Acts 14:5

And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews and their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them, they became aware of it, and fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the region round about; and there they preached the gospel.

The opposition mentioned in Acts 14:2 could be contained only for a time. The increasing success of the gospel finally precipitated the riotous and illegal action in view here. Ramsay referred to this impending mob action as "a riotous and illegal conspiracy";[12] but when the apostles learned of it, they yielded ground, as the Master had commanded, and fled to Lycaonia. Luke's geographical note here to the effect that Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia implies that Iconium was NOT in Lycaonia. Bruce noted that:

Sir William Ramsay has recorded how it was this geographical note in Acts 14:6 that led to his first "change of judgment" with regard to the historical value of Acts convincing him that the statement was entirely correct.[13]

No errors of any kind have ever been discovered in Luke's writings.

The climate for gospel preachers proved to be no better in Lycaonia than it had been in Iconium and Antioch. The pagan population were a fierce, primitive breed.

The very name Lycaonia, interpreted traditionally as Wolf-land (the local legend derived it from Lycaon who had been transformed into a wolf) faithfully represented the character of the inhabitants.[14]

It is a tribute to the Christian gospel that such a population should have responded to the truth, giving to Christianity no less a person than Paul's friend Timothy.

LYSTRA

Lystra was the first stop, being only about eighteen or twenty miles eastward from Iconium; but the distance was not measured merely in miles, for it lay in a different political division of Galatia; and the people spoke a different language.

This was a primitive place, singled out by Augustus as a colony, probably for the defense of the southeastern frontier of the Galatian province.

Throughout the countryside the old Anatolian village-system prevailed, and the native language of Lycaonia was spoken. Lystra was the market-town, with streets crowded by the local peasantry on market and festal days.[15]

There was a temple dedicated to Zeus before the gates of the city; and the people had faith in a legend recorded by Ovid to the effect that the gods had once visited their district.

[12] Sir William M. Ramsay, op. cit., p. 129.

[13] F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 288.

[14] E. H. Plumptre, in Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 59.

[15] E. M. Blaiklock, op. cit., p. 31.