Act 14:11-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 14:11-13: 14:11-13 Zeus was the patron god of Lystra, and the city had a temple in his honor. They associated Barnabas with Zeus, perhaps because he was the more impressive figure, and Hermes was identified with Paul ... since he was the chief speaker . The native people of Lystra thought that they were being treated to a divine visitation similar to a past mythological appearance cited by the poet Ovid (in which the gods Zeus and Hermes came to visit the area but were unrecognized except by an old couple; see Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.616–724). So the people set out to honor these supposed gods.

a14:11-13►

b14:13-18►

‏ Acts 14:11-13

Summary for Acts 14:11-13: 14:11-13 ^a Zeus was the patron god of Lystra, and the city had a temple in his honor. They associated Barnabas with Zeus, perhaps because he was the more impressive figure, and Hermes was identified with Paul ... since he was the chief speaker. The native people of Lystra thought that they were being treated to a divine visitation similar to a past mythological appearance cited by the poet Ovid (in which the gods Zeus and Hermes came to visit the area but were unrecognized except by an old couple; see Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.616–724). So the people set out to honor these supposed gods.
Summary for Acts 14:13-18: 14:13-18 ^b The apostles opposed the people’s idolatry and their attempt to offer sacrifices to them. They directed the people’s worship to the living God; the apostles were his representatives as they brought the Good News of the Christian message.