Acts Chapter 14
Paul at Iconium
1 At Iconium they went into the Jews’ synagogue as usual and spoke so convincingly that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the Christians. 3 For a good while, they stayed and kept speaking boldly for the Lord, and he confirmed his message about grace by providing signs and wonders they performed. 4 The city was divided, some with the Jews, some with the apostles. 5 The Gentiles and Jews instigated an attempt to mistreat them and stone them. 6 When the apostles found out, they hurried to Lycaonia to the cities Lystra and Derbe, as well as the surrounding area. 7 They were delivering the good news there as well.
Acts 14:1-7
Healing a Crippled Man
8 At Lystra a man crippled in his feet from birth, had never walked. 9 He was listening to Paul speak. Paul looked at him and saw he had faith to be cured. 10 He shouted, “Stand up!” He jumped up and started walking.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul did, they shouted out in Lycaonian, “Gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 They started calling Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes” because Paul did most of the speaking. 13 The priest of Zeus Propolis took bulls decked with wreaths of flowers to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowd. 14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
15 “Why are you doing this? We’re normal men like you, bringing you good news to turn away from these meaningless things to the living God who made earth, sky, and sea, and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let nations go their own ways, 17 but left evidence of himself by doing good, giving you rain and crops, filling you with food and happiness.”
18 With that, he barely stopped the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.
Acts 14:8-18
Paul Stoned at Lystra
19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul. They dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But with the disciples standing around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left for Derbe with Barnabas.
21 When they’d presented the good news in that city and made a significant number of disciples, they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia. 22 They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith and to enter God’s kingdom through many difficulties. 23 When they’d appointed elders in every city, they prayed and fasted, and commended them to the Lord they’d trusted in.
Return to Antioch of Syria
24 They passed through Pisidia to Pamphylia. 25 After they’d presented the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia 26 and sailed back to Antioch of Syria, where they’d been committed to God’s grace for the work they’d done. 27 When they arrived and assembled the church, they recounted what God had done with them and how he’d opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. 28 They stayed there a good while with the disciples.
Acts 14:19-28