Bible Verses About Religious Zeal

And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews and of the strangers who served God followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

But the next sabbath day, the whole city almost came together, to hear the word of God.

And the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming.

Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.

For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.

And the Gentiles hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting believed.

And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women and the chief men of the city: and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts.

But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a very great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks did believe.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up and incensed the minds of the Gentiles against the brethren.

A long time therefore they abode there, dealing confidently in the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

And the multitude of the city was divided. And some of them indeed held with the Jews, but some with the apostles.

And when there was an assault made by the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to use them contumeliously and to stone them:

They, understanding it, fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the whole country round about: and were there preaching the gospel.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

This same heard Paul speaking. Who looking upon him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

Said with a loud voice: Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up and walked.

And when the multitudes had seen what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice in the Lycaonian tongue, saying: The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter: but Paul, Mercury: because he was chief speaker.

The priest also of Jupiter that was before the city, bringing oxen and garlands before the gate, would have offered sacrifice with the people.

Which, when the apostles Barnabas and Paul had heard, rending their clothes, they leaped out among the people, crying,

And saying: Ye men, why do ye these things? We also are mortals, men like unto you, preaching to you to be converted from these vain things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things that are in them:

Who in times past, suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.