St Paul's first journey : visiting Iconium with St Barnabas

[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team: 

REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]

 

Acts XIV :  1-6

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[1] And it came to pass in Iconium, that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a very great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks did believe. 

[2] But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and incensed the minds of the Gentiles against the brethren. 

[3] A long time therefore they abode there, dealing confidently in the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 

[4] And the multitude of the city was divided; and some of them indeed held with the Jews, but some with the apostles. 

[5] And when there was an assault made by the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to use them contumeliously, and to stone them:

[6] They understanding it, fled to Lystra, and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the whole country round about, and were there preaching the gospel.

[1] Factum est autem Iconii, ut simul introirent in synagogam Judaeorum, et loquerentur, ita ut crederet Judaeorum et Graecorum copiosa multitudo. [2] Qui vero increduli fuerunt Judaei, suscitaverunt, et ad iracundiam concitaverunt animas gentium adversus fratres. [3] Multo igitur tempore demorati sunt, fiducialiter agentes in Domino, testimonium perhibente verbo gratiae suae, dante signa et prodigia fieri per manus eorum. [4] Divisa est autem multitudo civitatis : et quidam quidem erant cum Judaeis, quidam vero cum Apostolis. [5] Cum autem factus esset impetus gentilium et Judaeorum cum principibus suis, ut contumeliis afficerent, et lapidarent eos, [6] intelligentes confugerunt ad civitates Lycaoniae Lystram, et Derben, et universam in circuitu regionem, et ibi evangelizantes erant.

Notes

    1. they entered. This evidently refers to their customary mode of action. It was only after repeated discussions in the synagogue that this “ very great multitude believed, and that the hostility of the Jews was aroused.

    together. Some render the original phrase (κατα το αὐτο) “ in the same way,” i.e. as they had frequented the synagogues in Antioch, but the Rheims rendering is preferable, as it harmonizes with the context, and the Greek can bear this meaning (see 1 Kings xi. 11, Sept.).

    Greeks. (Ἑλληνων) — i.e. proselytes of the gate ; God-fearing Gentiles.

    2. unbelieving. The original verb (ἀπειθουντες) signifies in classical Greek “ to disobey” ; hence it merges into the sense of “to disbelieve,” i.e. to disobey by refusing to believe. The Jews, by rejecting the Messias, disobeyed God.

    Jews. Codex D reads here, “But the archisynogogi and the rulers (i.e. of the synagogue) brought persecution upon them, against the just, and made the souls of the Gentiles evil-affected against the brethren, but the Lord quickly gave peace.”

incensed the minds, etc. With the exception of the persecution set on foot by Demetrius, the silversmith of Ephesus, all the persecutions recorded in the Acts originated with Jews.

    They were unwilling to relinquish their position as the privileged people of God and could not tolerate the idea of Gentiles being placed on the same footing. St Paul refers to this constant opposition of the Jews in his epistles. Cf. For you also have suffered the same things .from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men, prohibiting us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved (1 Thess. ii. 14-16).

    3. A long time. This “ long,” lit. “sufficient,” ( ἱκανον) time must have embraced some months.

    dealing confidently. Lit. “ speaking boldly ” (παρρεσιαζομενοι).

    signs and wonders. Both St Paul and Barnabas worked miracles, which were proofs of their being divinely commissioned. By these miracles the faith of the new converts was confirmed, but they appeared to have accepted the teaching of the Gospel without these external aids.

    4. The multitude of the city was divided. The bulk of the Gentile population was opposed to the propagation of the Gospel, and the believing Jews and Greeks, although “a great multitude ” were certainly in the minority. From the sequence of events, it is clear that the enemies of the Faith were more numerous and powerful than the adherents.

    the apostles. This is the first passage in which St Paul and Barnabas are spoken of as “ apostles ”

    Commentators remark that the number of the apostolic college never exceeded twelve active members, St Paul having begun his ministry after the death of St. James the Great. As to Barnabas, it is generally held that ho was not an apostle in the strict sense of the word, but the Church gives him the title in order to honour his ministry. When mentioned singly, the title of apostle is not given to him (sec Vigouroux, Manuel Biblique, ques. 517 ).

    5. an assault. Better, “ onset ” (ὁρμη). The word expresses a strong inclination or bent towards a given line of action. The Jews and their rulers, together with the Gentiles, were determined to attack the apostles. There was no actual “ assault,” since Paul and Barnabas fled.

    to use them contumeliously. Other means having failed, they prepared to take violent measures, and plotted to this end.

to stone them. The mode of punishment chosen and the co-operation of the rulers of the synagogue point to blasphemy as the ground of accusation against Paul and Barnabas.

    understanding it. Better, “becoming aware ” The same Greek verb occurs in ch. xii. 12 : Considering he came to the house, etc. St Paul and Barnabas had many friends who were able to warn them in time.

    “ It is to be noticed that throughout the history there is no attempt to exaggerate the sufferings of the Christian teachers. Here was a narrow escape from stoning, and, as such, it is recorded with no more expansion than is absolutely unavoidable ” (Lumby, Greek Testament, p. 258).

    Lystra. This town lay on the high road to Syria, about forty miles from Iconium. It became an important city under the Byzantine emperor. Some ruins at the foot of Kara Dagh “ the Black Mountain ”) have been identified by Hamilton (Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 137) as the site of the city of Lystra.

    The modern name Bin-bir Kilisseh, i.e. “the thousand and one churches,” has been given in consequence of the numerous ruins of churches which are found there. “The mountain must have been considered sacred ; all the ruins are of the Christian epoch, and, with the exception of a huge palace, every building is a church.”

    In post-apostolic times, Lystra was certainly an episcopal see, and probably even earlier. St Timothy is supposed to have been a native of Lystra.

    Derbe. The exact site of this town is unknown, but Divle, near the pass in the Taurus range leading into the table-land of Lycaonia, is supposed to stand on the site of the ancient city of Derbe.

    Lycaonia. “The district of Lycaonia extends from the ridges of Mount Taurus and the borders of Cilicia on the south, to the Cappadocian hills on the north. It is a bare and dreary region, unwatered by streams, though in parts liable to occasional inundations. Strabo mentions one place where water was even sold for money. In this respect there must be a close resemblance between this country and large tracts of Australia. Nor is this the only particular in which the resemblance may be traced. Both regions afford excellent pasture for flocks of sheep, and give opportunities for obtaining large possessions by trade in wool’’ (Couybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St Paul, p. 147).

    were there preaching the gospel. Codex D adds here, “ And the whole multitude was stirred at the teaching, but Paul and Barnabas tarried in Lystra.”

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.