3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, awho was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and bwonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the multitude of the city was adivided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the bapostles.
5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, ato abuse and stone them,
6 they became aware of it and afled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region.
8aAnd in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9This man heard Paul speaking.1 Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, a“Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language,a“The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, aintending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, athey tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 and saying, “Men, awhy are you doing these things? bWe also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from cthese useless things dto the living God, ewho made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,
16awho in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17aNevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, bgave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with cfood and gladness.”
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
Stoning, Escape to Derbe
19aThen Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, bthey stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be cdead.
20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
Strengthening the Converts
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city aand made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
An assault made - ̔ , A desperate attempt was made by their rulers, i.e. by the heathen rulers of the people, and the rulers of the synagogue.
To use them despitefully - To expose them, bring them into contempt, and make them appear as monsters, or movers of sedition; and then to stone them for this falsely alleged crime.
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