Naravist

The Early Church · New Testament

Acts 14

Acts 14: Iconium, the stoning at Lystra, and the return to Antioch

General context

At Iconium the two speak in the synagogue and a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believe, but unbelieving Jews turn the Gentiles against them. They stay a long time speaking boldly, with signs and wonders done by their hands, and the city divides. When an assault is prepared by Gentiles and Jews with their rulers, they learn of it and flee to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia. At Lystra a man impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb who had never walked, hears Paul; Paul sees that he has faith to be healed and tells him to stand upright, and he leaps and walks. The people say in the speech of Lycaonia that the gods are come down in the likeness of men, call Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurius, and the priest of Jupiter brings oxen and garlands to sacrifice. The apostles rend their clothes, run in among the people and say they are men of like passions, calling them to turn from these vanities to the living God who made heaven and earth and who left witness in rain and fruitful seasons. Even so they barely restrain the crowd. Then Jews come from Antioch and Iconium, persuade the people, stone Paul and drag him out of the city, supposing him dead. He rises as the disciples stand round him, returns into the city, and goes to Derbe the next day. After preaching there they retrace their route through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, confirming the disciples and ordaining elders in every church, then pass through Pisidia and Pamphylia, preach at Perga, sail from Attalia to Antioch, and report how God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Cited passages: Acts 14:1, Acts 14:2, Acts 14:3, Acts 14:4, Acts 14:5, Acts 14:6, Acts 14:8, Acts 14:9, Acts 14:10, Acts 14:11, Acts 14:12, Acts 14:13, Acts 14:14, Acts 14:15, Acts 14:17, Acts 14:18, Acts 14:19, Acts 14:20, Acts 14:21, Acts 14:22, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:24, Acts 14:25, Acts 14:26, Acts 14:27, Acts 14:28

Acts 14 (KJV)

1And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

2But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

3Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

5And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

7And there they preached the gospel.

8And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

9The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

10Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

11And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

12And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

13Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

14Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

18And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

19And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

21And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

22Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

23And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

24And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.

25And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:

26And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

27And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

28And there they abode long time with the disciples.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The narrator calls both men apostles at 14:14, writing the apostles, Barnabas and Paul. The crowd's acclamation is said to be spoken in the speech of Lycaonia, and the two names it uses, Jupiter and Mercurius, are the crowd's own, with a reason given only for Paul's, because he was the chief speaker. The stoning is reported plainly: certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium persuade the people, Paul is stoned and drawn out of the city, and those who did it suppose he had been dead. The narrator says he rose up and went back into the city and does not say that he died. The speech at Lystra quotes no scripture, unlike the synagogue speech of the previous chapter. The exhortation at 14:22 is reported in the first person plural, that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. The places named are Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Antioch, Perga and Attalia, with no further description of any of them.

Cited passages: Acts 14:14, Acts 14:11, Acts 14:12, Acts 14:19, Acts 14:20, Acts 14:15, Acts 14:22, Acts 14:6, Acts 14:25

Literary context

Iconium repeats the pattern of the previous chapter, synagogue, belief, opposition and departure, and the narrator states the division in plain halves, part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. The healing at Lystra is worded like the healing at the Beautiful gate, a man a cripple from his mother's womb who then leaps and walks. The crowd swings twice in the same scene, first trying to sacrifice to the two men and then, once persuaded by newcomers, stoning Paul. The speech to this crowd names no scripture and argues from rain and fruitful seasons instead. The journey closes by retracing its own route in reverse, and the report at Antioch answers the sending at 13:3 by telling what God had done with them.

Cited passages: Acts 14:1, Acts 14:4, Acts 14:8, Acts 14:10, Acts 3:2, Acts 14:13, Acts 14:19, Acts 14:15, Acts 14:17, Acts 14:21, Acts 14:27, Acts 13:3

Key moments

  1. The city divided (Acts 14:4). The people of Iconium split between the Jews and the apostles.
  2. Stand upright on thy feet (Acts 14:10). Paul calls out to the lame man at Lystra and he leaps and walks.
  3. The gods are come down (Acts 14:11). The crowd speaks in Lycaonian and takes the two men for gods in human likeness.
  4. We also are men (Acts 14:15). Barnabas and Paul rend their clothes and refuse the sacrifice being prepared for them.
  5. Paul stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19). Jews from Antioch and Iconium persuade the people, who stone Paul and drag him out of the city.
  6. He rose up (Acts 14:20). With the disciples standing round him Paul gets up and goes back into the city.
  7. Elders ordained (Acts 14:23). On the return journey the two appoint elders in every church with prayer and fasting.

For reflection

The same crowd at Lystra is ready to offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas and then is persuaded to stone Paul. What does the text supply as the reason for the change, and what does it leave out?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here: