Acts 14

In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So they stayed a considerable time, speaking boldly in reliance on the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through their hands. But the people of the city were divided: some sided with the Jews and others with the apostles. When the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, made a move to mistreat and stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. There they continued to proclaim the good news. In Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet. He had been lame from his mother’s womb and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. Paul looked intently at him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, “The gods have come down to us in human likeness!” They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose shrine was outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are human beings of the same nature as you. We bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness: he did good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” Even with these words, they barely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. After proclaiming the good news in that city and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and urging them to remain in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom of God through many afflictions.” They appointed elders for them in each church and, after praying with fasting, entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. After speaking the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. They stayed a considerable time with the disciples.

Rights and attribution