Acts 14

Growth and Persecution in Iconium

14The same thing happened in Iconium; they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. ^s2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. ^t3So they stayed there for some time and spoke boldly in reliance on the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them. ^u4But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles. ^v5When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to assault and stone them, ⁶they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns called Lystra and Derbe, and to the surrounding countryside. ^w7And there they kept evangelizing. ^x

Mistaken for Gods in Lystra

⁸In Lystra a man without strength in his feet, lame from birth, ^yand who had never walked, sat ⁹and heard Paul speaking. After observing him closely and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And he jumped up and started to walk around. ^z

¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the form of men!” ^a12And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker. ¹³Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gates. He, with the crowds, intended to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting: ^b15“Men! Why are you doing these things? We are men also, with the same nature as you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things ^cto the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. ^de16In past generations He allowed all the nations ^fto go their own way, ¹⁷although He did not leave Himself without a witness, ^gsince He did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons ^hand satisfying your ⁱhearts with food and happiness.” ¹⁸Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. ^j20After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ^k

Church Planting

²¹After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, ^l22strengthening the ^mdisciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith ⁿand by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles ^oon our way into the kingdom of God.”

²³When they had appointed elders ^pin every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ²⁴Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ^q27After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them ^rand that He had opened the door ^sof faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸And they spent a considerable time ^twith the disciples.