Acts 14

Introduction

Acts 14 continues the account of Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey, which began in Acts 13. Having been expelled from Pisidian Antioch at the end of chapter 13, they move eastward through the Roman province of Galatia, preaching first at Iconium, then at Lystra, and finally at Derbe. The chapter presents a pattern that will mark Paul's ministry throughout Acts: bold proclamation, initial success among both Jews and Gentiles, growing opposition from hostile Jewish leaders, and persecution that drives the missionaries onward to new territory.

The chapter is notable for its portrait of the gospel confronting pagan religion directly. While previous speeches in Acts have been addressed to Jewish audiences shaped by Scripture, Paul's speech at Lystra (vv. 15-17) is the first recorded address to a purely pagan audience. Instead of appealing to the Law and the Prophets, Paul appeals to creation and God's providential care, a strategy he will develop more fully in his Areopagus address at Athens (Acts 17:22-31). The chapter also records a sharp reversal: the same crowd that tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods stones Paul and drags him outside the city, presuming him dead, illustrating the instability of popular acclaim. The closing section (vv. 21-28) shows how the apostles organized the young churches, appointing elders and committing them to the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium (vv. 1-7)

¹ At 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. ² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ 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.

⁴ The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles. ⁵ But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them, ⁶ they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region, ⁷ where they continued to preach the gospel.

¹ Now it happened in Iconium that they went together into the synagogue of the Jews and spoke in such a way that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and embittered the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers. ³ So they remained for a considerable time, speaking boldly in reliance on the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be performed through their hands.

⁴ But the population of the city was divided: some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. ⁵ And when an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia -- Lystra and Derbe -- and the surrounding countryside, ⁷ and there they continued proclaiming the good news.

Notes

The phrase κατὰ τὸ αὐτό ("together" or "in the same way") in verse 1 is debated. It may mean "together" (i.e., Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue as a pair) or "in the same manner" (i.e., following the same pattern as at Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13:14). The latter reading fits Luke's narrative habit of showing a repeated missionary pattern: synagogue visit, persuasive preaching, Jewish-Gentile response, and opposition.

In verse 2, the word ἀπειθήσαντες is often rendered "unbelieving," but more literally means "those who disobeyed" or "those who refused to believe." The verb ἀπειθέω carries the nuance of willful rejection rather than mere lack of faith: they heard the message and actively refused it. The phrase ἐκάκωσαν τὰς ψυχάς ("embittered the minds/souls") is vivid, suggesting that they poisoned the inner disposition of the Gentiles toward the believers.

Verse 3 presents a paradox: despite opposition, the apostles stayed longer, not less. The verb παρρησιαζόμενοι ("speaking boldly") denotes fearless, open proclamation, a hallmark of Spirit-empowered witness throughout Acts (Acts 4:13, Acts 4:29, Acts 9:27-28). The Lord confirmed their message by granting σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ("signs and wonders"), the same phrase used of Moses' ministry in Acts 7:36 and of Jesus' own works in Acts 2:22.

In verse 4, Luke calls Paul and Barnabas ἀποστόλοις ("apostles"), one of only two places in Acts where the title is applied to anyone other than the Twelve (see also Acts 14:14). Luke evidently uses the term in its broader sense of "commissioned envoys" or "missionaries," those sent out by the Antioch church under the Spirit's direction (Acts 13:2-4).

The flight to Lycaonia in verses 5-7 is not cowardice but strategic withdrawal, following Jesus' own instruction to his disciples (Matthew 10:23). Lycaonia was a distinct region within the province of Galatia, with its own language and cultural identity. Lystra was a Roman colony, and Derbe lay near the provincial boundary.

The Healing of the Lame Man at Lystra (vv. 8-10)

⁸ In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. ⁹ This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed. ¹⁰ In a loud voice Paul called out, "Stand up on your feet!" And the man jumped up and began to walk.

⁸ And in Lystra there was a certain man sitting, without strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man was listening to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be saved, ¹⁰ said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" And he leaped up and began walking.

Notes

Luke's description of the lame man in verse 8 echoes the healing of the lame beggar at the temple gate in Acts 3:2-8. Both men are lame from birth, both are healed by a word of command, and both respond by leaping. The parallel is deliberate: what Peter did in Jerusalem, Paul now does in the Gentile world, showing that the same power of the risen Christ operates through both apostles.

The word ἀδύνατος ("without strength" or "unable") describes the man's condition and is the same word used in Romans 15:1 for the "weak." Luke stacks three descriptors to emphasize the completeness of the man's disability: unable in his feet, lame from birth, had never walked.

In verse 9, Paul ἀτενίσας ("looked intently") at the man, the same distinctive Lukan verb used of Peter and John before the temple healing (Acts 3:4) and of Stephen gazing into heaven (Acts 7:55). Paul perceived that the man ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι ("had faith to be saved/healed"). The Greek word σωθῆναι can mean either "to be healed" or "to be saved," and both meanings are likely in play. The man's physical healing points to the deeper spiritual salvation that the gospel offers.

