Violent conspiracy against Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 14:4-7

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
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“But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.” Acts 14:4

In today’s culture, anytime the Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented, there is going to be division, conflict, debate, and opposition from every angle. This is by design of the atheistic entity giving people what to speak, do, think, and feel. They covet conflict. “But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves…These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude 1:10, 12-13

“And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there.” Acts 14:5-7

On the map below, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe are circled in purple. Iconium is where Paul, Barnabas, and Luke were at the time, then they moved on to Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding areas.

A violent attempt was made against Paul and Barnabas to thwart their ministry. This violent attempt was made by the Jewish people, the Jewish rulers, and the Gentiles [whose minds had been poisoned against Christians]. The attempt was made to abuse and stone them. Stoning is to throw rocks at them and often until they died. To abuse them would consist of verbal and physical assaults to torture them.

In today’s culture, there is a conspiracy to “stone” and “abuse” those who live for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the United States, stoning involves the act of hurling all types of hurtful words, insults, accusations, behaviors, and situations at a Christian. In other countries around the world, Christians are being physically harmed, even to death. Abuse is to use a follower of Jesus Christ in malicious ways, whether at the workplace, at school, within community settings, in the home, in the neighborhood, etc. The purpose is to give Christianity a beat down to drive people away from Jesus Christ. This involves the process of behavior modification. “Stoning” and “abuse” is to show the negative feedback of community disapproval for unwanted behavior. Positive feedback is given by the community to show approval of wanted behaviors. They want to modify our behavior to atheism to be conformed to the beast that gives what to do, say, think, and feel.

When Paul and Barnabas became aware of the plot to stone and abuse them, they left for Lystra and Derbe, which was the next stop on the missionary journey. God does not call us to engage in physical aggression, but calls us to peace, “God has called us to peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15

There was nothing more that the Holy Spirit could do through Paul and Barnabas among the people of Iconium. Multitudes came to Jesus Christ, and they were rooted in His Gospel and beginning to grow on their own. Because of that, anger, bitterness, and violence crowded out the Holy Spirit among those who despised the growth of Christianity in their community. This was the time for Paul and Barnabas to find new territory where there would be good soil to plant the seed of the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In today’s atheistic culture, whoever is deemed responsible for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are detested for drawing people away from their community culture. They want people to make their body [the temple of God] the home of the entity that gives people what to speak, think, feel, and do. God has made our body [the temple of God] to be the home of the Holy Spirit. Those of today’s culture “abuse” and “stone” anyone who draws people away from their social network. The Holy Spirit is not in them, they are not receptive to the message of the Cross, and it’s time for us to come apart from them. We wait for the next opportunity [if it comes] to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11