Acts 14

1In Iconium the two of them went together into the synagogue of the Jews. They spoke in such a way that a large crowd of Jews and Greeks believed. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and turned their minds against the brothers and sisters. 3So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly, relying on the Lord. He bore witness to the word of his grace by allowing signs and wonders to happen through their hands. 4The people of the city were split: some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles. 5When Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, set out to abuse the apostles and stone them, 6the apostles learned of it and escaped to Lystra and Derbe, towns of Lycaonia, and to the country around them. 7There they kept on proclaiming the gospel.

8At Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He had been lame since birth and had never taken a step. 9The man was listening while Paul spoke. Paul fixed his eyes on him and saw that he had faith that he would be made well. 10So he said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” And the man leaped up and walked. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have become like humans and come down to us!” 12They began calling Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because Paul was the one who took the lead in speaking. 13Zeus had a temple just in front of the city. His priest came to the gates with bulls and garlands, for he and the crowds meant to offer sacrifice. 14But the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it. They ripped their garments and dashed into the middle of the crowd, crying out, 15“People, why are you doing these things? We are mortals with the same nature as you. We have come with the gospel, calling you to turn away from these empty things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything that is in them. 16In past generations he allowed every nation to walk in its own ways. 17Even so, he has not left himself without a witness. He does you good: he gives you rain from the sky and seasons that bear fruit, and he fills you with food and your hearts with gladness.” 18Saying these things, they could hardly hold the crowds back from offering sacrifice to them.

19But Jews from Antioch and Iconium came on the scene and persuaded the crowds. They stoned Paul and hauled him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20But when the disciples stood in a circle around him, he rose and went back into the city. The next day he set out with Barnabas for Derbe.

21They proclaimed the gospel in that city and made many disciples. After that they retraced their steps to Lystra, to Iconium and to Antioch. 22They made the disciples strong in spirit and urged them to hold on to the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom of God by way of many afflictions.” 23In each church they appointed elders for the believers, and after praying and fasting, they placed them in the care of the Lord in whom they had believed. 24They crossed Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, 25and when they had spoken the word in Perga they went down to Attalia. 26From there they set sail for Antioch, the place where they had first been entrusted to God’s grace for the task that they had now carried out to the end. 27Once they had arrived, they called the church together and told all that God had done as he worked along with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they remained a long while with the disciples there.