Acts 14:1-18
The Living God Who Made Heaven
1At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3So 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.
4The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
5But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
6they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,
7where they continued to preach the gospel.
8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
9This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
10In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.
11When 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!”
12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13The 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.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
15“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.
16In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
17Yet 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.”
18Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
Berean Standard Bible
In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas speak so clearly that many Jews and Greeks believe. Others stir up opposition. The city divides, and the missionaries leave when a plan to stone them becomes known. In Lystra, Paul tells a man lame from birth to stand, and the man walks.
We too are only men, human like you.
The crowd mistakes the miracle for a visit from their gods and prepares a sacrifice. Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and plead with them to turn from worthless things to the living God. They point to God's ordinary gifts of rain, fruitful seasons, food, and gladness. Even after the miracle, they will not take the glory that belongs to God.
In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue and speak so effectively that a large number of Jews and Greeks believe. The city does not divide simply between good people and bad people. Some Jews refuse to believe and poison the minds of the Gentiles, while the missionaries remain for a long time, speaking boldly and trusting the Lord to confirm the message of grace.
When the city divides and a plot forms to stone them, Paul and Barnabas flee to Lystra and Derbe. There they continue preaching. In Lystra, Paul sees that a man crippled from birth has faith to be healed and commands him to stand. The crowd then mistakes the miracle for the arrival of Greek gods, calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes because Paul is the main speaker.
The missionaries tear their clothes and rush into the crowd, insisting that they are human beings who bring good news so the people can turn from worthless things to the living God. God made heaven, earth, sea, and everything in them, and even his common gifts of rain and fruitful seasons testify to his kindness. The crowd is barely restrained from sacrificing to them. The passage shows how quickly a sign can be redirected toward human glory, and how urgently the apostles return the attention to the Creator.
Questions
1 Why did Paul and Barnabas leave Iconium?
AnswerThey left after learning that people planned to mistreat and stone them.
2 What happened to the man in Lystra?
AnswerHe stood up and began to walk after Paul spoke to him.
3 What did the crowd think had happened?
AnswerThey thought the gods had come down in human form.
4 To whom did Paul and Barnabas direct attention?
AnswerThey directed attention to the living God who made heaven, earth, and sea.
What This Means for Us
People can misunderstand both our success and our service. The faithful response is not to collect admiration but to redirect it toward the Creator, whose gifts include both spectacular moments and ordinary daily provision.
Prayer
Living God, keep us humble when others praise us. Teach us to recognize your goodness in miracles, meals, seasons, and every gift that sustains us. Amen.