Chapter 5—Preaching Among the Heathen
The apostles next visited Iconium. This place was a great resort for
pleasure-seekers, and persons who had no particular object in life. The
population was composed of Romans, Greeks, and Jews. The apostles
here, as at Antioch, first commenced their labors in the synagogues for
their own people, the Jews. They met with marked success; numbers
of both Jews and Greeks accepted the gospel of Christ. But here, as in
former places where the apostles had labored, the unbelieving Jews
commenced an unreasonable opposition to those who accepted the
true faith, and, as far as lay in their power, influenced the Gentiles
against them.
The apostles, however, were not easily turned from their work,
for many were daily embracing the doctrine of Christ. They went
on faithfully in the face of opposition, envy, and prejudice. Miracles
[53]
were daily wrought by the disciples through the power of God; and all
whose minds were open to evidence were affected by the convincing
power of these things.
This increasing popularity of the doctrine of Christ stirred the
unbelieving Jews to fresh opposition. They were filled with envy and
hatred, and determined to stop the labors of the apostles at once. They
went to the authorities, and represented their work in the most false
and exaggerated light, leading the officers to fear that the entire city
was in danger of being incited to insurrection. They stated that great
numbers were attaching themselves to the apostles, and suggested that
it was for secret and dangerous designs.
In consequence of these charges, the disciples were repeatedly
brought before the authorities; but in every case they so ably defended
themselves before the people, that, although the magistrates were prej-
udiced against them by the false statements they had heard, they dared
not condemn them. They could but acknowledge that the teachings
of the apostles were calculated to make men virtuous, law-abiding
citizens.
34