The beloved physician Luke shared how, “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 steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he leaped and walked. 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 in chapter fourteen and verse twelve of the book of Acts Luke shared how the people, “called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius”, where we read:
And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
The verse begins, “And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, ...” Luke began with the words, “and they called Barnabas” which means “and the people in Lystra saluted Barnabas whose name means son of rest and was the surname of Joses or Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus who was a distinguished Christian teacher and companion and colleague of Paul” “Jupiter” or “Zeus whose name means a father of helps and was the national god of the Greeks who corresponds to the Roman god Jupiter”; “and Paul” whose name means “small or little”, “Mercurius” or “Hermes whose name means herald of the gods and was a Greek deity called by the Romans Mercurius”. Luke shared how the people of “Lystra” named “Barnabas” as the god, “Jupiter”, and “Paul” as the god “Mercurius or Mercury”.
The verse continues, “... because he was the chief speaker.” Luke added the words, “because he was” or “since and on account that Paul existed as” “the chief speaker” which means “the lead and principle one who uttered, declared and proclaimed words”. Luke shared how the people of “Lystra” called “Paul”, “Mercury”, because he was the lead speaker of the apostles.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the people of “Lystra” responded to the miracle performed upon the “crippled man”. Not only were they shouting aloud because of the miracle, but they believed their “gods” “Jupiter and Mercury” had descended upon them. “Jupiter or Zeus” was the father of the gods of the Romans and Greeks but known by the different names, and “Mercury or Hermes” was known as the spokesman for the gods of the Romans and Greeks who were known by their different names. “Paul” was the spokesman for the apostles, so the people thought he was “Mercury”, and “Barnabas” appeared to preside over the happenings, so they called him “Jupiter”. The people of “Lystra” were correct in the fact that this was a supernatural miracle, however, they were wrong about the source. God Almighty was working through “Paul and Barnabas” to share the good news of salvation to mankind, and this miracle was an example of the power of God to rescue people from the penalty of sin which is death. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they recognize Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they align with the only true God to whom they should give credit for all the miracles He performs.
Next time Luke shares how, “the priest of Jupiter … brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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