Chapter 5—Preaching Among the Heathen The apostles next visited Iconium. This place was a great resort for pleasure-seekers, and persons who had no particular object in life. The population was composed of Romans, Greeks, and Jews. The apostles here, as at Antioch, first commenced their labors in the synagogues for their own people, the Jews. They met with marked success; numbers of both Jews and Greeks accepted the gospel of Christ. But here, as in former places where the apostles had labored, the unbelieving Jews commenced an unreasonable opposition to those who accepted the true faith, and, as far as lay in their power, influenced the Gentiles against them.{LP 52.1}

Apostlene besøgte derefter Ikonium. Dette sted var et stort tilholdssted for fornøjelsessøgere, og personer som ikke havde noget særligt livsformål. Befolkningen bestod af romere, grækere og jøder. Ligesom i Antiokia, begyndte apostlene her at arbejde i synagogerne, for deres egne folk, jøderne. De mødte en markant fremgang, mange bland både jøder og grækere accepterede Kristi evangelium. Men her begyndte de ikke-troende jøder, ligesom tidligere steder hvor apostlene havde arbejdet, en urimelig modstand mod dem der havde antaget den sande tro, og påvirkede hedningene imod dem, så vidt det stod i deres kraft.