Wouldn’t you like this gift? Paul and Barnabas “spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.”

They were able to speak in such a way that a great number believed. I do think this is a case of the spiritual gifts in operation, not just human skill and persuasion. We don’t NOT evangelize because “only God can save someone.” We do all we can with the opportunities God gives us and trust Him to do the work and bring forth fruit.

We keep at it even when there is opposition. The Gentiles are having their minds “poisoned.” That wasn’t a reason for giving up. Because their minds were being poisoned, Paul and Barnabas stayed and boldly preached a long time.

There is a limit, though, and they flee when the people plan to stone them. That doesn’t stop the gospel, though; it just sends the message to a new area.

Paul commands someone, not to be healed, but to get up. The faith to obey gets the man on his feet. The crowd decides the Greek gods have come to earth.

Paul and Barnabas plead with them, trying to convince them that they are just men and that they should turn from their old ideas to the Living God.

Paul points out how God showed Himself to them every day. God was the one sending the rain, bringing fruitful crops. It is God who satisfied their hearts with food and gladness.

Do you acknowledge God’s gifts in all the goodness, gladness, and satisfaction of your life? It’s all a gift. Give thanks.

In this chapter we have a dramatic display of how the praise of the people is fickle and we shouldn’t receive it but receive our praise and approval from God alone. The people who were calling them gods and wanting to sacrifice to them are then persuaded to stone them. Paul is stoned and thought dead.

The believers gather around Paul, and I presume they pray. Paul gets up and moves on to the next city to preach. But then they return to the city where he was stoned to encourage the believers there. He preaches, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Will you run from tribulation or go through to enter?