Acts 14

14 ¹ Now in Iconium, they went into the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. ³ So they spent considerable time speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by doing signs and wonders through their hands. ⁴ But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. ⁵ When both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, moved to mistreat and stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region, ⁷ and there they kept preaching the gospel.

The Father Heals in Lystra

⁸ Now at Lystra there sat a man who had no use of his feet — lame from birth, he had never walked. ⁹ He listened as Paul was speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And the man sprang up and began to walk. ¹¹ And when 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 likeness of men!" ¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice along with the crowds.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We too are only men, with the same nature as you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living Father, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he let all the nations go their own way, ¹⁷ yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

¹⁸ Even with these words they barely restrained the crowds from sacrificing to them. ¹⁹ But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

Strengthening the Disciples

²¹ When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying that through many troubles we must enter the kingdom of our Father. ²³ And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ²⁶ and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of our Father for the work that they had now completed. ²⁷ And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all that our Father had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they stayed there with the disciples for a long time.