Acts 14:11-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form.”(A) 12 They called Barnabas “Zeus”[a] and Paul “Hermes,” because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments[b] when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 [c]“Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, ‘who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.’(B) 16 In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;(C) 17 yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”(D) 18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 14:12 Zeus…Hermes: in Greek religion, Zeus was the chief of the Olympian gods, the “father of gods and men”; Hermes was a son of Zeus and was usually identified as the herald and messenger of the gods.
- 14:14 Tore their garments: a gesture of protest.
- 14:15–17 This is the first speech of Paul to Gentiles recorded by Luke in Acts (cf. Acts 17:22–31). Rather than showing how Christianity is the logical outgrowth of Judaism, as he does in speeches before Jews, Luke says that God excuses past Gentile ignorance and then presents a natural theology arguing for the recognition of God’s existence and presence through his activity in natural phenomena.
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