The end of the missionary journey (remember, the first the church did!) led Paul and Barnabas into some trouble. In Iconium, they deal with Jews trying to poison the minds of the Gentiles. The unbelieving Jews are going to become a problem as time goes on (watch for that).

In Lystra, the trouble comes from Paul and Barnabas calling out the pagan practices of the worshippers of Zeus. This creates a problem and Paul is stoned by the crowds. While some think this sounds like fun, it is not that kind of stoning. People would grab larger rocks and pelt the victim until they were a bloody mess and left for dead. The disciples of Jesus surround him and pray and Paul gets up, goes back into the city and heads to Derbe to preach some more! One key of this journey was not just preaching the Word, but setting up elders in each church so that it will survive. These men likely were quick believers that put the pieces together from the Old Testament about Jesus. They were steadfast and ready to lead and mature believers by the time Paul and Barnabas left. This incubation period takes a bit longer today for many of us. Partially because we are starting from a more basic starting point. This doesn’t mean it can’t or doesn’t happen! This process is called discipleship.

As they go along, they make their way back to where they started, can you imagine how excited the church was to 1) have them back and 2) rejoice in the news that many churches were started by the work! Amen and amen!