And there they preached the gospel follows a secret flight from Iconium to save life, after Jewish leaders stirred an ignorant, noisy mob to stone Paul and Barnabas on the false charge that their teaching caused tumult, meaning to deny them any vindication and put an end to their labors. Warned by unbelieving friends not to expose themselves needlessly to fury, they escaped and left the believers to carry on alone for a time, trusting God to advance the doctrine of Christ. That departure was no final abandonment of the mission, but with purpose to return after the excitement abated and complete the work begun.
After leaving Iconium the preaching stood in Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and the surrounding country, marking arrival there. They chose to labor there in hope of avoiding Jewish prejudice and persecution and finding listeners beyond it. At Iconium, a great resort for pleasure-seekers and persons with no particular object in life, populated by Romans, Greeks, and Jews, they had begun as at Antioch by laboring in the synagogues for the Jews, and many Jews and Greeks accepted the gospel. Unbelieving Jews unreasonably opposed the new believers and, as far as lay in their power, influenced the Gentiles against them, as in former places where they had labored.
In Lystra and Derbe they came among a largely heathen, superstitious, idolatrous people, an entirely new element of heathen superstition and idolatry, yet among them were souls willing to hear and accept the doctrine of Christ. There their work met all grades of people and all kinds of faiths and religions, facing Jewish bigotry and intolerance, sorcery, blasphemy, unjust magistrates who loved to exercise power, false shepherds, superstition and idolatry, with persecution and opposition on every hand. Yet victory crowned their efforts and converts were daily added to the faith in Christ despite opposition and differing forms of religion.
Their preaching of the doctrine of Christ grew in popularity and publicity, drawing great numbers to them and bringing the teaching before a much larger number of unprejudiced hearers. It was calculated to make men virtuous, law-abiding citizens, so that unprejudiced Jews and Greeks held that the morals and good order of the city would improve if the apostles were allowed to remain and work. When repeatedly brought before the authorities their defense and statement of doctrine was so able, clear, sensible, calm and comprehensive that even prejudiced magistrates dared not condemn them. They continued preaching the gospel despite opposition, envy, prejudice and hatred, with success in saving souls and many accepting it. That success stirred unbelieving Jews to fresh opposition, misrepresenting the work in a false and exaggerated light as inciting insurrection and pursuing secret and dangerous designs in order to stop the labors at once.
The verse belongs to a pattern of visiting every place where entrance could be gained, enlarging the circle of influence, working a large territory, then visiting again the churches planted to confirm them, and then returning to Antioch from which they had been sent out by prayer and counsel. The same work is to be carried on now with no boundaries limiting the sphere of labor, with the church ever advancing and ever educating workers for further conquests, so that truth may extend to all parts of the globe.
And there they preached the gospel follows a secret flight from Iconium to save life, after Jewish leaders stirred an ignorant, noisy mob to stone Paul and Barnabas on the false charge that their teaching caused tumult, meaning to deny them any vindication and put an end to their labors. Warned by unbelieving friends not to expose themselves needlessly to fury, they escaped and left the believers to carry on alone for a time, trusting God to advance the doctrine of Christ. That departure was no final abandonment of the mission, but with purpose to return after the excitement abated and complete the work begun.
After leaving Iconium the preaching stood in Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and the surrounding country, marking arrival there. They chose to labor there in hope of avoiding Jewish prejudice and persecution and finding listeners beyond it. At Iconium, a great resort for pleasure-seekers and persons with no particular object in life, populated by Romans, Greeks, and Jews, they had begun as at Antioch by laboring in the synagogues for the Jews, and many Jews and Greeks accepted the gospel. Unbelieving Jews unreasonably opposed the new believers and, as far as lay in their power, influenced the Gentiles against them, as in former places where they had labored.
In Lystra and Derbe they came among a largely heathen, superstitious, idolatrous people, an entirely new element of heathen superstition and idolatry, yet among them were souls willing to hear and accept the doctrine of Christ. There their work met all grades of people and all kinds of faiths and religions, facing Jewish bigotry and intolerance, sorcery, blasphemy, unjust magistrates who loved to exercise power, false shepherds, superstition and idolatry, with persecution and opposition on every hand. Yet victory crowned their efforts and converts were daily added to the faith in Christ despite opposition and differing forms of religion.
Their preaching of the doctrine of Christ grew in popularity and publicity, drawing great numbers to them and bringing the teaching before a much larger number of unprejudiced hearers. It was calculated to make men virtuous, law-abiding citizens, so that unprejudiced Jews and Greeks held that the morals and good order of the city would improve if the apostles were allowed to remain and work. When repeatedly brought before the authorities their defense and statement of doctrine was so able, clear, sensible, calm and comprehensive that even prejudiced magistrates dared not condemn them. They continued preaching the gospel despite opposition, envy, prejudice and hatred, with success in saving souls and many accepting it. That success stirred unbelieving Jews to fresh opposition, misrepresenting the work in a false and exaggerated light as inciting insurrection and pursuing secret and dangerous designs in order to stop the labors at once.
The verse belongs to a pattern of visiting every place where entrance could be gained, enlarging the circle of influence, working a large territory, then visiting again the churches planted to confirm them, and then returning to Antioch from which they had been sent out by prayer and counsel. The same work is to be carried on now with no boundaries limiting the sphere of labor, with the church ever advancing and ever educating workers for further conquests, so that truth may extend to all parts of the globe.