“But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”
(Acts 14:2, ESV)
(Acts 14:2, ESV)
Acts chapters thirteen and fourteen contain missionary journeys by Paul and Barnabas in the area of Asia Minor. Today, that area is mostly found in Turkey. During New Testament times, the people there spoke Greek. They believed in the Greek gods but were very interested in godliness.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas began their ministry in the area around Iconium. As “word of the Lord spread all throughout the region” (Acts 13:49), people grew excited to learn about Jesus and the gospel. However, some of the Jews became overtly critical and threatening toward Paul and Barnabas and the gospel. To turn the people against the gospel and Jesus, the scripture above from Acts 14:2 explains that “unbelieving Jews” spoke out against the apostles, even stirring these Greeks toward violence. Their goal was to “poison their minds” against Paul and Barnabas, to poison their hearing of the gospel.
In order to poison the minds of the people in Iconium against Paul and Barnabas, the Jewish leaders surely carried on a campaign of disinformation where the people were fed lies and half-truths about the gospel. No doubt they used all kinds of name-calling and negative trolling against the apostles. It was an ancient form of cyber-bullying.
Acts 14:2 carries with it some important information about faith. It is possible to “poison the minds” of those who would otherwise gladly accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was not only possible to turn people against the gospel in ancient times, but it is also very common today. People might speak ill of a pastor. They might look for flaws in church members. They may be found telling half-truths or lies about faithful people. In doing so, they ruin others’ ability to hear the gospel in its beautiful purity. They poison the blessed message of the gospel before it is able to take hold.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explained that when some seeds fall on ground choked with thorns (Mark 4:18), the seed dies quickly unable to get what it needs to grow. Jesus likened this to people who just can’t accept the gospel and believe, because their minds are tainted by “cares of this world” that choke out the gospel. Then, the seed of faith dies even before it gets a chance to grow.
In the same way that thorny ground can choke out valuable seeds, people can poison the minds of others so that the precious gospel cannot even begin to take root. I have seen this happening all over the world. There are students in universities who are turned against the gospel by atheistic professors who call out Christians as backward thinkers unfit in the “modern” world. Socialists quote Marx and other writers who consider the gospel as an “opiate of the people”, a drug that does nothing to help the masses. They are openly hostile against Christianity. Many sites online are filled with trolls who bash any talk of God with denigration and outright bitterness. I’ve met parents who turned off their own children to God by presented God as a mean ogre or a vengeful spirit. Even in the church, there are people who turn off others with a judgmental attitude or snobbish demeanor. There are so many ways to poison the minds of others against God.
Did you know that the famed Indian spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi, once considered becoming a Christian? He read the Bible enthusiastically and studied the life of Jesus. His own pacifistic beliefs were influenced by the example of Jesus. However, judgmental and evil Christians changed Gandhi’s mind toward Christianity. In an interview, Gandhi expressed how Christians poisoned his mind toward Christ with the following words: "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
In many places and many ways, people today are often poisoned against Jesus and the gospel. Hollywood writers often picture Christians as unloving. Musicians promote satanic symbolism in their works. Christians have even boycotted companies like Disney, Target, Nike, the National Football League, and more. One online site listed 139 companies that have openly attacked Christians and their beliefs. The authors of that site believe wholeheartedly that these companies are actively poisoning people against God.
Because so many people have “poisoned minds” twisted by the efforts of those who denigrate Christ, you will encounter people who are openly hostile to you. They will look down on you for being a Christian. You could lose your job for being faithful. You might be publicly shamed. Friends and relatives might reject you or look down on your lovely faith. Don’t be dismayed. God sees your faith and celebrates it. Don’t become jaded or judgmental. Keep the love of Christ ever at the forefront of your mind. Do not become depressed. The world needs the faith that resides inside of you. People need to see your commitment to Jesus. God saves lives and brings hope in many places every day! You are a part of that beautiful undertaking in the name of Jesus!
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas began their ministry in the area around Iconium. As “word of the Lord spread all throughout the region” (Acts 13:49), people grew excited to learn about Jesus and the gospel. However, some of the Jews became overtly critical and threatening toward Paul and Barnabas and the gospel. To turn the people against the gospel and Jesus, the scripture above from Acts 14:2 explains that “unbelieving Jews” spoke out against the apostles, even stirring these Greeks toward violence. Their goal was to “poison their minds” against Paul and Barnabas, to poison their hearing of the gospel.
In order to poison the minds of the people in Iconium against Paul and Barnabas, the Jewish leaders surely carried on a campaign of disinformation where the people were fed lies and half-truths about the gospel. No doubt they used all kinds of name-calling and negative trolling against the apostles. It was an ancient form of cyber-bullying.
Acts 14:2 carries with it some important information about faith. It is possible to “poison the minds” of those who would otherwise gladly accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was not only possible to turn people against the gospel in ancient times, but it is also very common today. People might speak ill of a pastor. They might look for flaws in church members. They may be found telling half-truths or lies about faithful people. In doing so, they ruin others’ ability to hear the gospel in its beautiful purity. They poison the blessed message of the gospel before it is able to take hold.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus explained that when some seeds fall on ground choked with thorns (Mark 4:18), the seed dies quickly unable to get what it needs to grow. Jesus likened this to people who just can’t accept the gospel and believe, because their minds are tainted by “cares of this world” that choke out the gospel. Then, the seed of faith dies even before it gets a chance to grow.
In the same way that thorny ground can choke out valuable seeds, people can poison the minds of others so that the precious gospel cannot even begin to take root. I have seen this happening all over the world. There are students in universities who are turned against the gospel by atheistic professors who call out Christians as backward thinkers unfit in the “modern” world. Socialists quote Marx and other writers who consider the gospel as an “opiate of the people”, a drug that does nothing to help the masses. They are openly hostile against Christianity. Many sites online are filled with trolls who bash any talk of God with denigration and outright bitterness. I’ve met parents who turned off their own children to God by presented God as a mean ogre or a vengeful spirit. Even in the church, there are people who turn off others with a judgmental attitude or snobbish demeanor. There are so many ways to poison the minds of others against God.
Did you know that the famed Indian spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi, once considered becoming a Christian? He read the Bible enthusiastically and studied the life of Jesus. His own pacifistic beliefs were influenced by the example of Jesus. However, judgmental and evil Christians changed Gandhi’s mind toward Christianity. In an interview, Gandhi expressed how Christians poisoned his mind toward Christ with the following words: "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
In many places and many ways, people today are often poisoned against Jesus and the gospel. Hollywood writers often picture Christians as unloving. Musicians promote satanic symbolism in their works. Christians have even boycotted companies like Disney, Target, Nike, the National Football League, and more. One online site listed 139 companies that have openly attacked Christians and their beliefs. The authors of that site believe wholeheartedly that these companies are actively poisoning people against God.
Because so many people have “poisoned minds” twisted by the efforts of those who denigrate Christ, you will encounter people who are openly hostile to you. They will look down on you for being a Christian. You could lose your job for being faithful. You might be publicly shamed. Friends and relatives might reject you or look down on your lovely faith. Don’t be dismayed. God sees your faith and celebrates it. Don’t become jaded or judgmental. Keep the love of Christ ever at the forefront of your mind. Do not become depressed. The world needs the faith that resides inside of you. People need to see your commitment to Jesus. God saves lives and brings hope in many places every day! You are a part of that beautiful undertaking in the name of Jesus!