Acts 14:6
“they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.”
What does Acts 14:6 mean?
Paul and Barnabas were forced to escape a hostile crowd that wanted to stone them, so they ran to nearby towns in what's now southern Turkey. The people in those cities didn't yet know about the apostles' message, which meant they had a chance to teach without the immediate threat of violence. This moment of flight led to one of the Bible's most dramatic stories, where Paul was actually stoned in Lystra but miraculously survived, and where he and Barnabas were mistaken for Greek gods. Sometimes our painful detours become the places where God does his most surprising work.