What is the meaning of Acts 14:6? They found out about it “ But when the apostles learned of this…” (Acts 14:6) • What they discovered: a violent plan “to mistreat and stone them” (Acts 14:5). • God often allows His servants to become aware of danger so they can respond wisely, as in Acts 9:24; Acts 23:16; 2 Kings 6:9–10. • Their awareness is providential, not accidental. The Lord who said, “Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed” (Luke 8:17) brings hidden plots to light for the protection of His messengers. And fled “…they fled…” • Fleeing is not faithlessness. Jesus Himself counseled, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next” (Matthew 10:23). • Paul would later list such escapes among his hardships (2 Corinthians 11:23–27), underscoring that prudent withdrawal is sometimes the path of obedience. • Their flight served a missionary purpose—preserving their lives so they could keep preaching elsewhere, just as believers scattered by persecution in Acts 8:1, 4 “went about preaching the word.” To the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe “…to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe…” • These towns lay about 20 miles apart in the rugged interior of Asia Minor. Moving inland took them outside the immediate jurisdiction of Iconium’s rulers. • Lystra would witness a dramatic healing (Acts 14:8–10) and a near-stoning of Paul (Acts 14:19). Years later Paul would remind Timothy, a native of that area, of “persecutions I endured at Lystra” (2 Timothy 3:11). • Derbe became a fruitful stop where “they preached the gospel…and won many disciples” (Acts 14:21), proving that God turns persecution into new opportunities. And to the surrounding region “…and to the surrounding region.” • They did not limit ministry to city centers; villages and countryside also heard the good news, fulfilling the pattern of Acts 1:8 and reflecting Jesus’ own practice of saying, “Let us go on to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also” (Mark 1:38). • This phrase hints at a season of itinerant work—sowing gospel seed broadly so that local assemblies could later blossom (Acts 16:1–2 shows the fruit in the region). summary Acts 14:6 shows God’s servants discerning a threat, wisely withdrawing, and immediately redirecting their efforts to fresh fields. Far from halting the mission, persecution spreads it. When believers listen for God’s warning, act with Spirit-led prudence, and stay focused on proclaiming Christ, opposition only widens the reach of the gospel. |
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