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CHAPTER XV.

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Paul and Barnabas at Antioch. Iconium.-At Lystra and Derbe.-Their Return.-End of their First Journey.

THOUGH the Jews might offer sacrifice only in the Temple at Jerusalem, yet in every city, they had places called synagogues, set apart for their worship and reading the Scriptures, where they met every Sabbath.

It was on a Sabbath day after their arrival at Antioch, that Paul

and Barnabas entered one of these synagogues and sat down. After the Scriptures were read, the rulers of the synagogue invited them to exhort the people. Upon which Paul stood up and spoke to them. After reminding them of some of the most remarkable of God's dealings with the Jews of old, he went on to declare the wonderful events which had lately happened in Judea. His words seem to have been well received by some among the Jews, but by more among the Gentiles, who desired that they might hear the same on the following Sabbath. On the next Sabbath, came almost all the city together to hear the word of God, which caused so much

jealousy among the unbelieving Jews, that they stood up and spoke against Paul, contradicting with blasphemous words, what he had been saying.

Then Paul and Barnabas, with just indignation, told them, that it had been the will of God, that his word should first be spoken to them; "but," he added, "seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light unto the Gentiles." Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were rejoiced, and glorified God, and many of them believed, and the Christian faith was spread through all the neighbouring country

But the envious Jews stirred up some of the chief people in the city, and prevailed on them to banish Paul and Barnabas from their state. On which they went to Iconium, a town in the province of Lycaonia, not far from Antioch.

At Iconium the Apostles met with considerable success; a great number, both of Jews and Greeks,* believed; yet here again, the unbelieving Jews stirred up some of the Gentiles, to persecute and even to stone them; but they, being aware of the design, fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities also of Lycaonia, and there they preached the Gospel.

* The Gentiles are often called Greeks, because most of them used the Greek language.

At Lystra, Paul worked the miracle which I am going to tell you of. There was a man who had been a cripple from his birth, and Paul finding that he had faith in Christ, said to him in a loud voice, "Stand upright on thy feet,” and he leaped and walked.

But this miracle produced very painful and remarkable consequences to Paul. The Gentile people of Lystra, who were idolaters, thought, when they saw it, that some of their gods were come down to them in the likeness of men; for there are many accounts in their fables of their gods having done so; they were therefore ready to believe this, and they called Barnabas Jupiter, and

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