Acts 14:6

Ware of it. Undoubtedly there were those on the side of the apostles who had sufficient contact with the opposing group to know of the plot. Luke makes no attempt to exaggerate the sufferings of the Christian evangelists. This narrow escape from stoning is told in simple language, without elaboration.

Fled. The apostles’ action was in obedience to Jesus’ command that when persecuted in one city they were to flee to another (see on Matt. 10:23).

Lystra. Until 1885 the exact location of Lystra was unknown. In that year an inscription was discovered identifying as Lystra a site now known as Zoldera. It is situated some six hours’ journey southwest of Iconium. Traveling on the road from Iconium, the apostles would have ascended through a range of hills to the plateau on which Lystra lay. Although Lycaonia is noted in classical literature as a wild, uncivilized country, inscriptional evidence indicates that Lystra was made a Roman colony by Augustus, and so it doubtless enjoyed a higher culture than the surrounding country. As a Roman commercial center Lystra may have had Jews in its population, but the record of Acts gives no indication that the city contained a synagogue, and Paul’s contacts there appear to have been largely with Gentiles. Even Timothy, the child of a devout Jewish mother, probably of Lystra, had grown up uncircumcised (see on ch. 16:1, 3). See Paul’s First Missionary Tour.

Derbe. The site of Derbe was discovered in 1956 when an inscription mentioning Derbe was found at Kerti Huyuk, 52 mi. (83 km.) southeast of Iconium, the modern Konya. Another inscription confirming this identification had come to light in more recent years. Gaius, later one of Paul’s fellow travelers, was from Derbe (ch. 20:4). See Paul’s First Missionary Tour.

Lycaonia. Lycaonia was not a Roman province, but a racial area, the western part of which lay in the Roman province of Galatia and the eastern part in the kingdom of Antiochus of Commagene. Paul and Barnabas apparently remained within the boundaries of the province of Galatia. In NT times Iconium was reckoned as belonging to Phrygia, so in going on to Lystra and Derbe, the apostles entered a new area.

Lieth round about. This suggests that the cities of Lystra and Derbe were small and that Paul and Barnabas evangelized them in a short time. In so far as they worked in the country villages, they must have met Gentiles almost entirely.