Acts 14

¹In Iconium, the same thing happened: they entered the synagogue of the Jews and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks became believers. ²But the Jews who refused to be persuaded stirred up and embittered the souls of the nations against the brothers. ³Nevertheless, they spent a considerable time there speaking with bold frankness in reliance on the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be performed through their hands. ⁴But the population of the city was divided; some were with the Jews and some were with the emissaries.

⁵When an attempt was made by both the nations and the Jews, along with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, ⁶they became aware of it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region. ⁷And there they continued proclaiming the good news.

⁸In Lystra, a man was sitting who was powerless in his feet—lame from his mother’s womb—who had never walked. ⁹This man listened as Paul was speaking. Paul, staring intently at him and seeing that he had the faith to be restored to wholeness, ¹⁰said with a loud voice, "Stand up on your feet, upright!" And the man leaped up and began to walk.

¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!" ¹²They began calling Barnabas 'Zeus,' and Paul 'Hermes,' since he was the one leading the speaking. ¹³The priest of the temple of Zeus-Before-the-City brought bulls and garlands to the gates; he, along with the crowds, intended to offer a sacrifice.

¹⁴But when the emissaries, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, shouting ¹⁵and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We too are human beings, with the same nature as you! We are bringing you the good news so that you might turn from these futile things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶In the generations that have passed, he allowed all the nations to go their own ways; ¹⁷yet he did not leave himself without witness by doing good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." ¹⁸Even saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹Then Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰But while the disciples stood in a circle around him, he stood up and entered the city. On the next day, he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.

²¹After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, ²²strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith, and saying, "It is through many crushing trials that we must enter the kingdom of God." ²³When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust.

²⁴Then they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. ²⁵After speaking the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ²⁶and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now fulfilled. ²⁷When they arrived and gathered the assembly together, they reported all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the nations. ²⁸And they stayed no little time with the disciples.