Acts 14
14
1 Now it happened in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and they spoke in such a way that a copious multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed.
2 Yet truly, the Jews who were unbelieving had incited and enflamed the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.
3 And so, they remained for a long time, acting faithfully in the Lord, offering testimony to the Word of his grace, providing signs and wonders done by their hands.
4 Then the multitude of the city was divided. And certainly, some were with the Jews, yet truly others were with the Apostles.
5 Now when an assault had been planned by the Gentiles and the Jews with their leaders, so that they might treat them with contempt and stone them,
6 they, realizing this, fled together to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the entire surrounding region. And they were evangelizing in that place.
7 And a certain man was sitting at Lystra, disabled in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.
8 This man heard Paul speaking. And Paul, gazing at him intently, and perceiving that he had faith, so that he might be healed,
9 said with a loud voice, "Stand upright upon your feet!" And he leaped up and walked around.
10 But when the crowds had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods, having taken the likenesses of men, have descended to us!"
11 And they called Barnabas, 'Jupiter,' yet truly they called Paul, 'Mercury,' because he was the lead speaker.
12 Also, the priest of Jupiter, who was outside the city, in front of the gate, bringing in oxen and garlands, was willing to offer sacrifice with the people.
13 And as soon as the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, had heard this, tearing their tunics, they leapt into the crowd, crying out
14 and saying: "Men, why would you do this? We also are mortals, men like yourselves, preaching to you to be converted, from these vain things, to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.
15 In previous generations, he permitted all nations to walk in their own ways.
16 But certainly, he did not leave himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness."
17 And by saying these things, they were barely able to restrain the crowds from immolating to them.
18 Now certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived there. And having persuaded the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him outside of the city, thinking him to be dead.
19 But as the disciples were standing around him, he got up and entered the city. And the next day, he set out with Barnabas for Derbe.
20 And when they had evangelized that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
21 strengthening the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them that they should remain always in the faith, and that it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations.
22 And when they had established priests for them in each church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed.
23 And traveling by way of Pisidia, they arrived in Pamphylia.
24 And having spoken the word of the Lord in Perga, they went down into Attalia.
25 And from there, they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had now accomplished.
26 And when they had arrived and had gathered together the church, they related what great things God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
27 And they remained for no small amount of time with the disciples.
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Acts 14
14
1-3When they got to Iconium they went, as they always did, to the meeting place of the Jews and gave their message. The Message convinced both Jews and non-Jews—and not just a few, either. But the unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street. The two apostles were there a long time, speaking freely, openly, and confidently as they presented the clear evidence of God’s gifts, God corroborating their work with miracles and wonders.
4-7But then there was a split in public opinion, some siding with the Jews, some with the apostles. One day, learning that both the Jews and non-Jews had been organized by their leaders to beat them up, they escaped as best they could to the next towns—Lyconia, Lystra, Derbe, and that neighborhood—but then were right back at it again, getting out the Message.
Gods or Men?
8-10There was a man in Lystra who couldn’t walk. He sat there, crippled since the day of his birth. He heard Paul talking, and Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God’s work, ready to believe. So he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Up on your feet!” The man was up in a flash—jumped up and walked around as if he’d been walking all his life.
11-13When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they went wild, calling out in their Lyconian dialect, “The gods have come down! These men are gods!” They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes” (since Paul did most of the speaking). The priest of the local Zeus shrine got up a parade—bulls and banners and people lined right up to the gates, ready for the ritual of sacrifice.
14-15When Barnabas and Paul finally realized what was going on, they stopped them. Waving their arms, they interrupted the parade, calling out, “What do you think you’re doing! We’re not gods! We are men just like you, and we’re here to bring you the Message, to persuade you to abandon these silly god-superstitions and embrace God himself, the living God. We don’t make God; he makes us, and all of this—sky, earth, sea, and everything in them.
16-18“In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way. But even then he didn’t leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing.” Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the sacrifice that would have honored them as gods—but just barely.
19-20Then some Jews from Antioch and Iconium caught up with them and turned the fickle crowd against them. They beat Paul unconscious, dragged him outside the town and left him for dead. But as the disciples gathered around him, he came to and got up. He went back into town and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Plenty of Hard Times
21-22After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, putting grit in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy: “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times.”
23-26Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying—their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia and preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started—launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace. A good piece of work.
27-28On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.