A healing at Lystra is mistaken for divine visitation

A man lame from birth walks, and the crowd tries to sacrifice to the missionaries

There sits a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. The same hears Paul speak, who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he has faith to be healed, says with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. He leaps and walks. When the people see what Paul has done, they lift up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. They call Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he is the chief speaker. The priest of Jupiter, whose temple is before their city, brings oxen and garlands unto the gates and would have done sacrifice with the people. When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, hear of it, they rend their clothes, run in among the people, crying out, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein, who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. With these sayings scarce restrain they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

The narrator reports Paul's perception of faith and a real healing without a general diagnostic rule. Local names of Jupiter and Mercurius are the crowd's interpretation, not Acts' endorsement. The missionaries refuse worship and point to the living Creator's common gifts of rain and food. Nothing here opposes medical care, and nothing baptizes Lycaonian religion. Even a true mercy can be misread as a god's visit.