Acts 14:8-18

Expanded Bible

Paul in Lystra and Derbe

⁸ In Lystra [v. 6] there sat a man who had been ·born crippled [^Llame from the womb of his mother]; he had never walked. ⁹ As this man was listening to Paul speak, Paul looked straight at him and saw that he ·believed [had faith that] God could heal him. ¹⁰ So he ·cried out [^Lsaid with a loud voice], “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and began walking around. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have ·become like humans [or taken on human form] and have come down to us!” ¹² Then the people began to call Barnabas “Zeus” [^Cmain god of the Greek pantheon] and Paul “Hermes,” [^Cthe Greek god who delivered messages] because he was the main speaker. ¹³ The priest in the temple of Zeus, which was ·near [or beside; at the entrance of] the city, brought some ·bulls [or oxen] and ·flowers [garlands; wreaths] to the ·gates [temple gates; or city gates; ^Cbut it is doubtful that Lystra had city walls at this time]. He and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. ¹⁴ But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes [^Cindicating outrage or sorrow]. They ran in among the people, shouting, ¹⁵ “·Friends [^LMen], why are you doing these things? We are only human beings ·like [of the same nature as] you. We are bringing you the ·Good News [Gospel] and are telling you to turn away from these worthless things and turn to the living God. He is the One who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them [Ex. 20:11; Ps. 146:6]. ¹⁶ In the past [^Lgenerations], God let all the nations ·do what they wanted [^Lgo their own way]. ¹⁷ Yet he ·proved he is real [^Lhas not left himself without a witness] by ·showing kindness [doing good], by giving you rain from heaven and crops at the right ·times [seasons], by ·giving you [satisfying/filling you with] food and filling your hearts with joy [Ps. 104:13–15].” ¹⁸ Even with these words, they were barely able to keep the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.