# Mission to Lystra and Derbe

Early Church · Draft · BSB

Content revision: 234ceb7c9bc98b9c · No editorial review date recorded

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Date: c. AD 46–48

At Lystra, Paul heals a man lame from birth, and the crowd tries to offer sacrifices to him and Barnabas as Hermes and Zeus. Opponents from Antioch and Iconium then win over the crowd; Paul is stoned and left for dead, but gets up and goes on to Derbe.

## Primary Scripture

[Acts 14:6–20 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2014%3A6%E2%80%9320&version=BSB)

14:6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,

14:7 where they continued to preach the gospel.

14:8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.

14:9 This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.

14:10 In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.

14:11 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!”

14:12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

14:13 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.

14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

14:15 “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.

14:16 In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.

14:17 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.”

14:18 Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.

14:19 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.

14:20 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.

## Location evidence

Event map marker: Identified site; \[longitude, latitude\] = \[32.45318, 37.57813\]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.

Derbe: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[33.27142, 37.35092\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21521)

Lystra: Identified site. Coordinates \[longitude, latitude\]: \[32.45318, 37.57813\]. Classification source: rule.

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21522)

[Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire](http://dare.ht.lu.se/places/21522)

## Interpretation and reuse

Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.

Record source: theographic (342)

Record source: editorial

Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm

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