Acts 14:8-18

New Testament for Everyone

Confusion in Lystra

⁸ There was a man sitting in Lystra who was unable to use his feet. He had been lame from his mother’s womb, and had never walked. ⁹ He heard Paul speaking. When Paul looked hard at him, and saw that he had faith to be made well, ¹⁰ he said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!”

Up he jumped, and walked about.

¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted loudly in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

¹² They called Barnabas “Zeus,” and Paul, because he was the main speaker, “Hermes.” ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the city gates. There was a crowd with him, and he was all ready to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴ But when the apostles, Paul and Barnabas, heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd.

¹⁵ “Men, men,” they shouted, “what on earth are you doing? We are just ordinary humans, with the same nature as you, and we are bringing you the wonderful message that you should turn away from these foolish things to the living God, the one who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ In earlier generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, ¹⁷ but even then he didn’t leave himself without witness. He has done you good, giving you rain from heaven and times of fruitfulness, filling your bodies with food and your hearts with gladness.”

¹⁸ Even by saying this, they only just restrained the crowds from offering them sacrifice.