Acts 14

In Iconium and Lystra

¹In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

²But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

³Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews and part with the apostles.

⁵When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,

⁶they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.

⁷There they preached the Good News.

⁸At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked.

⁹He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

¹⁰said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.

¹¹When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

¹²They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker.

¹³The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

¹⁴But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out,

¹⁵“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

¹⁶who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

¹⁷Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

¹⁸Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.

¹⁹But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

²⁰But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

²¹When they had preached the Good News to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

²²strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.

²³When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed.

²⁴They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

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

²⁶From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

²⁷When they had arrived and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

²⁸They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.

Previous Acts 13

Next Acts 15

Paul and Barnabas continue their missionary journey through Iconium, Lystra, and surrounding regions, encountering both remarkable success and intense opposition. In Lystra, Paul's healing of a crippled man leads to the crowd attempting to worship them as gods, which the apostles firmly reject while proclaiming the one true God. After being stoned and left for dead, Paul miraculously recovers, and the missionaries complete their circuit by returning to strengthen the new churches and appoint elders.

Context

This chapter concludes Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey that began in Acts 13, setting the stage for the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.

Key Themes

Outline

1-7
Ministry and Opposition in Iconium Paul and Barnabas preach effectively but face growing hostility, forcing them to flee to Lycaonia.
8-10
Healing of the Crippled Man Paul heals a man lame from birth in Lystra, demonstrating God's power through faith.
11-18
Mistaken for Gods The crowd attempts to worship Paul and Barnabas as Jupiter and Mercury, which they vehemently reject.
19-20
Paul Stoned and Recovers Jewish opponents arrive and incite the crowd to stone Paul, but he miraculously survives.
21-28
Strengthening the Churches The apostles return through the cities, appointing elders and encouraging believers before sailing back to Antioch.

In Iconium and Lystra

14:1–14:20

narrative narration urgent

Paul and Barnabas minister in Iconium and Lystra, where Paul heals a crippled man but the people mistakenly worship them as gods. Their rejection of this worship and subsequent persecution demonstrates the challenges of cross-cultural ministry.

person_contrast

Paul's miraculous healing of the lame man in Lystra triggers the only recorded instance where he must actively reject divine worship offered to him.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

14:21–14:28

narrative narration hopeful

Paul and Barnabas return to strengthen the new churches, appointing elders and teaching that suffering is part of entering God's kingdom. They complete their first missionary journey by reporting to the Antioch church how God opened faith to the Gentiles.

person_contrast

Paul's declaration that "through many afflictions we must enter God's kingdom" uniquely combines his typical grace-centered message with the harsh reality of suffering, appearing in only two other Pauline passages.