Lystra, a city in Lycaonia where Paul and Barnabas preached and Paul healed a lame man (Act.14.6-21).
Lystra was a city in the region of Lycaonia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Paul and Barnabas fled to Lystra and Derbe when they faced persecution in Iconium (Act.14.6). In Lystra, Paul healed a man who had been lame from birth, which caused the people to believe that Paul and Barnabas were gods (Act.14.8-18). However, Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra and stirred up the crowd against them, leading to Paul being stoned and left for dead outside the city (Act.14.19-20). Paul later returned to Lystra to strengthen the disciples (Act.14.21). Timothy, a young disciple who accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys, was from Lystra (Act.16.1-2).
Approximate location: 37.578, 32.453 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Part of: Paul's Circle
Timothy belonged to Lystra, the city where Paul had been stoned and left for dead on the first journey, so he would have known the cost of following Paul.
Sources: Scripture
A town of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor, in a wild district and among a rude population. Here Paul preached the gospel after he had been driven by persecution from Iconium (Acts 14:2-7). Here also he healed a lame man (8), and thus so impressed the ignorant and superstitious people that they took him for Mercury, because he was the “chief speaker,” and his companion Barnabas for Jupiter, probably in consequence of his stately, venerable appearance; and were proceeding to offer sacrifices to them (13), when Paul earnestly addressed them and turned their attention to the true source of all blessings. But soon after, through the influence of the Jews from Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium, they stoned Paul and left him for dead (14:19). On recovering, Paul left for Derbe; but soon returned again, through Lystra, encouraging the disciples there to steadfastness. He in all likelihood visited this city again on his third missionary tour (Acts 18:23). Timothy, who was probably born here (2 Tim. 3:10, 11), was no doubt one of those who were on this occasion witnesses of Paul’s persecution and his courage in Lystra.
This place has two points of interest in connection respectively with St. Paul’s first and second missionary Journeys: (1) as the place where divine honors were offered to him, and where he was presently stoned, (Acts 14:1) ... (2) as the home of his chosen companion and fellow missionary Timotheus. (Acts 16:1) Lystra was in the eastern part of the great plain of Lycaonia, and its site may be identified with the ruins called Bin-bir-Kilisseh, at the base of a conical mountain of volcanic structure, named the Karadagh .
that dissolves or disperses
LYS'TRA, a city of Lycaonia, situated in the eastern part of the great plain, probably at the present Bin-bar-Kilisheh. Paul visited this place twice, the first time in company with Barnabas, Acts 14, when he was saluted as the god Mercury, but afterward stoned, the second time in company with Silas. Acts 16. Timothy was probably born here. 2 Tim 3:11.
LYS'TRA, a city of Lycaonia, situated in the eastern part of the great plain, probably at the present Bin-bar-Kilisheh. Paul visited this place twice, the first time in company with Barnabas, Acts 14, when he was saluted as the god Mercury, but afterward stoned, the second time in company with Silas. Acts 16. Timothy was probably born here. 2 Tim 3:11.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
6 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G3082
they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,
In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.