Day 246: Acts 14:1–7

When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to assault and stone them, they found out about it and fled (vv. 5–6).

Between Paul’s tenacity and Barnabas’s encouragement, neither lacked motivation, even after leaving Pisidian Antioch in a cloud of dust. By the time they could see Iconium in the distance, they were spilling over with the kind of joyful anticipation that can only come from the filling of the Holy Spirit. A new challenge awaited them. Perhaps more of a challenge than they expected!

When they got to Iconium, the missionary pair again began at the synagogue. They “spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1 hcsb). But like Pisidian Antioch before, the Jewish leaders’ jealousy led them to poison the minds of the people against Paul and Barnabas.

Interestingly enough, just as the Pharisees and the Herodians overcame their mutual dislike of each other to oppose Jesus, some of the Jews and Gentiles temporarily overcame their aversion to one another for a common cause. They joined in opposing the gospel message and messengers. But in spite of the opposition, Paul and Barnabas “stayed there for some time and spoke boldly, in reliance on the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them” (Acts 14:3 hcsb).

Then things took a dark turn for our heroes. They learned of a plot to stone them. So naturally our miracle-working pair confronted their accusers, right? Wrong.

They ran for their lives!

You may be surprised to hear that they fled in the face of the plans set against them. Shouldn’t they have stayed and trusted God to guard them from attack since they were doing His will and preaching His message? Couldn’t the same power used to perform signs and miracles be used to stifle their enemies?

I believe their actions offer us a fitting description of this dynamic duo: they were smart! I don’t believe they were reacting out of pure fear. They were responding out of pure wisdom—and quickly! Proverbs 22:3 says that “a sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished” (hcsb).

Christ Himself often chose prudence. “Jesus traveled in Galilee, since He did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill Him” (John 7:1 hcsb). On another occasion Christ’s enemies picked up stones to stone him, “but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:59).

No reasonable person could mistake Christ’s prudence for cowardice. Look at the words of Matthew 26:1–2: “When Jesus had finished saying all this, He told His disciples, ‘You know that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified’ ” (hcsb).

Why didn’t Christ slip out of their hands this time? John’s gospel gives us the answer on an earlier occasion when they tried to seize Jesus: “No one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30 hcsb). The reason Christ did not resist His accusers when they came to arrest Him was that the time had come for Him to give His life as a sacrifice for sin.

Paul and Barnabas responded to impending danger the way Christ did on several occasions. Supernatural power could have changed things. Christ could have opened the earth and commanded it to swallow His pursuers in Palestine or the pursuers of His beloved ambassadors in Iconium. Yet He chose to use another method. Christ did deliver Paul and Barnabas from an evil attack. He just used their heads and feet to do it! I see two general principles at work regarding miraculous intervention in the New Testament:

1. Miracles were used more often for authenticity than intervention.

2. Miracles were used most often when natural means were either not available or were not conceivable.

Jesus ordinarily used natural means of provision. When He and His disciples were hungry, they usually found something to eat. When they were thirsty, they went to a well and drew water to drink. He could have supplied anything they wanted supernaturally, but He chose natural means whenever available. He responded the same way to impending danger. He used His feet or sometimes a boat, and He departed.

Whether God uses natural means or supernatural means to deliver us from danger, both are divine provisions. God supplied the healthy legs that Paul and Barnabas used to flee. God provides the car we drive to the nearest public place when we’re being followed. The person who walks on the scene out of nowhere and frightens off an attacker is an ambassador of God! Thank God for His natural forms of provision!