The Ministry at Lystra (14:8-20a).

A description is now given of the rather colourful events that occurred during their ministry in Lystra. These are on top of the fact that they proclaimed the Good News there (Acts 14:7). We do not know how long they had been there before the healing took place, and it may well be that they had been proclaiming the Good News in the synagogue there for some time (this would explain why the Jews had arrived from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium).

The incidents represent an interesting parallel to previous events. The lame man who leaps up and walks parallels the lame man in Acts 3:1 who did the same, an indication of the continual presence of the Kingly Rule of God promised by the prophets, and of the parallel nature of Peter's and Paul's ministries; and the hailing of Paul and Barnabas as gods parallels the incident of Herod Agrippa in Acts 12:20, the difference being that while Herod accepted the acclaim Barnabas and Paul instantly reject it. The earthly supposed kingly rule of God was willing to accept the worship due to God and suffered for it. It was a sham. But those who are under the true Kingly Rule of God reject it out of hand. They claim that none must be worshipped but God alone (Luke 4:8), and that all worship must be directed towards the true heavenly King.

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