These small group Bible studies of Acts 14:1-18 contain commentary, discussion questions, and practical application. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Acts 14 Bible Study – Paul and Barnabas are Called Zeus and Hermes
Outline
I. Ministering at Iconium (1-7)
II. Ministering at Lystra (8-18)
I. Ministering at Iconium (1-7)
Discussion Questions
• What was the initial response to the gospel at Iconium?
• Then what happened?
• What does this passage show us about people?
• How did Paul and Barnabas react to the Gentiles being poisoned against them?
• Why did they stay a long time even though there was increasing resistance?
• Have you ever faced a situation where people were being poisoned against you? What did you do?
• How did God confirm their message?
• At what point did Paul and Barnabas leave?
• What principles can we learn about sharing the gospel from this passage?
• How can God’s servant know when to stay and keep preaching (verse 3) and when to flee to share in the next place (verse 6)?
Cross-References
Hebrews 2:4 – While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Ephesians 6:18-19 – Making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
Psalms 109:2-3 – For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
Acts 6:11-13, 13:45, 50, 17:5, 21:7-28 – Other cases in Acts where the Jews stirred up opposition to the apostles’ work.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. They entered the Jewish synagogue –
Paul’s strategy was to go to the synagogue first to preach when he entered a new city. See notes on Acts 13:1-12.
2. A great number of Jews and Greeks believed –
The response to the gospel was good. The Holy Spirit was working. A large number of people believed.
3. The Jews poisoned the Gentiles against Paul –
Acts 14:2 – But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
Where God is working, the enemy is often working as well. He preyed upon the Jews’ jealousy and stirred them up first. Then they, in turn, stirred up and poisoned the Gentiles.
The text does not say exactly how they did this. Likely, it was not through public debate or discourse, but rather through talking badly of Paul and Barnabas behind their backs. Here are some of the things they might have said to poison the Gentiles against them. These are also things that modern-day opponents to the gospel might accuse believers of.
• They are in it for the money.
• They are in it for the power.
• They are hypocrites. They are not perfect or better than you.
• They are narrow-minded and don’t accept your customs or practices.
• They are against your culture and would make you give up your identity.
• They are a minority group and their ideas are not widely accepted. Follow the crowd.
• If you follow them, there will be consequences. Rome may punish you.
• They are foreigners. Why should you listen to them?
Opponents of the gospel are always accusing God’s servants. They learn from their boss.
Revelation 12:10 – And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Satan is known as the accuser (Zechariah 3:1-2, Job 1:9-11). He accuses “day and night.”
Reflect – How can we stand strong against Satan’s accusations?
Satan is good at lying. Powerful lies often have a nugget of truth inside of them.
The key is that we need to combat Satan’s lies with truth. Jesus responded to temptation by quoting Scripture. Memorize Scripture and use it to fight back against his accusatory lies.
Psalms 28:7 – The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped.
Application – When people come against you to accuse you or stir up opposition, receive your strength to stand firm from the Lord. Respond by quoting Scriptures and exposing the lies with truth.
Paul often defended himself against these attacks (2 Corinthians 10-11, Acts 22, Acts 24, 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6). He did so not primarily for his own sake but for his credibility as a messenger of the gospel, and by extension, the credibility of the gospel itself.
While we should not be prideful or worried about our own reputation, sometimes it is necessary to respond to accusations like Paul did, for the sake of the gospel.
4. They remained a long time; then they fled –
Acts 14:3 – So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord.
This sentence is a bit surprising. The Gentiles were being poisoned against them. Resistance was growing. There was pushback against their ministry.
Yet they did not leave.
Reflect – What principle can we learn from this?
Sometimes Paul fled, as he did later in this very passage. In this case, he stayed and continued to preach boldly.
Obstacles, opposition, and resistance are not always a sign that you should give up. Resistance to the gospel is to be expected. If evangelists fled at the first sign of opposition, they would be constantly on the move! It takes discretion and wisdom from the Spirit to know when to stay and when to go.
In the summer of 2025, I planned to take my sixteen-year-old son on a mission trip to Brazil with a team from our church. My visa to Brazil came through very quickly, but his did not. There were many procedural delays due to a document that the Brazilian authorities needed. The entire process was difficult and frustrating. Basic tasks like resubmitting a document were impossible due to a poor interface on the Brazilian visa website. Many emails were exchanged. A visa office was visited. It was a very frustrating experience, and tens of hours were seemingly wasted.
