Acts 14:8-15

In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas encountered a man who from birth had never walked, for he was crippled in his feet. He listened carefully to Paul as he preached. All of a sudden, Paul discerned that this man had faith in his heart to be healed. So he shouted, “You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, stand up on your feet!” The man instantly jumped to his feet, stood for the first time in his life, and walked! When the crowds saw the miracle Paul had done, they shouted in their own language, “The gods have come down to us as men!” They addressed Barnabas as “Zeus” and Paul as “Hermes,” because he was the spokesman. Now, outside of the city stood the temple of Zeus. The priest of the temple, in order to honor Paul and Barnabas, brought bulls with wreaths of flowers draped on them to the gates of the courtyard where they were staying. The crowds clamored to offer them as sacrifices to the apostles. He even brought flower wreaths as crowns to place on their heads. When the apostles understood what was happening, they were mortified and tore their clothes as a sign of dismay. They rushed into the crowd and shouted, “People, what are you doing? We’re only weak human beings like everyone else. This is why we’ve come to tell you the good news, so that you would turn away from these worthless myths and turn to the living God. He is the Creator of all things: the earth, the heavens, the sea, and everything they contain.