Jews and Greeks

 Fourth Saturday after the Epiphany

Onward in Acts. Please read Acts 14:1-7.

Paul and Barnabas have left Antioch of Pisidia after rumored intended persecution against them. They wisely leave and journey to Iconium, ninety miles to the southeast. Paul is a great traveler, but much of his travel is fugitive, on the run, travel. His preaching gains many, many converts but also stirs up opposition almost everywhere he goes. The opposition usually comes first from the Jews in the city. It is understandable that the Jews are more threatened than the gentiles by Paul's message. For the gentiles the city (any city [except Jerusalem]) is a great religious marketplace. Paul and Barnabas are merely bringing their religious goods to the market. 

 

For the Jews it's different. They are a religion and a people set apart by God. If Paul were proclaiming a totally new religion with three gods, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Jews would not feel threatened by it. But Paul is proclaiming within Judaism a Jewish Son of God who is both Messiah and Lord risen from the dead. Paul is also preaching to gentiles and proclaiming that this new Lord within an old faith is also for them, and free of charge. Their men don't have to be circumcised and none of them have to follow the Jewish Law. For most of the Jews there are just too many things different about what Paul is preaching. The city would be better off without Paul and Barnabas. Just get them out of town and maybe things will return to normal. With the help of gentiles they succeed in getting them out of town. But things will never get back to normal. 

The same thing happens in Iconium. Our text today is a Lucan summary statement of their time in Iconium. It's the apostles same missionary procedure. They go first to the synagogue,presumably on the Sabbath, as Luke has noted in previous cases. There they are guaranteed a hearing. Any Jewish man can speak. Then to the agora/marketplace where they can hope to gather a hearing. Luke says that they were able to stay in Iconium for a considerable time.

 

Luke indicates that Paul and Barnabas were able to do some miracles, "signs and wonders," there. But this is a summary statement. Luke does not tell us any specific miracle stories that occurred there. Paul and Barnabas converted many there, both Jews and gentiles. Luke uses the word Greeks for gentiles, when they are in Greek speaking territory.  But eventually some of the Jews, in collaboration with city leaders, plot to stone them. Getting wind of the plot, Paul and Barnabas move on. 

Verse 6 is the only place where Luke specifically refers to Paul and Barnabas as apostles. If you look at your little footnote s in the NRSV, if that's the Bible you are using, it notes that other ancient authorities do not have the word apostles here, but simply they. The other ancient authorities are some of the manuscripts of the Western text. Luke has previously used apostles only in referring to members of the 12, which does not include Paul or Barnabas. Luke has been much freer in his use of the word disciple, which seems to refer to any follower of Christ. 

Paul begins each of his letters by referring to himself as an apostle. In 1 Corinthians 9 he makes a strong defense of his apostleship. It is apparent from that chapter that many do not consider him to be an apostle. Luke has not read Paul's letters. Is he aware of the controversy? Does the controversy play into Luke's reticence in using the word apostle to apply to Paul? Let me think about this some more. If you have ideas, let us know in comments section of the blog.

In our next Acts episode, we'll get a good taste of Lucan humor. Should be fun.

Faithfully,

Christian