Luke the beloved physician 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 in chapter fourteen and verse eleven of the book of Acts Luke shared, “when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices” where we read:
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.
The verse begins, “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when the people saw” which means “and at the time and moment the human beings both male and female observed, noticed and discovered” “what Paul had done” or “that which Paul, whose name means little or small, performed and produced”, “they lifted up their voices” which means “the people in the city of Lystra raised aloud their sound of uttered words”. Luke shared how the “people” in the city of Lystra observed the healing of the crippled man and began to shout aloud with their “voices”.
The verse goes on to say, “saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” Luke continued with the words, “saying in the speech” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming in the sound, tone and language” “of Lycaonia” which means “belonging to tongue and language belonging to the Lycaonians”, “the gods are come down to us” or “the general name of deities or divinities who have descended to the people of Lystra” “in the likeness of men” which means “similar to human beings”. Luke shared how the people in “Lystra” began speaking in the “Lycaonian” language as they declared how “the gods” descended to them.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the people in “Lystra” were excited over what happened to the “crippled man”, and they began to attribute this miracle to their “gods”. They believed their “gods” descended to them, and therefore they were experiencing a supernatural event because they came. God was performing a miracle through “Paul”, and it would lead to greater credibility that Jesus came to save people from their sins. God loves people, and He will miraculously “save” anyone who yields to His Son Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”. Their sins will be forgiven and they shall receive everlasting life in Heaven. Those who are wise will perceive the flaw in the thinking of these people from “Lystra” and give credit to Almighty God for the work performed in the “crippled man”.
Next time Luke shares how the people, “called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius”, 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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