Paul's command in verse 10 echoes Jesus' own healings and specifically recalls Acts 3:6 where Peter says, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." The response, ἥλατο καὶ περιεπάτει ("he leaped up and began walking"), uses the same verb for leaping found in the Septuagint of Isaiah 35:6: "Then shall the lame man leap like a deer," a messianic prophecy that Luke appears to echo deliberately.

The Crowd's Response: Mistaken for Gods (vv. 11-13)

¹¹ 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!" ¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ 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.

¹¹ And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" ¹² And they called Barnabas "Zeus," and Paul "Hermes," because he was the leader in speaking. ¹³ And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice along with the crowds.

Notes

The crowd's reaction reveals the pagan worldview of the Lycaonian people. They cried out Λυκαονιστί ("in the Lycaonian language"), a local dialect distinct from Greek, which explains why Paul and Barnabas did not immediately understand what was happening. The Lycaonian language is poorly attested in ancient sources, but it was evidently still the mother tongue of the common people despite centuries of Hellenization.

The identification of Barnabas as Zeus (the chief god of the Greek pantheon) and Paul as Ἑρμῆν (Hermes, the messenger of the gods) reflects both local religious assumptions and practical observation. Paul was ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῦ λόγου ("the leader in speaking"), that is, the primary spokesman, which naturally associated him with Hermes, the divine herald and patron of eloquence. Barnabas, perhaps the more physically imposing or dignified of the two, received the identification with Zeus. Ancient inscriptions found near Lystra confirm that Zeus and Hermes were worshiped together in this region, lending historical credibility to Luke's account.

The local legend, preserved in Ovid's Metamorphoses (8.611-724), tells how Zeus and Hermes once visited the region of Phrygia (adjacent to Lycaonia) disguised as mortals and were turned away by everyone except an elderly couple named Philemon and Baucis. The inhospitable villagers were punished with a flood while the couple was rewarded. This story would have been well known in the area, and the crowd may have been anxious not to repeat the mistake of their legendary ancestors.

The στέμματα ("garlands" or "wreaths") were wool or flower garlands placed on sacrificial animals and on the gates of the temple. The priest of Zeus brought everything needed for a formal public sacrifice -- bulls and wreaths -- to the πυλῶνας ("gates"), likely the city gates where Paul and Barnabas were located.

Paul and Barnabas's Response: Preaching to Pagans (vv. 14-18)

¹⁴ But 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. ¹⁶ In past generations, He let all nations go their own way. ¹⁷ 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."

¹⁸ Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are human beings with the same nature as you, and we bring you good news -- that you should turn from these empty things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ And yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

¹⁸ And even saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Notes

The tearing of garments (διαρρήξαντες τὰ ἱμάτια) was a traditional Jewish expression of horror at blasphemy or sacrilege (compare Matthew 26:65, 2 Kings 18:37). For Paul and Barnabas, receiving divine honors was not flattering but appalling, a direct violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Their reaction contrasts sharply with Herod Agrippa's acceptance of divine acclamation in Acts 12:21-23, which led to his immediate judgment.

The word ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ("of like nature" or "subject to the same feelings") appears only here and in James 5:17 in the New Testament. Paul uses it to collapse any distance between himself and his hearers: far from being divine beings above suffering, the apostles were men who bled and hurt like anyone else.

Paul's speech to the Lystran crowd is the earliest example in Acts of preaching to a purely pagan audience with no knowledge of Scripture. Instead of quoting the Old Testament, Paul appeals to natural revelation. The call to turn ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ("from these empty/worthless things") uses a word that in the Septuagint regularly describes idols (1 Samuel 12:21, Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 10:15). The contrast is between μάταιος ("futile, empty") things and θεὸν ζῶντα ("the living God"), the God who actually acts in the world.

The description of God as the one "who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them" echoes Exodus 20:11 and Psalm 146:6, grounding the appeal in creation theology. This is the same starting point Paul will use at Athens (Acts 17:24).

Verse 16 addresses divine forbearance: God εἴασεν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πορεύεσθαι ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν ("allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways"). This does not imply divine approval of paganism but rather a period of patience, which Paul will later describe as "the times of ignorance" that God "overlooked" (Acts 17:30).

Yet even during this period of forbearance, God did not leave himself ἀμάρτυρον ("without witness"), a word found only here in the New Testament. The witnesses are the gifts of creation itself: rain, καρποφόρους ("fruitful, fruit-bearing") seasons, food, and εὐφροσύνης ("gladness, joy"). Paul argues that the rhythm of nature itself testifies to God's goodness, an argument closely related to Romans 1:19-20, where Paul writes that God's invisible attributes have been clearly perceived through what has been made.

Interpretations

This passage raises an important question about natural theology and general revelation. Reformed theologians, following Calvin, have typically emphasized that natural revelation is sufficient to leave humanity "without excuse" (Romans 1:20) but insufficient for saving knowledge of God; the gospel must be proclaimed. Paul's speech here can be read as confirming this: he points to creation as evidence of God's character but urges his hearers to turn to God, implying that observation of nature alone has not brought them to true knowledge. Arminian and Wesleyan interpreters emphasize the role of "prevenient grace" in this passage: God's goodness in creation is itself a form of grace that draws people toward him and prepares them for the gospel. Some interpreters in the broader evangelical tradition see in verses 16-17 a basis for believing that those who have never heard the gospel may still respond to whatever light they have received through creation, though this remains a contested point.

