The stay in Iconium was a stormy one. The description is rather brief but it followed the same pattern as the one in Pisidian Antioch. The preaching of Paul and Barnabus was welcomed in the beginning with widespread approval from among both Jews and Gentiles. The unbelieving Jews, however, succeeded in turning the Gentiles against them. Although the attempt to stone Paul and Barnabus failed, they were driven from the city. We don’t hear about any outstanding work they accomplished. But who could accomplish much under those conditions.

It is important to realize that very little can be accomplished in an atmosphere of dissension, suspicion, and unconcealed antagonism. If we are unhappy with our accomplishments at home, work or church, the first effort should be to make the atmosphere conducive to cooperation. History is silent about accomplishments at Iconium, but legend is not. Legend has it that Paul’s sermon on virginity influenced a young noble woman engaged to be married. Her determination to be baptized was so blatant they were brought together before the magistrates. Paul was condemned to be scourged and expelled. Thecla was to be burned but was saved by a miraculous fall of rain. She then followed him disguised as a boy.

On the other hand, we cannot use unfavorable circumstances as an excuse for failing to achieve our goals. Many times, the greatest accomplishments are enabled by the unfolding of unfavorable circumstances. Our efforts to overcome extraordinary challenges often result in changing the atmosphere and enabling progress not previously considered possible. How many times in your life have difficulties and setbacks brought a new set of circumstances that opened new doors and opportunities?

So Paul and Barnabus fled Iconium, apparently ahead of the mob wanting to scourge and stone them. The went to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lyconia, and again preached the gospel. One might think they would modify the sermons or at least tone down the rhetoric after narrowly escaping scourging and stoning. Nothing of the kind is reported. Paul healed a man who had never walked. First we note that he did not waver from the gospel or attempt to subdue his command to "stand upright on your feet." The next thing we notice is that he did not perform a miracle. He simply reacted to the knowledge that the man had faith to be made well.

The reaction of the crowd to God’s healing of the lame man was unimaginable in the minds of Paul and Barnabus. Part of the difference in reaction is that where previous sermons had been preached to Jews and sympathetic adherents of the synagogue, Paul is now confronted by purely pagan hearers. Lacking the foundation of Jewish culture and faith, these folks thought the gods had come down to earth in the form of men. Notice that the King James version refers to them as the Roman gods, Jupiter and Mercurius. The Revised Standard Version refers to them as the Greek Gods, Zeus and Hermes. Zeus was the leader but Hermes was the god of oratory. Barnabus was considered the leader, while Paul was immediately associated with oratory.

The people were so moved they prepared to offer a sacrifice to the two gods who had descended upon them so unexpectedly. This called for yet another sermon. This sermon began with a clear renunciation of any divine pretensions on the part of the two disciples. Which of us would be so quick to avoid the adulation of the crowd? The natural, unaffected humility of Paul and Barnabus made the adulation of the crowd completely repulsive. The sermon showed their concern immediately. This sermon was not about Jesus and the resurrection. This sermon reverted to early revelations of God. It was important that these people began to develop a concept of the living God who created all things.

We can only assume that missionaries to totally pagan tribes must encounter similar challenges. A childlike impression of many gods must be replaced with an adolescent concept of a single god. Eventually Christianity can talk of a God so great that he could become man, and yet lose nothing of his dignity or power. There are similar challenges in the church today. Some people have a vague concept of God without understanding how it relates to them. People must first understand what we mean by God before they want to find him. They must learn that life is not an impersonal process without purpose but part of God’s order. That job is accomplished beautifully by the Old Testament.

Paul tried to turn the minds of the listeners from the false gods to the great God who made heaven and earth. He pointed out that God did not leave himself without witness. The signs are everywhere. It is important to show specifics to avoid leaving the impression that God is the god of everything in general without being the God of anything in particular. Notice that Paul again changed his approach in deference to his audience. The original message was misunderstood and they immediately worked to straighten things out.

Paul and Barnabus were developing a following but not all of it was good. Jews came from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium to convince the pagans of Lystra to stone Paul. When they assumed that Paul was dead, they dragged him out of the city. When the disciples came to him, he arose and the next day they departed to Derbe where they preached the gospel and taught many. It is interesting to note that Derbe is the one place where Paul is not reported to have met with any trouble. They then returned to Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch.

This return trip was considerably quieter and was apparently concentrated on believers. They are reported as confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. They were reminded that we only enter into the kingdom of God through much tribulation. Paul is a good source for such a statement. After his conversion, the disciples distrusted him, the circumcision party tried to keep Gentiles out of the faith, John Mark abandoned him and he was stoned for denying that he was a god.

It is reasonable to ask why tribulation is required to enter into the kingdom of God. After all, can’t we just align our will with God and float our way into heaven? Human nature gets in the way of that process. When things are going well, we are inclined to take the credit for all progress. After all, everything appears to be under our control. When things are not going well, we try harder. If trying harder doesn’t work, we begin to understand that we cannot do it alone. That’s when we begin to rely on God and start to supplant our own will with his. Tribulation is often the only thing that forces us to turn to God.

Furthermore, what brings us closer to God than being close to other people? Our ability to be compassionate, empathetic and understanding of others frequently comes from tribulations. It is only through tribulations that we begin to understand our own frailties. Understanding our own frailties makes us more aware of the challenges others face and more accepting of their failures. It also brings us closer together to know we have shared common problems. The kingdom of God is a social rather than a solitary existence. It requires ties that exceed those of nations, families and even churches. Any nation that has a high degree of unity and national spirit has come through the crucible of tribulation. A nation who knows nothing but prosperity bears no concept of the effort required to survive real trouble.

Paul and Barnabus appointed elders in every church before they returned to Antioch. This does not necessarily denote Apostolic Succession. Can you imagine the debriefing they must have endured after this first mission into unknown lands? They began by declaring all that God had done with them and how He opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Notice they did not presume to claim that they themselves opened the door. They cleared away the obstacles of ignorance and doubt and set forth the truth as they had seen it in Jesus.

This is the challenge we have today. We must help remove obstacles so people will be open to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Some are hindered by misunderstandings about our faith. If we can correct mistaken ideas and affirm the Christian church in intelligible terms, God will open the door of faith for them.