Acts 14:14-18 Meaning: When Paul and Barnabas Tore Their Clothes
14But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and sprang into the multitude, crying out,
15“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of the same nature as you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
16who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.
14Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
15And saying, 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:
16Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17Nevertheless 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.
18And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
14But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out
15and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
16who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
18And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them.
14and having heard, the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having rent their garments, did spring into the multitude, crying
15and saying, `Men, why these things do ye? and we are men like-affected with you, proclaiming good news to you, from these vanities to turn unto the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them;
16who in the past generations did suffer all the nations to go on in their ways,
17though, indeed, without witness He did not leave himself, doing good--from heaven giving rains to us, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness;'
18and these things saying, scarcely did they restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
14But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having heard [it], rent their garments, and rushed out to the crowd, crying
15and saying, Men, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, preaching to you to turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things in them;
16who in the past generations suffered all the nations to go in their own ways,
17though indeed he did not leave himself without witness, doing good, and giving to you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
18And saying these things, they with difficulty kept the crowds from sacrificing to them.
Meaning in one sentence
When the people of Lystra tried to worship them as gods, Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in horror. This passage shows why only God deserves our worship.
Context
Paul and Barnabas have just seen a man healed, a man who had never walked. The crowd in Lystra is convinced the gods have come down. They call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes, and the priest of Zeus brings oxen and garlands to the city gates to offer sacrifice. When the apostles hear the commotion, they tear their clothes and rush out. Their reaction is not a show of modesty. It is anguish, the same kind of grief shown in the Old Testament when someone heard blasphemy. They are about to be given an honor that belongs to God alone. This passage records their desperate attempt to stop it and to point the people to the living God.
Key Words
Three words carry the weight of this scene. First, homoiopatheis (of like nature). The apostles insist they share the same human condition as the crowd, weak, mortal, dependent. They are not angels or demigods. Second, mataiōn (vain things) is the Old Testament word for idols: empty, useless, good for nothing. Turning from these vanities is not just swapping beliefs but abandoning what cannot save. Third, amarturon (without witness) describes God’s patient testimony through rain and harvest. The word appears only here in the New Testament. It means “unattested” or “without evidence.” Paul says God left no generation without proof of His goodness, even before they had Scripture. The rain that falls, the food that fills your heart with gladness (euphrosunē, a word for deep cheer), these are God’s quiet witnesses.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this passage a firm boundary. Calvin notes the apostles were not content with words but rushed violently into the crowd, enraged at the theft of God’s honor. Wesley calls the tearing of clothes a sign of “a fire, or other sudden and great danger.” Others, like the Cambridge Bible, observe that Paul’s reasoning mirrors his speech at Athens (Acts 17): God’s natural revelation speaks to all. The episode has also been used to caution against any veneration of saints or apostles that blurs the line between creature and Creator. All agree: the apostles’ core message is that glory belongs to God alone.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take “men of like passions with you” to mean that Paul and Barnabas were confessing sinful tempers or moral failings. In fact, as Adam Clarke explains, the phrase simply means they share the same human nature, subject to pain, hunger, and death. They are not gods, but ordinary men. The word passion here refers to human affections and limitations, not sin.
Living This Out
This week, watch for the moments when you are tempted to take credit that belongs to God. Maybe someone thanks you for a kind word, and you feel a surge of pride. Or maybe you pray for something, it happens, and you quietly think it was your wisdom. Paul and Barnabas did not politely accept praise and then redirect it. They tore their clothes. They made a scene. We can learn to be quick, even urgent, in giving glory back to the One who deserves it. When you notice that impulse to hold on to praise, turn it into a prayer: “This is from You, not from me.”
Main takeaway: Only God deserves worship; even the most faithful messengers are just ordinary people pointing to the living God who made everything and gives every good gift.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Paul and Barnabas healed a man who could not walk. The people thought Paul and Barnabas were gods! But Paul and Barnabas said, “No, we are just like you. Only God is God.” They tore their clothes because they were sad that people were worshipping them instead of God.
For ages 9, 12
The people of Lystra were so amazed by the healing that they wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. But Paul and Barnabas refused. They tore their clothes, a sign of deep grief, because they knew that only God deserves worship. Even if someone says you are amazing or really special, remember that all good things come from God. It is okay to be grateful for compliments, but always give the glory back to God.
Questions People Ask
Why did Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes?
Tearing clothes was a traditional Jewish expression of horror or grief. When Paul and Barnabas heard the crowd preparing to sacrifice to them, they tore their garments to show that this was blasphemy. They were not flattered; they were horrified that God’s honor was being stolen.
What does “men of like passions” mean in Acts 14:15?
It means they share the same human nature and limitations as everyone else. As Adam Clarke explains, the word “passion” (pathos) here refers to being subject to suffering and death, not to sinful desires. Paul and Barnabas are saying, “We are ordinary humans, not gods.”
What does it mean that God “left not himself without witness”?
It means God has always provided evidence of His existence and goodness even without a written Bible. The rain and harvests that feed and gladden people’s hearts are His witnesses. Every good gift points back to the living Creator.
Why did the people of Lystra think Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes?
Local legend told of a time when Zeus and Hermes visited the region in disguise. After the healing, the crowd assumed the gods had returned. They gave Barnabas the chief role (Zeus) because he seems to have been the more imposing figure, while Paul was the main speaker (Hermes, the messenger god).
What can we learn from this passage about accepting praise?
When we receive praise for something good, we should quickly give the credit to God. Paul and Barnabas did not politely accept it and then redirect. They actively rejected the worship. This teaches us to protect God’s glory even when it is uncomfortable or awkward to do so.
For pastors & researchers
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