Acts 14:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This very division also contributes greatly to the condemnation of those people. Here what Christ said came to pass: "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Mt 10:34).

What Christ had spoken came to pass: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Mt 10:34).

They withdrew to Lycaonian Iconium, a city about ten miles from Antioch, and there found access among Jews and Gentiles. But the hostility of the Jews, who won the city rulers to their side, drove them from there. This happened after they had already managed to gain a considerable number of attentive disciples through preaching and miracles.

After leaving Antioch, Paul and Barnabas came to Iconium. There, while the apostles’ word, confirmed by signs and wonders, turned a great multitude of Jews and Hellenes to Christ, the unbelieving Jews began to act very strongly against the preachers of the Gospel and the newly converted Christians.

As a result, the whole city was divided. Some were on the side of the Jews, and others on the side of the apostles.

At last the disturbance reached such a point that the party hostile to the apostles wanted to stone them. When they learned of this, they had to flee to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe.

In Iconium the same thing was repeated as in Antioch. The apostles' preaching had great success: "a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed." But this success stirred and irritated the unbelieving Jews. The agitation was so strong that the city was divided into two parts. Some were on the side of the Jews, and others on the side of the apostles.

The people in the city were divided. This seems to be the reason why the Gentiles incited by the Jews did not achieve their goal for a time. The people were divided, and some were on the side of the apostles. This could restrain, for a time, the part of the population hostile to them from open persecution.

The apostles’ continued stay in Iconium helped not only the spread of the faith, but also its confirmation, especially through miracles performed by the apostles in confirmation of the truth of their preaching, which was proclaimed in the Lord’s name.

At the same time, however, the enemies of Christians were strengthened in their malice. The result was that the whole city was divided into two parts. This, of course, speaks of the great success of the apostolic preaching here.

Here, according to Saint John Chrysostom, what Jesus Christ foretold took place: "I came not to bring peace, but a sword" (Mt 10:34).