Acts 14:15-18

Acts 14:15-18

[15] And  saying,  Sirs,  why  do ye  also  men  of like passions  and preach  that ye should turn  from  vanities  unto  the living  God,  which  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the sea,  and  all things  that are therein:  [16] Who  in  times  past  suffered  all  nations  to walk  in their own  ways.  [17] he left  not  without witness,  and gave  rain  from heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  hearts  with food  and  gladness.  [18] And  sayings  scarce  restrained they  the people,  not  done sacrifice  unto them. 

What does Acts 14:15-18 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

By recording the substance of what Paul and Barnabas said here, Luke preserved a sample of their preaching to pagan audiences (cf. Acts 13:16-41; Acts 17:22-31).
"With a pagan audience it was necessary to begin a stage further back with the proclamation of the one true God." [1]
In earlier times God had manifested the knowledge of Himself to Gentiles mainly through creation and Israel (cf. Romans 1). Now He was giving them more special revelation through the church. This was the first time Luke recorded the preaching of the gospel to a group that was predominantly, if not exclusively, Gentile. Thus this incident became another benchmark of worldwide gospel extension.
Timothy was apparently a native of Lystra (cf. Acts 16:1-2; Acts 20:4; 2 Timothy 1:5). He apparently had a Jewish mother and grandmother (cf. Acts 16:3; 2 Timothy 1:5). This may indicate that there were some Jews who lived there.
"Paul"s speech here, apart from his address to the Athenian philosophers ( Acts 17:22 ff.), is the only example in Acts of his technique in dealing with a purely pagan audience; it is a striking example of his ability to reinterpret the Gospel in terms intelligible to his hearers. It differs widely from his approach to Jews and adherents of Judaism, as illustrated by his sermon in the synagogue at Antioch ( Acts 13:16 ff.), where some knowledge of the scriptures could be assumed on the part of his listeners. Here, as at Athens, he proceeds on the basis of natural Revelation -the providential order of the universe-which ought to lead men"s thoughts from the cult of idols to the worship of a living God, Creator of all that exists; he expounds this line of argument more fully in Romans 1:19 ff; Romans 2:14 f, and he writes of its successful outcome at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 1:9)." [2]