Chapter 14

Acceptance and Opposition

1 In aIconium bthey entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner cthat a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of dGreeks.

2 But athe Jews who 1bdisbelieved stirred up the 2minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against cthe brethren.

3 Therefore they spent a long time there aspeaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that 1bsigns and wonders be done by their hands.

4 aBut the 1people of the city were divided; and some 2sided with bthe Jews, and some with cthe apostles.

5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and athe Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to bstone them,

6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of aLycaonia, bLystra and cDerbe, and the surrounding region;

7 and there they continued to apreach the gospel.

8 At aLystra ba man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.

9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, awhen he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had bfaith to be 1made well,

10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” aAnd he leaped up and began to walk.

11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the aLycaonian language, “bThe gods have become like men and have come down to us.”

12 And they began calling Barnabas, 1Zeus, and Paul, 2Hermes, because he was 3the chief speaker.

13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was 1just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and awanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

14 But when athe apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they btore their 1robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also amen of the same nature as you, and bpreach the gospel to you that you should turn from these 1cvain things to a dliving God, ewho made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

16 “1In the generations gone by He apermitted all the 2nations to bgo their own ways;

17 and yet aHe did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and bgave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, 1satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

18 Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

19 But aJews came from bAntioch and cIconium, and having won over the crowds, they dstoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

20 But while athe disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to bDerbe.

21 After they had apreached the gospel to that city and had bmade many disciples, they returned to cLystra and to dIconium and to eAntioch,

22 strengthening the souls of athe disciples, encouraging them to continue in bthe faith, and saying, “cThrough many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

23 When athey had appointed belders for them in every church, having cprayed with fasting, they dcommended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 They passed through aPisidia and came into bPamphylia.

25 When they had spoken the word in aPerga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From there they sailed to aAntioch, from bwhich they had been ccommended to the grace of God for the work that they had 1accomplished.

27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to areport all things that God had done with them and 1how He had opened a bdoor of faith to the Gentiles.

28 And they spent 1a long time with athe disciples.