Lystra
A city in Asia Minor where Paul was worshiped as a god and then stoned.
lightbulbBiblical Significance
Timothy's hometown and a vivid example of both pagan confusion and hostile persecution.
Gods or Men?
Lystra, a Roman colony in Lycaonia (central Turkey), was about twenty miles from Iconium. Unlike cities with significant Jewish populations, Lystra was thoroughly pagan. When Paul healed a man crippled from birth, the crowds reached an astonishing conclusion: "The gods have come down to us in human form!" They identified Barnabas as Zeus and Paul (the chief speaker) as Hermes. The priest of Zeus prepared to offer oxen and wreaths to them. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in horror, pleading, "We are only human, like you!"
From Worship to Stoning
The same crowd that tried to sacrifice to Paul almost immediately tried to kill him. Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and "won the crowd over." They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, assuming he was dead. But when believers gathered around him, Paul got up and went back into the city. The next day he left for Derbe. Some scholars believe this near-death experience may be the occasion Paul referenced when he spoke of being "caught up to the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). Lystra demonstrated how quickly public opinion can shift.
Timothy's Home
Despite the violence, faith took root in Lystra. When Paul returned on his second journey, he found Timothy—a young disciple "whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek." Timothy's grandmother Lois and mother Eunice had taught him Scripture from childhood (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15). Paul saw his potential and recruited him for ministry. The city that tried to murder Paul produced his most beloved protégé. Grace often works through the very places where persecution rages.
Lessons from Lystra
Paul later reminded Timothy: "You know all about my teaching, my way of life... what happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured." Lystra taught several lessons: miracles can lead to misunderstanding when they're not grounded in the gospel; crowds are fickle and can turn violent; persecution is not the final word—the church grows precisely where opposition is fiercest. Timothy himself was the living proof: the next generation rising from the ashes of attempted murder.
Historical Timeline
Paul heals a cripple, is acclaimed as Hermes, then is stoned and left for dead.
Paul recruits Timothy from Lystra for his second missionary journey.
