Acts 14:6-23

6they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside.

7There they continued preaching the gospel.

8In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth.

9He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

10Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.

11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.

14The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

15“People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

16In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way,

17although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”

18Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

19Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

20After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

21After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,

22strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

23When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.