Wow, Tough Crowds

This is the study page for the Thursday Night small group meeting.  The passage is Acts 14, and it completes the account of the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Paul. 

It might be helpful to read the last portions of chapter 13 to get a better sense of the setting for 14.  Read the chapter a few times.  Be sure to look for incongruities.  Look around in the setting for what they might mean or indicate.  Look up some background material on the region (it's weird).  See the page for the previous chapter to get some ideas of where to look for background material. Jot down questions and observations.

Once you've read through a few times, go through once more considering the questions below (if you haven't already).

• What had prompted Paul and Barnabas to come to Iconium?
• What was similar about the response in Iconium to what they had experienced in Pisidian Antioch?
• How long were they in Iconium before they had to leave?  Why did they leave?
• Where did they go after Iconium?  Look at a map, how far did they go?
• What does Paul do in Lystra that he doesn't do elsewhere (at least recorded)?
• How do the people react to Paul's healing of the lame man?
• What does their names for Paul and Barnabas reveal about how they are perceived by the crowds?
• What does that reveal about the faith of the multitude of people?
• Who shows up with a bull and wreath?  Why is that weird?
• What do Paul and Barnabas do when they realize what the crowd is doing?
• Luke doesn't say, but how long might have passed between verse 18 and 19?
• He also doesn't say how long it took for those from Iconium to stir up trouble, but what impression do you get about the time frame?
• When and where do they go from Iconium?  How far is that? (look at a map)
• After all the description in Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, what's the deal with Derbe?  Was it even successful?
• Where did they go after Derbe?  Why not just head for Antioch from there?
• What did they do along the way back from Derbe?  What did they do in each church?  Why was that important?
• When they get back to Antioch (where they started from) what sort of reception do they receive?
• How long did this trip take?

 That should do for now?  Be sure to use other resources for background and setting, both cultural and geographical.

We may do this on January 3 or we may wait a week and do it on January 10.