Acts 14

New Matthew Bible

Paul and Barnabas preach at Iconium. Some believe, some stir up a revolt. At Lystra the people want to make sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul, who refuse it and exhort the people to worship the true God. Paul is stoned. After that, he goes to Derbe, and again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.

14 And it happened in Iconium that Paul and Barnabas went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great number both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed. ² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and disquieted the minds of the Gentiles against the brethren.

³ They remained there a long time, and acquitted themselves boldly with the help of the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, causing signs and wonders to be done by their hands. ⁴ The people of the city were divided: part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. ⁵ When an assault was planned, both by the Gentiles and also by the Jews with their leaders, to put them to shame and to stone them, ⁶ they were aware of it, and fled to Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia and to the region that lies round about, ⁷ and there preached the gospel.

⁸ And at Lystra there sat a certain man weak in his feet, being crippled from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul preach. Paul looked at him and perceived that he had faith to be whole, ¹⁰ and said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet! And he started up and walked.

¹¹ And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, Gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! ¹² And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the preacher. ¹³ Then the priest of Jupiter, who dwelt in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the temple porch, and wanted to make sacrifice with the people.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out and saying, ¹⁵ Sirs, why do you do this? We are mortal men like you, and preach to you that you should turn from these vanities to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them – ¹⁶ who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Nevertheless, he did not leave himself without witness, in that he showed his goodness in giving us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. ¹⁸ And with these words, they barely refrained the people from making sacrifice to them.

¹⁹ But certain Jews from Antioch and lconium came there, and they won the people over, and stoned Paul and drew him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰ However, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and went into the city.

And the next day, Paul departed with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ After they had preached to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium and Antioch, ²² and strengthened the disciples’ souls, exhorting them to continue in the faith, affirming that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ²³ And they appointed elders by election in every congregation, and prayed and fasted, and committed them to God on whom they believed.

²⁴ And they went through Pisidia, and came into Pamphylia. ²⁵ And when they had preached the word of God in Perga, they descended into Attalia, ²⁶ and from there returned by ship to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. ²⁷ When they arrived and had gathered the congregation together, they described all that God had done by them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they remained there a long time with the disciples.