Lystra
A place in the Bible
A city of Lycaonia, in the middle of what is today Turkey.
What happened here
- The crippled man: in Lystra, Paul healed a man who had never been able to walk.
- “They are gods”: the people thought Paul and Barnabas were gods. They called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes.
- Timothy: in Lystra Paul met Timothy. The brothers spoke very well of him.
Today
Some ruins remain on a hill in the middle of present-day Turkey, south of the city of Konya.
Where it appears in the Bible
Acts 14:6; Acts 14:8-10; Acts 14:11-12; Acts 16:1-2
What the Bible says
Acts 14:6
They understanding it, fled to Lystra, and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the whole country round about, and were there preaching the gospel.
Acts 14:8-10
8And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9This same heard Paul speaking. Who looking upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10Said with a loud voice: Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up, and walked.
Acts 14:11-12
11And when the multitudes had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian tongue, saying: The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men; 12And they called Barnabas, Jupiter: but Paul, Mercury; because he was chief speaker.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Lystra”