Iconium
1At Iconium the same thing happened: they went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of Jews and Greeks came to believe. 2But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3Paul and Barnabas stayed on a long while, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by letting signs and wonders be done through their hands. 4The city was split: some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5When the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, made a move to mistreat them and stone them, 6they got word of it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country, 7and there they went on announcing the good news.
Taken for gods at Lystra
8In Lystra there was a man who sat there powerless in his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked. 9He was listening as Paul spoke. Paul looked straight at him and saw that he had the faith to be healed, 10and he said in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” The man sprang up and began to walk. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12They called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple stood just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and, with the crowds, wanted to offer sacrifice. 14When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15“Men, why are you doing this? We are only human, with the same nature as you. We are bringing you good news: turn away from these worthless things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16In generations past he let all the nations go their own way, 17yet he did not leave himself without witness: he did you good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling you with food and your hearts with gladness.” 18Even with these words they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
Stoned, and back on the road
19Then Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium; they won the crowds over, stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But when the disciples gathered around him he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21They announced the good news in that city and made many disciples; then they turned back to Lystra, to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and urging them to remain firm in the faith: “It is through many hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23In each church they appointed elders for them, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24Then they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, 25and after speaking the message in Perga they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27On arriving they called the church together and reported all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they stayed there a good while with the disciples.