The Stoning of Paul (vv. 19-20)

¹⁹ Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead. ²⁰ 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.

¹⁹ But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and entered the city. And on the next day he departed with Barnabas for Derbe.

Notes

The reversal here is stark: the same crowd that had just tried to worship Paul as a god now stones him and leaves him for dead. The Jews who traveled from Antioch (in Pisidia, about 100 miles away) and Iconium (about 20 miles away) specifically to undermine the missionaries show the intensity of their opposition. The verb πείσαντες ("having persuaded") indicates that the crowds were swayed by arguments rather than force. The fickleness of popular opinion is a recurring theme in Luke's writings (compare Luke 23:18-23, where the Jerusalem crowd turns from welcoming Jesus to demanding his crucifixion).

The stoning of Paul (λιθάσαντες) was a Jewish form of execution for blasphemy and may have been carried out as mob violence rather than a formal legal proceeding. Paul later refers to this event when he writes, "Once I was stoned" (2 Corinthians 11:25), and the experience at Lystra may be part of what he has in mind when he speaks of carrying "the marks of Jesus" in his body (Galatians 6:17). Some commentators have suggested that Paul's vision of being "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) may have occurred during this near-death experience, though the chronology is uncertain.

Verse 20 is narrated with restraint. Luke simply says the disciples κυκλωσάντων ("gathered around" or "encircled") him, perhaps to pray, perhaps to mourn. Then Paul ἀναστάς ("rose up") and went back into the very city that had just tried to kill him. Whether this recovery was miraculous or natural, Luke does not say, but the verb "rose up" and the courage to return to the city the same day suggest something beyond ordinary resilience. Among those disciples who gathered around Paul may have been the young Timothy, a native of Lystra (Acts 16:1), who would later become Paul's closest ministry companion.

Strengthening the Churches and Return to Antioch (vv. 21-28)

²¹ They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² 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.

²³ 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.

²⁴ After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ And they spent a long time there with the disciples.

²¹ And after proclaiming the good news to that city and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples and urging them to continue in the faith, saying, "Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God."

²³ And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ And after speaking the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ And from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had now completed. ²⁷ And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they spent no little time with the disciples.

Notes

At Derbe, Paul and Barnabas μαθητεύσαντες ἱκανούς ("made many disciples"), using the very verb from which "disciple" derives. Rather than pressing east toward Paul's home city of Tarsus (which would have been closer), they retraced their steps through the cities where they had been persecuted, showing that their concern for the new believers outweighed personal safety.

The twin verbs ἐπιστηρίζοντες ("strengthening") and παρακαλοῦντες ("encouraging, exhorting") show that the apostles understood conversion as only the beginning: new believers needed ongoing support, teaching, and community. The message they delivered was sober: διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ("through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God"). The word θλίψεων ("afflictions, tribulations") literally means "pressures" and was the standard New Testament term for the suffering that characterizes the present age before Christ's return (Romans 8:35, 2 Corinthians 1:4). The divine necessity expressed by δεῖ ("it is necessary") makes clear that suffering is not incidental to the Christian life but part of the path to glory.

Verse 23 describes a crucial step in church organization. The verb χειροτονήσαντες ("having appointed") originally meant "to stretch out the hand" (for voting) but by this period had come to mean simply "to appoint" or "to designate." Paul and Barnabas appointed πρεσβυτέρους ("elders") in every ἐκκλησίαν ("assembly, church"). The term "elder" was borrowed from Jewish synagogue governance and denotes mature leaders responsible for teaching and pastoral oversight. They were then παρέθεντο ("entrusted, commended") to the Lord; the verb means to deposit something precious into someone's care, as when Jesus commended his spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46).

The phrase θύραν πίστεως ("a door of faith") in verse 27 is one of Paul's characteristic metaphors (compare 1 Corinthians 16:9, 2 Corinthians 2:12, Colossians 4:3). God is the one who opened this door, so the mission's success is attributed entirely to divine initiative. The phrase τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ("to the Gentiles") signals the theological significance of the journey: the first organized mission to the Gentile world had confirmed that God was incorporating non-Jews into his people by faith alone, without requiring them to become Jews first. This will be the central issue debated at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.

Interpretations

The appointment of elders in verse 23 has been a significant passage in debates about church governance. Presbyterian and Reformed traditions point to this verse as evidence that elder-led governance is the apostolic pattern: Paul and Barnabas appointed a plurality of elders in each local church, not a single bishop. Episcopal traditions argue that the apostles themselves functioned as overseers (bishops) who appointed elders under their authority, and that this hierarchical pattern continued in the post-apostolic church. Congregationalist interpreters note the earlier meaning of χειροτονέω as involving a vote by the raising of hands, suggesting that the congregation may have participated in the selection process, with the apostles ratifying the choice. The text itself does not give enough detail to settle the debate conclusively, but it does make clear that local churches were not left without structured leadership and that the appointment of qualified leaders was a priority from the earliest days of the Gentile mission.