The gospel is good news – that is what 'gospel' means. It is the announcement that what God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – He has fulfilled in Jesus. Although His birth, life and death were well prophesied in the Old Testament, the unique feature of His earthly life was His resurrection. It was incontrovertible proof of His divinity and the efficacy of His sacrifice for sins.
Paul was coming to the end of his message. Speaking to the Jews and God-seeking Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch, he had explained how Jesus is the fulfilment of God's promises to Israel. Then Paul made it very personal. The message was not just about interesting history but essential, eternal destiny: their destiny. The heart of the gospel message is that forgiveness of sins is offered through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Paul's gospel message focussed on how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, especially those about His resurrection. Forgiveness of sins was announced, with a warning not to reject or ignore the message of life (Acts 13:38-41). Having spoken the truth, the apostle knew that God was still speaking to the congregation; and so he waited to see how people would respond.
Almost everybody in Pisidian Antioch wanted to hear what Paul and Barnabas had to say about Jesus. The previous Sabbath in the synagogue, Paul had explained how the resurrection validated Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Acts 13:32-37). And many believed in Him that day (Acts 13:43).
Although Paul's teaching about Jesus threatened the religious leaders, many people in Pisidian Antioch did believe - including Gentiles who were overjoyed to know that God loved them. As the gospel reached into their hearts, God gave forgiveness and eternal life to those who believed (Romans 1:16). With so many people expressing their joy in Jesus, He became well known in the whole area. People were talking about Him and the message travelled wherever the messengers went.
Having been expelled from Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas travelled down the Roman military road some 60 miles south-east to Iconium (the modern Turkish city of Konya). As Jewish teachers, their strategy was to go first to the local synagogue and speak about Jesus, who fulfils the Old Testament prophecies. They spoke effectively: that is they spoke truthfully according to the Scriptures, and according to the Holy Spirit's inspiration. The effect of that combination of truth, with the Holy Spirit speaking to the listeners, was that many of them believed.
Arriving at Lystra, after escaping death threats in Iconium (Acts 14:5-7), Paul continued to preach the gospel. A lame beggar heard the gospel and Paul could see that he wanted to trust Jesus. Like Peter and John who healed a lame beggar on the steps of the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1-9), Paul looked at the beggar and commanded him to stand up.
After a crippled beggar stood up and walked following Paul's command (Acts 14:8-9), the people of Lystra thought that Barnabas and Paul must be Greek gods. The priest of the temple of Zeus wanted to sacrifice bulls to them and celebrate their arrival with a pagan festival. The apostles (although Barnabas was not a founding apostle, he was sent out as a missionary [apostolos] with Paul) were horrified.
The religious leaders in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium had succeeded in getting Paul and Barnabas expelled from their cities (Acts 13:50; 14:2). But the apostles continued their missionary work in Lystra. However, word travelled back to Antioch and Iconium where militant religionists decided that Paul, as the main gospel speaker, should be killed. They came to Lystra and they stirred up a crowd to stone him to death.
Paul's first missionary journey with Barnabas proved to be both effective and dangerous. Wherever they preached about Jesus, people were saved but militant religionists stirred up public dissent; expelling them from cities, plotting to kill them and almost stoning Paul to death. Despite all the opposition, the apostles were filled with joy in the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52) and refused to give up proclaiming the message.
