Acts 14
1 In Iconium, they went together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great many Jews and Greeks believed.
2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 So they stayed there for quite some time, speaking boldly, relying on the Lord. He bore witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to take place through their hands.
4 The people of the city were divided: some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.
5 Then the Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, made a move to mistreat and stone them.
6 When they realized this, they fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region.
7 And there they kept proclaiming the good news.
8 In Lystra a man with no strength in his feet was sitting, lame from his mother’s womb and never having walked.
9 This man was listening to Paul speak. Paul looked straight at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
10 Then he said in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” The man leaped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like human beings and come down to us!”
12 They called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the one who did the speaking.
13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple stood in front of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifices along with the crowds.
14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting.
15 They said, “Men, why are you doing this? We too are human beings, just like you. We are bringing you the good news so that you will turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven, earth, the sea, and everything in them.
16 In past generations, he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways.
17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness: he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and joy.”
18 Even with these words, they barely managed to stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 Then Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. They persuaded the crowds, stoned Paul, and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
21 After proclaiming the good news in that city and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.
22 They strengthened the disciples’ resolve and urged them to remain in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom of God through many hardships.”
23 After appointing elders for them in each church, they prayed with fasting and entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
24 They traveled through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.
25 After speaking the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had completed.
27 When they arrived, they gathered the church and reported everything God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 And they spent quite some time with the disciples.
Read and listen to this chapter in the Shalem app, free: narration, chapter video and reading progress. Get the app