The Yale expositor., 1909-05-14
PAUL AT ICONIUM
AND LYSTRA
Sunday School Lesson for May is. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

1
nations are idols: but the Lord made the
heavens. Psalm s6;5.
| TIME.-1mmediately after the last les
son. Perhaps in the autumn of A. ID. E.
PLACE.-Lycaonia, in southern Gala
tia. Iconium, Lystra, Derbe. with re-
turn to Antioch and Perga, and thence to
| Antioch In Syria.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The greater the work a man en-
deavors to do, the greater the obsta-
cles that he will meet, and the more
numerous they will be. 1t is a princi-
pie Of physics that resistance increases
as the square OF the velocity. Peul's
work, like that of all true Christians.
was very great, and therefore 1t en-
countered formidable obstacles.
But these hindrances were over
come, in Christs strength and the
process Of overcoming them strength
ened Paul. as it will strengthen US. "A
certain amount Of opposition is a great
help to a man. Kites rise against and
not with the wind. Even a head wind
Is better than none."-John Neal.
"A great multitude both of the Jews
and also OF the Greeks (Jewish prose-
tlytes) believed" but there were "unbe-
lieving Jews" Or. V. "disobedient" to
the truth, who prejudiced the Gentle
populace against the missionaries by
their calumnies. For this double rea-
son ("therefore, v. 81 Paul and Barn
abas remained at Iconium a "long
time" probably several months, since
(1) there were so many converts to be
instructed in their new faith, and (2)
that faith was evidently to be tried by
severe opposition and would need to be
strongly REINFORCED by instruction.
Finally, however, the hatred of the
Jewish rulers and OF the Gentiles
whom they Influenced (not the Gentle
rulers, see v. 81 became so infiamed
with the missionaries bold speech and
increasing success that a plot was
formed to stone them as blasphemers
Getting knowledge of this, and mindful
of Christ's command Matt. 1929 to
fee from persecution, Paul and Barna-
bas escaped, going first to 'Lystra,"
Is miles south-southwest of Iconium,
and then to the Derbe, 20 miles to the
southeast Of Lystra.
Stories OF the gods coming down to
man were common among the Greeks
and other races. Like distorted and
obscure reflections in muddy water,
they give blurred image OF the great
truth. ."-Maclaren. They show that
Christ's coming was in response TO
universal need. One OF these tales
was of the visit of Jupiter and Mercury
to this very Lycaonia. The people
thought them to be poor vagrants, re-
fused to entertain them, ridiculed and
maltreated them. At last they came
to the hut OF the poor peasants, Baucis
and Philemon, who received them hos
pitably and entertained them with the
best they had. In return, the gods
transformed their hut into a glorious
temple over which they we're set as
the chief ministers Of worship, while
the churlish neighbors were punished
by a terrible flood which overwhelmed
them. The statue Of Jupiter stood be-
fore the gate of Lystra, and Ewald
suggests that this story of Baucis and
Philemon may have been recited year
by year at the great festival in this
temple.
They persuaded the people" Prob
ably they influenced the multitudes to
regard the miracle, the reality of
which they could not dispute, as the
work not of beneficent gods, but of
evil demons. ns."-Expos. Greek Testa-
ment. They raised a mob. which
STONED Paul." whose bold speech had
centered hostility upon himself. What
memories of the stoning of Stephen
ten or eleven years before must have
passed through Paul's mind! Trans
formed into bowling mob, like those
which even in Christian America shoot
negroes, Cinnamon and Italians, the
quondam worshipers left Paul ready.
as they supposed, for the cremation
fires or the vagrant dogs. William
Elliot Griffs, l.. II. d. Perhaps, as the
stoning of Stephen must have moved
Paul toward Christianity. the stoning
OF Paul was the turning point In the
life OF Timothy. The young man may
have been among "the disciples who
stood round about him." to give what
aid they could, and care for his body
IL he we're really dead.
Note the sudden change In the feel
ings of the people toward Paul, and
compare It with the revolution in the
attitude Of the people of Jerusalem to-
ward Christ, from "Hosannal" to
Cruelty him!" Compare also the sud
den change in the minds Of the people
of Malta, Acts 2s:4-6 The lesson is
mot to rate very highly human praise;
not to be greatly depressed by human
censure. Had Paul been desperately
anxious to please Lystra, fancy that
that stoning would have killed him.
Morrison.
How did the missionaries close the
first missionary journey? Properly and
wisely, with report to the home
church at Antioch in Syria, which had
sent them forth.
This report was TO the whole
church. for all had part in the work
I ana needed the sffrnuius OF the renort