Acts 14

At Iconium

14Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the ^aGreeks believed. ²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and ¹poisoned their ²minds against the brethren. ³Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, ^bwho was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and ^cwonders to be done by their hands.

⁴But the multitude of the city was ^ddivided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the ^eapostles. ⁵And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, ^fto abuse and stone them, ⁶they became aware of it and ^gfled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. ⁷And they were preaching the gospel there.

Idolatry at Lystra

^8hAnd in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹This man heard Paul speaking. ³Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰said with a loud voice, ⁱ“Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. ¹¹Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, ^j“The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” ¹²And Barnabas they called ⁴Zeus, and Paul, ⁵Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, ^kintending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, ^lthey tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵and saying, “Men, ^mwhy are you doing these things? ⁿWe also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from ^othese useless things ^pto the living God, ^qwho made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, ^16rwho in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. ^17sNevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, ^tgave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with ^ufood and gladness.” ¹⁸And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

Stoning, Escape to Derbe

^19vThen Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, ^wthey stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be ^xdead. ²⁰However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Strengthening the Converts

²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city ^yand made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²²strengthening the souls of the disciples, ^zexhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ^a“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” ²³So when they had ^bappointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ²⁴And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

²⁷Now when they had come and gathered the church together, ^cthey reported all that God had done with them, and that He had ^dopened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.