Making People Whole

KEY VERSE: “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 thy feet. And he leaped and walked.” —Acts 14:9,10

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 14:8-18

IT WAS WHILE Paul and Barnabas were on their first pilgrimage that they visited Lystra and healed a man who had been unable to walk from the time of his birth. As a result they were acclaimed gods by the people of the city.

“The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men,” the people cried. (Acts 14:1-11) These people had never been told about the true God, and when they saw such a demonstration of power on the part of Paul and Barnabas, their reaction was just about as should be expected. Hurried preparations were made to offer sacrifice to these ‘gods’, but Paul quickly explained to them that they were not gods but “men of like passions with you.”—Acts 14:15

However, Paul took advantage of the high esteem in which he and Barnabas were temporarily held, and while disclaiming that they were gods, he urged the people to turn from their ‘vanities’ and serve the living God. The Greek word here translated vanities is one which means ‘profitless’, or ‘an idol’.—Strong’s Concordance

Being worshipers of idols, Paul did not attempt at once to tell them about the plan of God, but first endeavored to make them acquainted with the true God by telling them about his creative works. After hearing this they might well wonder why such a powerful God would permit them to continue worshiping profitless gods which were not even alive. Why should the Creator leave his creatures in ignorance? Paul anticipated this, and explained that in times past the Creator “suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.” “Nevertheless,” Paul added, “he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” There is not a word here about the Gospel. Paul realized that before they could accept the Gospel of Christ with understanding, it was first necessary for them to learn about God.

But the crowd was in no mood to meditate seriously on the truths Paul had told them. They were, however, dissuaded from offering sacrifice to the two disciples. But then certain Jews from Antioch appeared and stirred up the crowd to stone the disciples. Within a matter of minutes, those who first tried to worship Paul and Barnabas now wanted to kill them.

Satan has blinded the minds of the people of this world. It is difficult for them to know what to believe, especially when he uses cynics so effectively to change the minds of people when they begin to be favorably inclined toward the message of truth.

The healing necessary to restore health to the human family is not all physical. The minds of men need to be cleansed from the misconceptions of error planted there by the Adversary, and they must be restored to an appreciation of truth and righteousness. The Millennial Age has been set aside in God’s plan to accomplish this very thing. One of the great changes to take place during that age is the binding of Satan.—Rev. 20:1-3

When the truth about God is revealed to the world in the kingdom, Satan will no longer be able to refute or distort, or hinder any from coming to a full knowledge of the truth.—I Tim. 2:3,4

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