather than looking at or being envious of the gifts and opportunities given to others. As Paul would write in 1 Corinthians 4:7,

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Therefore, let us humbly and faithfully serve the Lord according to the measure of faith given to us, remembering that the Lord will judge us according to what we have been given, not according to what we have not been given.

This is why I have also said to our Martial Arts community, "Don't be envious of others, who seem to have more ability than you." It may be that God has given them this greater ability. Some have been given greater capacity for speed, others for strength, others for knowledge, others for leadership, others for service, etc. Instead, try to discover what God has given you, and with gratitude pursue being the best that you can be as God made you to be. And with respect to others, rather than being envious, why not celebrate and give praise to God for the wonderful gifts and opportunities He has given them?

It is this kind of attitude that tells the world that we are followers of Jesus Christ.