After six weeks, we seemed to be getting nowhere. My son, Caleb, suggested that perhaps God did not want him to go on the trip. But I reminded him of what we had been learning in the book of Acts, that doing God’s work is not always smooth. Often it requires perseverance. Thankfully, the visa finally came through and he could join the trip.
We were reminded of the importance of persevering and not giving up in the face of adversity.
Think about all of God’s servants in Scripture who faced adversity.
• Jesus faced opposition from the leaders and was killed. He went straight into it because His mission had to be completed.
• Moses was opposed by the most powerful man in the world, but God was with him and he continued.
• Joshua had enemies like the sand of the seashore in front of him, but God told him to be bold and courageous because He would be with him.
• David was on the run as a fugitive from Saul for many years, but didn’t take the easy way out.
• Elijah was opposed by Jezebel, but God strengthened him and he carried on.
The list goes on and on. Difficulties do not mean that you are outside of God’s will. He puts us on the narrow and difficult road, not the broad way.
Still, we need to be discerning to understand when it is time to leave and serve elsewhere and when to persevere. In verse 6, Paul and Barnabas did flee.
Reflect – How can God’s servant know when to stay and keep preaching (verse 3) and when to flee to share in the next place (verse 6)?
In verse 3, they were opposed, but the door to share the good news was still open. There was verbal resistance, but their physical safety still wasn’t threatened. When their lives were threatened, they left.
At that point, it would have been untenable to stay. They were unable to preach in public because they would immediately be either arrested or attacked. They could have stayed in the city and been in hiding, but you can’t share the gospel well from a place of hiding. For the sake of the gospel, it was more productive to go to a different place with a better opportunity to share in public without retaliation.
As believers consider whether to stay or go to the next place, they could ask:
• Is my life threatened?
• Will I have a better opportunity to share elsewhere?
• Is the opposition here significantly impeding my ability to share the gospel?
At times, it is right to flee. At times, it is right to stay (like in Stephen’s case).
Seek wisdom from God (James 1:5) and make the choice that brings Him glory.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
II. Ministering at Lystra (8-18)
Discussion Questions
• How might Paul see that this man had faith?
• What does it mean that “he had faith to be made well?”
• How did this man respond to Paul’s command to stand?
• What can we learn from his response?
• How did the crowds react to the healing?
• How would you react if people called you a god?
• Are Christians today ever tempted to give undue glory, praise, or attention to Christian leaders? What does that look like?
• What can we learn from Paul and Barnabas about humility and giving credit to God?
• What common situations in your life give you opportunities to glorify God? How will you do that?
• Why did Paul say their beliefs were “vain things?”
• What did he mean by “in past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways?”
• What “witness” did he give them of Himself even in those times?
• In what ways has God revealed Himself to you?
• If someone asked you, “Why do you believe in God?” what would you say?
• How can you use God’s provision in nature as a bridge to share with an unbeliever or talk about the Lord?
Cross-References
Matthew 9:28-29 – When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Revelation 19:10 – Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Paul heals a cripple –
Acts 14:8-10 – Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
Paul and Barnabas had gone to Lystra. It is also a district in the Roman province of Galatia. It was about 18 miles from Iconium, not far away.
In the book of Acts, it was common for the Holy Spirit to perform a miracle when the gospel entered a new location. The miracle would gather attention and people, people who would then hear the gospel message. Those miracles also gave credibility to the gospel message and those sharing it.
In the power of the Spirit, Paul could sense this man’s belief. It is not clear how he was sure about this man’s faith since no words were recorded. While non-verbal communication can often convey a lot and the cripple’s expressions and gestures were likely positive, that in itself does not fully explain what is going on here. It had to have been the Holy Spirit directing Paul in this process. To Paul’s credit, he was sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and obeyed the call to issue the command of healing.
Throughout Scripture, we see that faith in God’s healing power is very important. Naaman almost missed the chance to be healed of leprosy because he originally despised Elisha’s instructions. It was later faith that caused him to go to the Jordan River, wash there, and receive healing.
While God can heal anyone completely of His own volition, it is evident that He often chooses to heal those with faith. That is not surprising.
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Those without faith do not please God. He rewards those who seek Him. He seldom rewards those who do not. Faith in God does not guarantee supernatural healing, but a lack of faith in God makes it very unlikely.
2. The man sprang up –
I love this man’s reaction to Paul’s command. As soon as he hears the instruction to get up, he springs up and starts walking around. It clearly shows his faith and obedience. It was not a half-hearted effort. He was all in.
Application – Do you respond this quickly and fully to God’s commands?
