Poisoned Minds
By
Shelby G. Floyd
March 8, 2008
Paul
and Barnabas entered the Jewish synagogue at Iconium and so spoke that a great
number of Jews and Greeks believed. Our attitude and reception of the word of
God is what produces faith. (Romans 10:17.) “But the Jews who refused to
believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”
(Acts 14:1-2 NIV.) Unbelievers who
reject the gospel often will try to stir up (epegeiro)
and excite potential believers so they will also be unbelievers. Then when they
have whipped the people up into a state of excitement they negatively affect or
poison (kakoo) their minds. This is
exactly what the Jews did in Antioch of Pisidia: “But the Jews incited the God-fearing
women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.” (Acts
Misrepresenting Men and Their Message
How do
unbelievers go about trying to poison and prejudicing people minds? They
poisoned their minds by misrepresenting these men and their message. This is exactly
what Bar-Jesus tried to do to the Roman proconsul—Sergius
Paulus on the
“They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.” (Acts 13: 6-8.)
But Paul would not allow him to
deceive the deputy and rebuked him severely: “You are a child of the devil
and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit
and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts
Mind the Things Above
To make sure no one poisons our
mind, let us not mind earthly things (Philippians 3:19), but let us set our
minds on the things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
(Colossians 3:1-4.) Copyright © 2008