1 ARST At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish meeting place. There they spoke very powerfully about the Lord Jesus. As a result, very many Jews and non- Jews believed in Jesus. BSB BSB: 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 ARST But some of the Jews refused to believe that message. They made some of the non- Jews angry and bitter toward the people who had put their trust in Jesus. BSB BSB: But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 ARST But Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there speaking boldly about Jesus. Jesus enabled them to do many miracles. In this way, he showed people the truth of the message that God saves us even though we do not deserve it. BSB BSB: 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 ARST The people who lived in Iconium had two different opinions. Some agreed with the Jews. Others agreed with Paul and Barnabas. BSB BSB: The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
5 ARST Then the non- Jewish people and the Jews who opposed Paul and Barnabas talked among themselves about how they could mistreat Paul and Barnabas. Some of the important men in that city agreed to help them. Together, they decided that they would kill Paul and Barnabas by throwing stones at them. BSB BSB: But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
6 ARST But Paul and Barnabas heard about their plan. They quickly went away to the district of Lycaonia. They went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in that district and to the surrounding area. BSB BSB: they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,
7 ARST While they were in that area, they continually told the people the good news about Jesus. BSB BSB: where they continued to preach the gospel.
8 ARST In Lystra, they saw a man who was sitting down because he was crippled in his legs. When his mother gave birth to him, he had crippled legs, so he had never been able to walk. BSB BSB: In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
9 ARST He listened as Paul was speaking about Jesus. Paul looked directly at him and could see in the man’ s face that he believed that Jesus could make him well. BSB BSB: This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
10 ARST So Paul shouted out to him,“Stand up straight!” When the man heard that, his legs became strong. He immediately jumped up and began to walk around. BSB BSB: In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 ARST When the crowd saw Paul heal the crippled man,{ this made them think that Paul and Barnabas were the gods that they worshiped. So} they shouted excitedly in their own Lycaonian language,“Look! The gods have made themselves look like people and they have come down from the sky to help us!” BSB BSB: 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 ARST They began to say that Barnabas was probably the chief god, whose name was Zeus. And they began to say that Paul was Hermes, the messenger for the other gods. They believed this because Paul was the one who had been speaking. BSB BSB: Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 ARST People worshiped Zeus at a temple just outside the gates of the city. The priest who was there heard what Paul and Barnabas had done, so he came to the city gate, where many people had already gathered. He brought bulls with wreaths of flowers around their necks. The priest and the crowd of people wanted to kill the bulls as part of a ceremony to worship Paul and Barnabas. BSB BSB: 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.
14 ARST But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about that, they were very upset. They tore their own clothes{ to show that they did not want the people to sacrifice to them}. They rushed among the people, shouting, BSB BSB: But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
15 ARST “People of Lystra, you must not kill those bulls to worship us! We are not gods! We are human beings who are just the same as you! We have come to tell you some good news about the one true God. You can stop worshiping other so- called gods, because they cannot help you. This true God made the sky, the land, the oceans, and everything that lives in them. BSB BSB: “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 ARST In the past, God allowed the non- Jewish people groups to worship whatever gods they wanted to worship. BSB BSB: In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
17 ARST Even so, God showed you non- Jewish people that he is a good God. He sent rain to make your crops grow. He gave you plenty of food so that you could enjoy your lives.” BSB BSB: 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 ARST Paul and Barnabas said all these things to the people. Even so, it was very difficult for them to keep the people from sacrificing those bulls to worship them. BSB BSB: Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 ARST Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and convinced many of the people of Lystra that Paul had not been telling them the truth.{ The people who believed what those Jews said became angry with Paul.} They let those Jews throw stones at him until he fell to the ground. They all thought that he was dead, so they dragged him outside the city and left him lying there. BSB BSB: 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 ARST But some of the believers in Lystra came and stood around Paul, where he was lying on the ground. Suddenly Paul stood up! He went back into the city with the believers. The next day, Paul and Barnabas left the city of Lystra and traveled to the city of Derbe. BSB BSB: 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.
21 ARST In the city of Derbe they spent several days telling the people about Jesus. Many people there became believers. After that, Paul and Barnabas started on their way back home. They went again to Lystra. Then they went from there to Iconium. Then they went to the city of Antioch in the province of Pisidia. BSB BSB: They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 ARST In each place, they urged the believers to keep trusting Jesus. They told the believers,“We suffer many hardships in this world when we are allowing God to rule over us.” BSB BSB: 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 ARST Paul and Barnabas chose leaders for each congregation. Before they left each place, they gathered the believers together and spent some time praying and fasting. Then they entrusted the leaders and other believers to Jesus, in whom they had believed, in order that he would care for them. BSB BSB: 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 ARST After Paul and Barnabas had traveled through the district of Pisidia, they went south to the district of Pamphylia. BSB BSB: After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 ARST In that district, they arrived at the town of Perga. They preached God’ s message about Jesus to the people there. Then they went down to the seacoast at the town of Attalia. BSB BSB: And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 ARST There they got on a ship and went back to the city of Antioch in the province of Syria. The people there had chosen Paul and Barnabas to go to other places and preach. That was where the believers had asked God to help Paul and Barnabas do the work that they had now completed. BSB BSB: From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed.
27 ARST When they arrived in the city of Antioch, they called the believers together. Then Paul and Barnabas told them all that God had helped them to do. Specifically, they told them how God had enabled many non- Jewish people to believe in Jesus. BSB BSB: 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 ARST Then Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch with the other believers for a long time. BSB BSB: And they spent a long time there with the disciples.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.