Chapter at a glance
Paul and Barnabas proclaim the good news in Iconium, and Jewish and Gentile listeners believe. Opposition grows. After learning that some plan to mistreat and stone them, they leave for Lystra and Derbe. In Lystra, Paul tells a man who has been unable to walk since birth to stand, and he walks. The crowd mistakes the missionaries for Greek gods, calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. When a priest prepares sacrifices, Paul and Barnabas urgently reject worship and call the people to turn toward the living Creator, who provides rain, crops, food, and gladness. People arriving from Antioch and Iconium stir up a crowd that stones Paul and drags him outside the city, supposing him dead. When disciples gather around him, Paul rises and returns to the city; the text does not say he died or was raised from death. After continuing to Derbe, the missionaries return through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch to strengthen the disciples, encourage perseverance amid hardship, and appoint elders with prayer and fasting. Back in Syrian Antioch, they tell the congregation what God has done, including opening a door of faith to Gentiles.
Read the chapter
Read the complete chapter in the Bible
Read all of Acts 14. Notice that believers include Jewish and Gentile listeners; do not generalize the actions of particular opponents to all Jewish people. Identify when Paul and Barnabas speak boldly and when they leave for safety. At Lystra, observe how a miraculous healing is interpreted through the crowd's existing religious assumptions, and how the apostles redirect worship to the living Creator. Compare Acts 14:15 with Psalm 146:6 in the psalm's own context: both identify the Maker of heaven, earth and sea, but Acts does not identify the whole psalm as a direct quotation. Read Acts 14:19–20 carefully: the attackers supposed Paul was dead, which is not the same as Luke stating that he had died. Follow the return journey to see why encouragement, perseverance, elders, prayer, and fasting matter after people first believe. The Hebrew verb chazaq, meaning to strengthen, is a thematic study connection; Acts 14:22 uses Greek strengthening language rather than that Hebrew word.
Key Scripture connections
- Acts 14:1–7 — Bold proclamation in Iconium alongside opposition; withdrawal from a violent plot can be prudent rather than cowardly.
- Acts 14:8–18 — The healing in Lystra and the missionaries' rejection of worship; an extraordinary healing is reported, not promised for every disciple.
- Acts 14:15; Psalm 146:6 — The living Creator of heaven, earth and sea; a strong verbal and thematic connection, not an explicitly introduced quotation of the entire psalm.
- Acts 14:19–20 — Paul's stoning and the crowd's belief that he was dead; Luke does not establish that he died or narrate his resurrection.
- Acts 14:21–23 — Returning to strengthen disciples, acknowledging hardships, and appointing elders with prayer and fasting.
- Acts 14:24–28 — Reporting God's work and the opening of the door of faith to Gentiles.
Respond to the Word
Acts 14 challenges the temptation to measure faithful service by applause, visible results, or the absence of danger. Paul and Barnabas refuse honor that belongs to God and do not use a healing to elevate their status. They also demonstrate that courage requires discernment: they leave when a violent plot develops, while continuing the same mission elsewhere. After Paul suffers severe violence, the narrative does not minimize the harm or promise every believer the same recovery. The missionaries return to support vulnerable congregations; their responsibility does not end when someone first responds to the good news. A disciple can honor God, speak truth without contempt, and carry another person's burden through practical, dependable encouragement. Ask, “How should what I just read change the way I live?”
Prayer for this chapter
Yehovah, my Father, teach me to remain faithful whether others welcome or reject my testimony. Guard my heart against pride when I receive praise and against bitterness when I face opposition. Give me wisdom to recognize danger, courage to obey, and compassion to strengthen those who struggle. May my words and actions direct people toward Yeshua rather than myself. Amen.
Continue walking
Read Acts 14:15–17 and 21–23 again, then read Psalm 146:6 in context. Identify one way you can redirect praise away from yourself toward God. Contact someone whose faith or perseverance needs strengthening: listen before advising, offer a specific encouragement from Scripture, and follow through with practical help if welcomed. Pray without claiming to know in advance how the person's hardship will resolve. Carry the Lamp. Continue Walking.