John Gill Commentary Acts 14

And it came to pass in Iconium
When the apostles were got thither, and as soon as they were there; at least the first opportunity theyhad:

that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews ;
which was in Iconium; hither Paul and Barnabas went together, in like manner as they had done at Antioch:

and so spoke ;
such words, and doctrines of grace, with so much power, authority, and demonstration of the Spirit, with somuch plainness, clearness, and evidence, as well as with so much boldness and courage:

that a great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks,
believed :
the doctrines they preached, and in Christ the sum and substance of them; and these were not a few, but agreat multitude; and not of one sort, of the Jews only, who expected the Messiah, but of the Greeks, orGentiles also, who never heard of any; for by Greeks here are meant, not Jews born in Greece, speaking theGreek tongue, and using the Greek Bible, for these were called Hellenists, and not Greeks, but Heathens.

These converts laid the foundation of a Gospel church state in this place; for that there was a church here,is certain from (Acts 14:21–23) In the "first" century, Sosipater is said to be bishop, or pastor of thischurch, and also Tertius, who are both reckoned among the "seventy" disciples of Christ; (See Gill onLuke 10:1). In the "third" century, Celsus was bishop of this church; and in the same century, severalsynods were held here, about the error of Novatus; and in the same century, Nicomes bishop of this place,assisted at the council at Antioch, which condemned the heresy of Samosatenus ^F6 :

in the "fourth" century there was a church in this place, and Amphilochius was bishop of it, of whom Jerom ^F7makes mention; and who read to him a book, concerning the deity and worship of the holy Spirit: in the"fifth" century, it was the metropolitan church of Lycaonia, and Valerianus and Onesiphorus presided over it:in the "sixth" century, a bishop of this church was present at the fifth Roman council under Symmachus: in the"seventh" century, it bore the character of metropolitan, and a bishop of it assisted at the sixthcouncil at Constantinople, whose name was Paul: in the "eighth" century, Leo was bishop of it, who waspresent at the synod of Nice ^F8 ;

and after this we hear no more of it, the place falling into the hands of the Turks, who are now possessed of it:here, according to the Roman martyrology, Tryphena and Tryphosa, mentioned in (Romans 16:12) heard the Apostle Paul preach;and here the famous virgin and martyr, Thecla, was converted.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 19. & l. 7. c. 28, 30.
• F7: Catalog. Script. Eccles. fol. 102. H.
• F8: Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 5. c. 7. p. 418. c. 10. p. 596. cent. 6. c. 2.p. 4. cent. 7. c. 2. p. 3. c. 7. p. 112. c. 10. p. 254. cent. 8. c. 2. p. 4.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles
That part of the Jews, which continued in unbelief, and rejected the doctrine of the apostles, concerning Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah; these stirred up the Gentiles, who had no knowledge of, nor faith in this matter:

and made their minds evil affected against the brethren ;
either in general against all those that embraced the Gospel of Christ; who being of the same faith and family, having the same God to be their Father, and equally related to, and interested in Christ Jesus, are called brethren; or in particular against the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, by representing them as seditious persons, and of bad designs.

Long time therefore abode they
At Iconium, undaunted and not discouraged, at the treatment they met with: but continued,

speaking boldly in the Lord ;
using great freedom of speech, and showing great courage and intrepidity of mind; speaking out, without fear, the doctrines of the Gospel, in the name of the Lord, and depending upon strength, assistance, and support, from him:

which gave testimony unto the word of his grace ;
the Gospel, so called, because it is a publication of the grace and favour of God to the sons of men; in the choice of some of them to everlasting life, in the mission of his Son to redeem them, in the justification of them by his righteousness, and in the forgiveness of them through his blood, in the regeneration of them by his Spirit, in adopting them into his family, and making them heirs of eternal life; and because it is a means of implanting his grace in their souls; to this he bore witness, by giving it success, notwithstanding the opposition made against it, and by miracles wrought in confirmation of it, as follows:

and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands ;
such as healing the sick, curing the lame, casting out devils; and the like, whereby a testimony was given to the truth of the doctrine they preached: and it may be observed, that these miraculous works were not wrought by the power of the apostles, but by the power of God; they were only instruments by whom they were done; it was owing to a grant from the Lord, and to his power, that they were performed.

But the multitude of the city was divided
In their sentiments, about the apostles, their doctrines, and miracles; some approving them, others condemning their doctrines as false, and their miracles as delusions:

and part held with the Jews ;
that did not believe, but rejected the apostles, despised their doctrines, and disparaged their miracles:

and part with the apostles ;
these were the Jews and Greeks, that believed; which divisions in families, towns, and cities, though the common consequence of the preaching of the Gospel, are not owing to any fault in that, but to the depravity and corruption of human nature; and are what our Lord declared was, and foretold would be the case, (Luke 12:51) .

And when there was an assault made
Or a strong bias and inclination were in the minds,

both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews, with their rulers ;
who encouraged them in it:

to use them despitefully, and to stone them ;
not only to give them reproachful language, but to smite, buffet, and scourge them, and to stone them for blasphemy, which was a punishment among the Jews for such causes.