The Visit to Lystra and Derbe

In Lystra Paul notices a man lame from birth listening with faith to be healed and calls out for him to stand. The man jumps up and begins to walk.

I⁸n Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. ⁹This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed. ¹⁰In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.

Seeing the healing, the crowds say the gods have come down in human form and call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, and the priest of Zeus comes ready to offer sacrifice with them. Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes, insist they are only human, and urge the crowd to turn from worthless things to the living Creator who has always given witness through rain, fruitful seasons, food, and gladness, yet they can hardly restrain the sacrifice.

¹¹When 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!” ¹²Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³The 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. ¹⁴But 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. ¹⁶In past generations, He let all nations go their own way. ¹⁷Yet 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.” ¹⁸Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium persuade the crowds, stone Paul, and drag him outside the city, thinking him dead. But after the disciples gather around him, he rises and returns to the city, and the next day he and Barnabas leave for Derbe.

¹⁹Then 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. ²⁰But 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.