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 on the  Sabbath-day,  and  preached  to  the  people  Jesus  crucified and risen  again  from  the  dead,  with  the  remission  of  sins  through Him alone.

Paul’s discourse  pleased  the  people  so  much  that  he  was requested to  come  on  the  following  Sabbath  and  preach  again. But the  Jews  were  filled  with  envy,  seeing  the  multitude  that came on  the  second  Sabbath  to  hear  Paul,  and  they  blasphemed and contradicted  all  he  said. Then Paul  and  Barnabas  spoke boldly: “To  you  it  behoved  us  to  speak  first  the  word  of  God; but seeing  that  you  reject  it,  and  judge  yourselves  unworthy  of eternal  life,  behold! we turn  to  the  Gentiles.”

The Gentiles,  hearing  this,  rejoiced,  and  the  Gospel  was  proclaimed throughout  the  whole  land. The Jews,  however,  incited a persecution against  Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  they  were  expelled from that  country. The two  apostles,  shaking  the  dust  from their feet,  went  to  Lycaonia,  where  Paul  preached  the  Gospel in a city  called  Lystra.

Among those  who  heard  him  was  a man  who  had  been  a cripple  from  his  birth,  and  had  never  walked. Paul, looking  at him,  perceived  that  he  had  faith,  and  said  with  a loud  voice: ‘Stand upright  on  thy  feet!”  The  cripple  leaped  up  and  walked. The multitude,  seeing  this,  cried  out:  “The  gods,  in  the  likeness of men,  are  come  down  to  us!”  And  they  called  Barnabas,  on account  of  his  height,  Jupiter,  and  Paul  they  called  Mercury, because of  his  eloquence. And the  priest  of  Jupiter,  bringing oxen with  garlands  of  flowers  to  the  gate,  would  have  offered sacrifice with  the  people  to  Paul  and  Barnabas.

But they,  seeing  what  was  going  on,  rent  their  garments , and ran  among  the  people  crying  out:  “O  men,  why  do  ye  these things? We also  are  mortals,  men  like  unto  you,  preaching  to you  to  be  converted  from  these  vain  things  to  the  living  God,