3. The reaction of the crowds –
Acts 14:11-13 – And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
There were fewer Jews in Lytsra than in other nearby cities. Hence, there is no record of Paul visiting a synagogue. Most of the residents are Gentiles, uneducated and pagan.
A Roman poet Ovid, told a legend of how Zeus and Hermes once visited the area disguised as mortals. Only one elderly couple welcomed them. Therefore, Zeus and Hermes destroyed the rest of the city. The crowd’s reaction shows that perhaps they remembered this legend and decided, “We are not doing that again!”
The believed that Zeus and Hermes had made an appearance. They associate Barnabas with Zeus. In Greek mythology, Zeus (Jupiter) was the king of the gods and associated with authority and power. Barnabas was perhaps older and more noble appearing than Paul. Hermes (Mercury) was the messenger of the gods and an eloquent speaker. Paul was the main speaker and was associated with Hermes.
Their response was to order a celebration and sacrifice animals in worship. Lystra did have a temple to Zeus just outside the gates.
What can we learn from this?
Miracles by themselves can be misunderstood
A miracle that is not accompanied by the gospel message can do more harm than good. Miracles and people can become the focus. Attention can actually be diverted from God instead of to Him.
Worship can be misplaced
Sometimes people who do great things can be elevated too high. Christians do not generally worship people, but at times they raise people on a pedestal. Catholicism has raised the Pope up on a pedestal. Saints and even Mary have been worshiped.
Today, certain influential pastors develop large followings. There is nothing inherently wrong with it. However, it can be dangerous if people blindly follow their favorite pastor’s teachings without comparing it to Scripture and doing their own study.
I had many conversations with one believer about theological topics. Often I would ask him, “Why do you believe that?” or “How do you know that is true?” Much of the time, he would answer, “Because my pastor said so.” It is dangerous to appeal to any person’s authority instead of to Scripture.
The Protestant Reformation recognized Sola Scriptura, the principle that Scripture is the ultimate and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
Application – Respect faithful workers for the Lord, but don’t set them on a pedestal. Do not appeal to people as the authority. Do ask, “What does the Bible say?”
We should seek to be like the Bereans in Acts 17.
Acts 17:11 – Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
4. The reaction of Paul and Barnabas –
Acts 14:14-15 – But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you.
Both of them were horrified that the miracle, which they had intended in good faith, was twisted into a means to set them up as Greek gods. You can see the extreme reaction this idea had to Paul and Barnabas.
They tore their garments. That was normally an action saved for death or disaster, and conveying extreme grief or sorrow. In addition, they “rushed” to meet the crowd and immediately attempted to dissuade them from offering these sacrifices.
Reflect – If someone wanted to treat you as a god, would you react this quickly or perhaps enjoy the attention for a few minutes first?
Paul and Barnabas responded the right way. Accepting or even appearing to accept this praise from people for even one second would be wrong. It would be robbery, stealing glory from God.
Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Application – Be humble. Recognize that anything good done through you is ultimately the Lord. Give glory to Him. Think of how, in your normal routine, you can intentionally give God glory and turn people’s focus to Him.
5. Their message –
Acts 14:15-17 – And we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
A living God
Paul adjusted his message to his audience. When speaking with the Jews, he would generally say, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Here, he changed how he referred to God as the “living God.” Both titles were accurate. But Paul understood his audience and adjusted his message to make it easier for them to understand.
In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways
God allowed people to make their choice and go their own way (Romans 1). He didn’t always directly intervene to punish or bring them back. Now God was doing something new. He took initiative to reach out to them in more clear and obvious ways than before. He extended an olive branch. He sent them messengers to tell them of Jesus.
He left a witness
Even before Paul and Barnabas came to share with them the good news of Jesus, God left clear evidence of Himself, His character, and His power.
Romans 1:19-20 – For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
In theology, this is referred to as common grace. He blesses people with rain, food, and provision even when they do not follow Him or understand the gospel. The blessings, and creation itself, point to Him.
On hiking trips, I have often encountered signs that people left to remind those who would came later that they were there. Sometimes these signs are a stack of stones. Other times, they are a simple, “Bob was here” message. These messages remind us that a person came before us and left those as a witness to their presence. Similarly, creation is a witness to God’s existence.
When I go on a walk with my young children, I often ask them, “Where did that tree come from?” or “Who made the birds?” and then we talk about creation and what it teaches us about God. The oceans, rivers, mountains, trees, animals, colors, tastes, smells, skies, and celestial objects all teach us of their artist.
Psalms 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Reflect – How can you use God’s provision in nature as a bridge to share with an unbeliever or talk about the Lord?
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