Acts 14:6-23

6So they escaped to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding territory.

7They spread the Good News there.

8A man who was born lame was in Lystra. He was always sitting because he had never been able to walk.

9He listened to what Paul was saying. Paul observed him closely and saw that the man believed he could be made well.

10So Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up.” The man jumped up and began to walk.

11The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come to us, and they look human.”

12They addressed Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes because Paul did most of the talking.

13Zeus’ temple was at the entrance to the city. The priest of the god Zeus brought bulls with flowery wreaths around their necks to the temple gates. The priest and the crowd wanted to offer a sacrifice ⌞to Paul and Barnabas⌟.

14When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they were very upset. They rushed into the crowd

15and said, “Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them.

16In the past God allowed all people to live as they pleased.

17Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.”

18Although Paul and Barnabas said these things, they hardly kept the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19However, Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium arrived in Lystra and won the people over. They tried to stone Paul to death and dragged him out of the city when they thought that he was dead.

20But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day Paul and Barnabas left for the city of Derbe.

21They spread the Good News in that city and won many disciples. Then they went back to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (which is in Pisidia).

22They strengthened the disciples in these cities and encouraged the disciples to remain faithful. Paul and Barnabas told them, “We must suffer a lot to enter God’s kingdom.”

23They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed.