Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 14:2

"But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren." — Acts 14:2 (ASV)

Iconium, an ancient Phrygian town, had been transformed by the Greeks into a city-state. Situated in the heart of the high and healthy plateau of southcentral Asia Minor, it was surrounded by fertile plains and verdant forests, with mountains to its north and east. With Augustus’s reorganization of provinces in 25 B. C., Iconium became part of Galatia. But while Rome chose Antioch of Pisidia and Lystra as bastions of its authority in the area, Iconium remained largely Greek in temper and somewhat resistant to Roman influence. Greek was the language of its public documents, and during the NT period it attempted to retain the ethos of the old city-state. The name “Iconium” is probably Phrygian, but a myth was invented to give it a Greek meaning. According to the myth, Prometheus and Athena recreated humankind in the area after a devastating flood by making images of people from the mud and breathing life into them. The Greek for “image” is eikon, hence the name Iconium. Entering Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue, following the same pattern as they had at Pisidian Antioch. As they proclaimed the Gospel, a great number of both Jews and Gentiles believed. Opposition to the Gospel soon arose, but since this city was governed by Greek jurisprudence, this opposition did not follow the same pattern as in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were able to stay there for some time.