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Acts 14:1-7
Luke shows synagogue preaching producing belief and division, then escalating threats force Paul and Barnabas to relocate and continue speaking elsewhere.
Meaning in context
Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue and speak; a large multitude responds, including jews and Greeks.
Some Jews oppose and actively sour the attitude of the gentiles against "the brothers."
They stay for a long period, speaking boldly; their message is publicly reinforced by signs and wonders.
The wider city becomes divided, aligning either with the Jews or with the apostles.
A coordinated attempt forms (with leaders involved) to mistreat and stone them.
They become aware of the plot and flee to Lycaonia, specifically Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region.
They continue their proclamation in the new locations.
Section 1 of 6
Mixed response and flight from Iconium
Luke shows synagogue preaching producing belief and division, then escalating threats force Paul and Barnabas to relocate and continue speaking elsewhere.
Movement
From Jerusalem to Rome
Artifact
Mission routes and apostolic witness
Biblical Timeline
Apostolic Age
Acts context: AD 33 - AD 100
Biblical Timeline
Apostolic Age
Acts context
Apostolic Age / AD 33 - AD 100
Acts context is set in the apostolic age, where The early church and the writing of the New Testament.
Scripture Text
Thesis
Luke shows synagogue preaching producing belief and division, then escalating threats force Paul and Barnabas to relocate and continue speaking elsewhere.
Plain Meaning
Paul and Barnabas enter the synagogue and speak; a large multitude responds, including jews and Greeks.
Some Jews oppose and actively sour the attitude of the gentiles against "the brothers."
They stay for a long period, speaking boldly; their message is publicly reinforced by signs and wonders.
The wider city becomes divided, aligning either with the Jews or with the apostles.
A coordinated attempt forms (with leaders involved) to mistreat and stone them.
They become aware of the plot and flee to Lycaonia, specifically Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region.
They continue their proclamation in the new locations.
Literary Context
This scene continues the first-journey pattern in Acts: arrival in a new city, synagogue discourse, mixed reception, organized resistance, and movement to the next location when conflict escalates. It follows their departure from Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:50–52) and sets up the Lycaonian episode that follows.
Historical Context
Iconium was a significant inland city in Roman Asia Minor with a mixed population that included a Jewish community and many gentiles. Synagogues served as public venues for Scripture reading and disputation, and visiting teachers could gain a hearing there. Civic stability depended on local elites and magistrates, and crowd polarization could quickly become a public-order concern, sometimes leading to mob-style violence such as attempted stoning.
Theological Significance
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gentiles (ethnōn)