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Acts 14

1In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the nations and embittered their minds against the brothers. 3So they stayed a considerable time, speaking boldly in reliance on the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through their hands. 4But the city's population was divided: some sided with the Jews and others with the apostles. 5When both Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, made a move to mistreat and stone them, 6they became aware of it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region. 7There they continued proclaiming the good news.

8In Lystra a man sat who had no strength in his feet. He had been lame from his mother's womb and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul speaking. Paul stared at him and, seeing that he had faith to be saved, 10said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He sprang up and walked. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, “The gods have become like human beings and come down to us!” 12They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the leading speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose shrine was before the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15“Men, why are you doing these things? We too are human beings with the same nature as you. We bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to a living God, who made heaven, earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In generations past he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17Yet he did not leave himself without witness: he did good, giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” 18Even saying these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

19But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, persuaded the crowds, stoned Paul, and dragged him outside the city, supposing he was dead. 20When the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

21After proclaiming the good news to that city and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples' souls and encouraging them to remain in the faith, saying, “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23After appointing elders for them in each assembly and praying with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25After speaking the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to God's grace for the work they had completed. 27When they arrived and gathered the assembly, they reported everything God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28They stayed no little time with the disciples.

Translation notes 5

14:4, 14 — Apostles. The title is applied to Barnabas and Paul, showing its use beyond the Twelve in this narrative.

14:9 — Saved. Here the immediate sense is healing, as in several of Luke's healing accounts. The shared verb connects bodily rescue with the wider language of salvation.

14:13–17 — Shrine and witness. “Shrine” supplies the location implied by Zeus “before the city.” Zeus and Hermes are the Greek gods named in the source, not their Roman equivalents. The speech addresses the audience through creation and providence rather than inserting the synagogue speech of chapter 13.

14:19–20 — Supposing he was dead. The narrator reports the attackers' supposition; the translation does not turn it into an explicit statement that Paul died and was raised.

14:23 — Appointing elders. The verb can be associated with selection by a show of hands, but here it does not specify the procedure or establish a universal polity. Paul and Barnabas are the grammatical agents.