CHAPTER 14
At
Iconium,
Paul and Barnabas
entered
the
Jewish
synagogue
as usual,
and
they spoke
so well
that
a great
number
of
Jews
and
Greeks
believed.
So
Paul and Barnabas spent
considerable
time there,
speaking boldly
for
the
Lord,
who
affirmed
the
message
of
His
grace
by enabling
them
to perform
signs
and
wonders.
they found out about it
and fled
to
the
Lycaonian
cities
of Lystra
and
Derbe,
and
to the
surrounding region,
This man
was listening to
the words of
Paul,
who
looked intently
at him
and
saw
that
he had
faith
to be healed.
In a loud
voice
Paul called out,
“Stand
up
on
your
feet!”
And
the man jumped up
and
began to walk.
When
the
crowds
saw
what
Paul
had done,
they lifted up
their
voices
in the Lycaonian language:
“The
gods
have come down
to
us
in human form!”
The
priest
of Zeus,
whose temple was
just outside
the
city,
brought
bulls
and
wreaths
to
the
city gates,
hoping
to offer a sacrifice
along with
the
crowds.
But
when the
apostles
Barnabas
and
Paul
found out about this,
they tore
their
clothes
and rushed
into
the
crowd,
shouting,
“Men,
why
are you doing
this?
We
too
are only
men,
human
like you.
We are bringing you good news
that you should turn
from
these
worthless things
to
the living
God,
who
made
heaven
and
earth
and
sea
and
everything
in
them.
Yet
He has not left
Himself
without testimony
to His goodness:
He gives
you
rain
from heaven
and
fruitful
seasons,
filling
your
hearts
with food
and
gladness.”
Then
some Jews
arrived
from
Antioch
and
Iconium
and
won
the
crowds over.
They stoned
Paul
and dragged him
outside
the
city,
presuming
he
was dead.
But after
the
disciples
had gathered around
him,
he got up
and went back into
the
city.
And
the
next day
he left
with
Barnabas
for
Derbe.
They preached the gospel to
that
city
and
made many disciples.
Then they returned
to
Lystra,
Iconium,
and
Antioch,
strengthening
the
souls
of the
disciples
and encouraging them
to continue
in the
faith.
“We
must
endure
many
hardships
to enter
the
kingdom
of God,”
they said.
Paul and Barnabas appointed
elders
for them
in each
church,
praying
and
fasting
as they entrusted
them
to the
Lord,
in
whom
they had believed.
From Attalia
they sailed
to
Antioch,
where
they had
been commended
to the
grace
of God
for
the
work
they had just completed.
When
they arrived,
they gathered
the
church together
and reported
all that
God
had done
through
them,
and
how
He had opened
the door
of faith
to the
Gentiles.