Faith, Miracles, and Boldness — Paul and Barnabas Keep Going (Acts 14:1–28)
Have you ever tried to do something good and been misunderstood or mistreated for it? That’s what happened to Paul and Barnabas as they continued their journey to share the good news about Jesus. In Acts 14, we see how they faced opposition, confusion, and danger, yet they didn’t give up.
This chapter shows us that God works through ordinary people who stay faithful, even when things get tough.
Preaching in Iconium — Some Believe, Some Attack
Paul and Barnabas arrived in a city called Iconium. As usual, they went to the Jewish synagogue and preached boldly. A large number of people—both Jews and Gentiles—believed the message about Jesus.
But not everyone was happy. Some people stirred up trouble and tried to turn others against them. Still, Paul and Barnabas stayed a long time, speaking with confidence and performing miracles that showed God was with them.
Eventually, the city became divided—some were with Paul and Barnabas, and others were against them. When a group planned to stone them, they found out in time and fled to the nearby towns of Lystra and Derbe, where they continued preaching the good news.
A Miracle in Lystra — and a Big Misunderstanding
In Lystra, something incredible happened. Paul saw a man who had never been able to walk—he was crippled from birth. Paul looked at him and saw that he had faith to be healed. So Paul said loudly:
“Stand up on your feet!”
And the man jumped up and began to walk!
The crowd was amazed—but also very confused. They thought Paul and Barnabas were Greek gods in human form! They shouted, “The gods have come down to us!” They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes (because he did most of the talking). The local priest even brought animals to offer sacrifices to them.
Paul and Barnabas were horrified. They tore their clothes and rushed to stop the people, shouting:
“We are only human, just like you! We are here to tell you to turn from these worthless things to the living God.”
They explained that God created everything and had shown His goodness to all people. But even with their explanation, the crowd barely listened.
Trouble Follows Them
Soon, some of the same enemies who had stirred up trouble in Iconium came to Lystra. They turned the crowd against Paul. In a sudden turn, Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city, left for dead.
But he wasn’t done yet. When the other believers gathered around him, Paul got up and walked back into the city! The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Encouraging the Churches
In Derbe, many more people became believers. Then, instead of heading home the easy way, Paul and Barnabas went back through the cities where they had faced danger—Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. They returned to:
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Strengthen the believers
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Encourage them to keep the faith
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Remind them that following Jesus includes hardships
They also helped appoint leaders in each church and prayed with the people.
Finally, they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been sent out. They gathered the church and told them all the amazing things God had done—especially how Gentiles (non-Jews) were now coming to faith too.
What We Can Learn from Acts 14
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Faithfulness brings results—and resistance
Paul and Barnabas saw many people come to Jesus, but they also faced attacks and danger. -
Miracles point to God, not to people
The healing in Lystra was powerful, but the crowd misunderstood it. Paul and Barnabas stayed humble and pointed people back to God. -
Courage means not giving up
Even after being stoned, Paul got up and kept going. He didn’t let pain or fear stop him. -
The church needs encouragement
Paul and Barnabas went back to the new believers to support them and help them grow strong in their faith.
Final Thought:
Sometimes following Jesus is hard. People may misunderstand you or even oppose you. But like Paul and Barnabas, we can stay faithful, stay bold, and keep going—because God is always at work. And in the end, every step of obedience matters.
Acts 14:1-28 (WEB)
14:1 In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. 2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews and part with the apostles. 5 When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. 7 There they preached the Good News.8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9 He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked. 11 When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 16 who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”18 Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them. 19 But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.20 But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.21 When they had preached the Good News to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom. 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed.24 They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27 When they had arrived and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28 They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.