How does Acts 14:18 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? Setting the Scene • Exodus 20 records the Ten Commandments delivered audibly by God at Sinai. • Acts 14 describes Paul and Barnabas in Lystra after a miraculous healing. The crowd declares them gods—Zeus and Hermes—and prepares sacrifices. The Core Texts • Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” • Acts 14:18: “Even with these words, they barely stifled the crowds from sacrificing to them.” Shared Theme: Exclusive Worship • The First Commandment demands that worship be directed to the one true God alone. • In Acts 14 the Lystrans attempt to violate that command by elevating Paul and Barnabas to divine status. • Paul and Barnabas’ urgent refusal safeguards the commandment’s integrity. Their reaction—tearing their clothes and protesting (Acts 14:14-15)—demonstrates their unwavering commitment to God’s exclusive right to worship. Practical Links Between the Passages 1. Single Object of Worship – Exodus 20:3 forbids alternative deities. – Acts 14:15 “We are men, with a nature like yours. We are proclaiming good news to you, to turn you from these worthless things to the living God.” The apostles redirect worship away from themselves toward the Creator, fulfilling the intent of the First Commandment. 2. Zeal for God’s Honor – Moses receives the law amid thunder and fire; the scene communicates God’s holiness (Exodus 19:16-20). – Paul and Barnabas respond with comparable urgency—tearing garments, running into the crowd—because God’s honor is at stake (Acts 14:14). 3. Idolatry Exposed – Any entity placed “before” God becomes an idol. – The Lystran impulse to sacrifice to human beings is a fresh example of idolatry, and Acts 14:18 shows how deeply ingrained that tendency is: even after correction, “they barely” restrained the people. 4. Continuity Across the Testaments – The command at Sinai is still binding; the New Testament apostles uphold, not replace, it. – 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 echoes the same truth: “there is but one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” Take-Home Reflections • God alone deserves worship—in ancient Israel, in first-century Galatia, and today. • Miracles, gifted leaders, or spiritual experiences can never replace the Giver; they must point back to Him. • Paul and Barnabas model immediate, decisive action whenever God’s exclusivity is threatened. Their example challenges believers to guard their hearts from modern forms of idolatry (1 John 5:21). |
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