Run Out of Town, Again
1When Paul and Barnabas got to Iconium, [1] they did the same thing they had done in other towns. They went to the local synagogue. There, they boldly talked up such a storm that they convinced a lot of people into believing them—Jews and non-Jews. 2But some Jews didn’t believe them. They stirred up trouble. They spread poison about Paul and Barnabas, even among the non-Jews. 3Regardless, Paul and Barnabas stayed a long time. And they were anything but shy when they talked about the Lord—the one who showed his kindness by letting them do miracles there. 4The townsfolk split over what to make of the two men. Some sided with the Jews who didn’t like them. Others sided with the two apostles. [2] 5Jews against the apostles rallied with non-Jews. They worked up a plot to kidnap, shame, and stone the two.Hello, Lystra and Derbe
6Paul and Barnabas found out about the plot to stone them. They got out of town pronto. They went to the towns of Lystra and Derbe in the district of Lycaonia. [3] 7There, they spread the good news. 8In Lystra, they noticed a man sitting among the crowd because he couldn’t walk. His feet were useless. He had been crippled since birth. 9The man listened to Paul speaking to the people. Paul looked hard into the eyes of this gentleman and realized the man had the faith it took to be healed. 10Paul suddenly raised his voice and spoke directly at the man: “Stand up. Get right up on those feet.” The man jumped up and started walking. 11When the crowd saw this, they declared in their own Lycaonian dialect, “Gods have come down to us! They’re standing right here, looking like human men!”Paul and Barnabas as Zeus and Hermes
12They started calling Barnabas by the name of the Greek god Zeus. [4] They called Paul by the name of Hermes [5] because he did most of the talking. 13The Temple of Zeus sat just outside the city entrance. [6] The priest of Zeus rounded up some oxen. He also got some decorative wreaths made of plants. He brought it all to the city gate, intending to sacrifice it to Paul and Barnabas.14When the two men heard what was going on, they ripped their clothes, [7] ran deep into the crowd, and started yelling. 15“People! What do you think you’re doing? We’re humans like you! We have the same limitations you have! We came here to tell you the good news that you don’t have to fool around with worthless stuff like this. We’re here to tell you about the God who is actually alive. He’s the one who made heaven, earth, and sea—and everything in them. 16In years gone by, he let nations do whatever they wanted. 17But he didn’t hide from them. People could see evidence of him in the rain he sent from heaven and in the bumper crops that filled their bellies with food and their hearts with joy.” 18That said, Paul and Barnabas were only barely able to stop the people from offering the sacrifice.
Stoning Paul, Leaving Him for Dead
19Then along came some Jews from Antioch and Iconium. They turned the town against Paul and Barnabas. A mob snatched Paul, stoned him, and dragged him out of town. They thought he was dead, so they left him there. 20Believers in town gathered around Paul as he lay on the ground. He got up and went back into the city. The next day, he and Barnabas left for the neighboring city of Derbe.Backtracking through Hostile Towns
21They spread the good news to the people in that town—and made a lot of believers in the process. Then the two of them headed back home by the same route they came. They doubled back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. 22In each of those towns they encouraged the believers to hang on tight to their faith. They told the people, “The road into the kingdom of God is a tough one to travel. We’re going to suffer on this trip.” 23Paul and Barnabas appointed leaders in every church. [8] The two prayed over these leaders, [9] skipping meals [10] as they focused hard on prayer. Then they entrusted the leaders to the care of God—the one whom they had decided to worship.24Paul and Barnabas, on their way home, traveled through the region of Pisidia, finally arriving in the town of Pamphylia. 25They spread the word in the town of Perga. Then they went down to the coastal city of Attalia. 26From there, they sailed back to Antioch in Syria—the church that had sent them in God’s care on this mission. Mission accomplished. [11] 27When they arrived, they held a meeting at the church. They reported everything God had done for them, and especially how he had opened the doors of ministry to non-Jews. 28Paul and Barnabas stayed with the believers for a long time.
