Who Gets The Glory?

Acts 14:8-18

Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10:23, “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” There will be people who’ve not heard or believed when the Lord returns. To waste time and risk being killed by those who have obviously rejected the truth will only further delay bringing the gospel to those who might believe. Because the Jews at Iconium refused to hear the gospel, trying to have Paul and Barnabas killed, they had gone on to Lystra and Derbe.

“And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” (Acts 14:8-10)

Many faith healers have brought confederates to pretend to have been healed to “prime the pump” and get people to respond. Like the man Peter and John met at the temple gate, this man had been a cripple from birth. Everyone knew he was incapable of walking. He obviously was not a confederate. When Paul saw the man’s focus on him, he knew he had the faith to be healed.

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus told his disciples, “… If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” This was after describing the mustard seed as one of the smallest of the seeds. The key is not the size of faith, but that it is an active living faith. As James 2:26 states, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Healing faith is the same kind as is required for salvation.

Observing the man, and guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul simply told him to stand up. Peter told the man in Acts 3:6, “…In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” It was pretty matter of fact, just “get up.” Both men obeyed, even though they’d never been able to walk before, and both were healed. Their faith resulted in action, and they were healed.

“And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.” (Acts 4:11-13)

Seeing the miraculous healing, the people of Lystra believed that their gods, those of Greek mythology, had come and done the miracle. In Greek mythology, most of the gods were just humans with super powers, and it was easy to accept Paul and Barnabas as such.

“Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:14-17)

Paul and Barnabas could have used the peoples adulation to preach Jesus. The people would have been happy to supply anything they desired, and to sit and listen as long as they wanted to speak. Instead, they desperately worked to prevent the people thinking they were in some way special, stressing that it was God himself who had done this. Stopping the people was hard,.

“And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.” (Acts 14:18)

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 16:13-14 tells us, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” The Holy Spirit will never glorify anyone except the Lord himself.

It is natural for unsaved and unspiritual people to focus on the speaker, because they don’t know the Lord. A Spirit filled person will not allow the focus to stay on him. Though they obviously knew who Paul was, even the sons of Sceva recognized the power was in Christ rather than in Paul as their statement, “…We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth,” in Acts 19:13, makes clear. Even miracles are secondary to Christ if the Holy Spirit is in charge. Peter and John stressed that it was not their power that healed the man in Acts 3.