Sts. Paul and Barnabas in Lystra c. 1610 - 1620

Adriaen van Stalbemt painted "Sts. Paul and Barnabas in Lystra" with oil on copper. The scene bursts with symbolic gestures, the most striking of which is the attempted sacrifice of a bull. This ritual act, deeply rooted in ancient pagan traditions, signifies the highest form of reverence. The impulse to deify humans isn’t unique to Lystra; it echoes through the ages. We see it in the divine status accorded to pharaohs in ancient Egypt or Roman emperors. The symbolic act of sacrifice, designed to bridge the gap between humanity and the divine, resurfaces in different guises across cultures. Think of the self-sacrifice of heroes in mythology. Here, the apostles vehemently reject such deification, tearing their clothes in distress. This powerful gesture of renunciation reveals the tension between the human desire to elevate individuals to godlike status and the humility preached by Paul and Barnabas. This struggle between humanism and divinity continues to resonate, shaping our understanding of power, belief, and the very nature of humanity.