Acts 14
14
Growth and Persecution in Iconium
1The same thing happened in Iconium; they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. # Ac 13:5,51; 14:19 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. # Jn 3:36; Ac 13:50 3So they stayed there for some time and spoke boldly in reliance on the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them. # Mk 16:20; Jn 4:48; Ac 4:29; 20:32; Heb 2:4 4But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles. # Ac 17:4-5; 19:9; 28:24 5When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to assault and stone them, 6they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns called Lystra and Derbe, and to the surrounding countryside. # Mt 10:23; 2Tm 3:11 7And there they kept evangelizing. # Ac 14:15,21; 16:10
Mistaken for Gods in Lystra
8In Lystra a man without strength in his feet, lame from birth, # Lit from his mother’s womb and who had never walked, sat 9and heard Paul speaking. After observing him closely and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet! ” And he jumped up and started to walk around. # Mk 6:56; Php 2:12
11When 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 form of men! ” # Ac 8:10; 28:6 12And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker. 13Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gates. He, with the crowds, intended to offer sacrifice.
14The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting: # Mt 26:65; Mk 14:63 15“Men! Why are you doing these things? We are men also, with the same nature as you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things # 1Sm 12:21; 1Co 8:4; 1Th 1:9 to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. # Gn 1:1; Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6; Jr 14:22; Rv 14:7 # Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6 16In past generations He allowed all the nations # Ps 81:2; Mc 4:5; Ac 17:30; 1Pt 4:3 to go their own way, 17although He did not leave Himself without a witness, # Ac 17:26-27; Rm 1:19-20 since He did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons # Lv 26:4; Dt 11:14; 28:12; Jb 5:10; Ps 65:10; 147:8; Ezk 34:26; Jl 2:23 and satisfying your # Other mss read our hearts with food and happiness.” 18Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. # Ac 13:45,51; 2Co 11:25; 2Tm 3:11 20After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. # Ac 11:26; 14:22,28
Church Planting
21After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, # Mt 28:19; Ac 13:51 22strengthening the # Lit the souls of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith # Ac 11:23; 13:43 and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles # Lk 22:48; Jn 15:20; 16:33; Ac 9:16; Rm 8:17; 1Th 3:3; 2Tm 3:12 on our way into the kingdom of God.”
23When they had appointed elders # Ac 11:30; 13:3; 20:32; Ti 1:5 in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. # Ac 11:19; 13:3 27After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them # Ac 15:12; 21:19 and that He had opened the door # 1Co 16:9; 2Co 2:12; Col 4:3; Rv 3:8 of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they spent a considerable time # Or spent no little time with the disciples.
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Acts 14
14
Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium
1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue as usual. They spoke there with great power. Large numbers of Jews and Greeks became believers. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up some of the Gentiles who were there. They turned them against the two men and the new believers. 3So Paul and Barnabas spent a lot of time there. They spoke boldly for the Lord. He gave them the ability to do signs and wonders. In this way the Lord showed that they were telling the truth about his grace. 4The people of the city did not agree with one another. Some were on the side of the Jews. Others were on the side of the apostles. 5Jews and Gentiles alike planned to treat Paul and Barnabas badly. Their leaders agreed. They planned to kill them by throwing stones at them. 6But Paul and Barnabas found out about the plan. They escaped to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding area. 7There they continued to preach the good news.
Paul Preaches in Lystra
8In Lystra there sat a man who couldn’t walk. He hadn’t been able to use his feet since the day he was born. 9He listened as Paul spoke. Paul looked right at him. He saw that the man had faith to be healed. 10So he called out, “Stand up on your feet!” Then the man jumped up and began to walk.
11The crowd saw what Paul had done. They shouted in the Lycaonian language. “The gods have come down to us in human form!” they exclaimed. 12They called Barnabas Zeus. Paul was the main speaker. So they called him Hermes. 13Just outside the city was the temple of the god Zeus. The priest of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates. He and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.
14But the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about this. So they tore their clothes. They rushed out into the crowd. They shouted, 15“Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17But he has given proof of what he is like. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven. He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food. He fills your hearts with joy.” 18Paul and Barnabas told them all these things. But they had trouble keeping the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.
19Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They won the crowd over to their side. They threw stones at Paul. They thought he was dead, so they dragged him out of the city. 20The believers gathered around Paul. Then he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch
21Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in the city of Derbe. They won large numbers of followers. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. 22There they helped the believers gain strength. They told them to remain faithful to what they had been taught. “We must go through many hard times to enter God’s kingdom,” they said. 23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church. The elders had trusted in the Lord. Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted. They placed the elders in the Lord’s care. 24After going through Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas came into Pamphylia. 25They preached the good news in Perga. Then they went down to Attalia.
26From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch. In Antioch they had been put in God’s care to preach the good news. They had now completed the work God had given them to do. 27When they arrived at Antioch, they gathered the church together. They reported all that God had done through them. They told how he had opened a way for the Gentiles to believe. 28And they stayed there a long time with the believers.
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