The answer is: Jupiter and Mercury

Acts 14:12 - also Zeus and Hermes in the Greek.

When Paul and Barnabas rolled into the bustling town of Lystra, they sparked quite the buzz! After witnessing a miraculous healing, the locals were so blown away that they quickly equated Paul with Hermes (Mercury), the messenger god, while Barnabas seemed to fit the bill of Zeus (Jupiter), the top dog of the pantheon. Think about it—what signs even hinted at this idea? In Lystra’s understanding, they saw the miraculous pull of the duo and their layered confounding was a direct reflection of their cultural lens.

What’s cool about this moment is how it shows the encountering of two worlds: the Graeco-Roman beliefs ricocheting off the early Christian message. The celebrations might have begun with the people seeing their gods at play but soon transformed as Paul and Barnabas took the opportunity to carefully steer them towards the One true God, refocusing their awe rather than indulging in the attention.

An interesting tidbit—throughout the New Testament, you've got echoes of these godly figures stitching human experiences. For instance, many places Paul visited saw gods who looked awfully familiar to those mentioned back in Greek myths, exemplifying the rich tapestry of cultures colliding during this formative movement of Christianity. What attitude did early Christians embody in their outreach? It was one of respect for cultural practices while promoting Ethiopian zeal for spirituality, breaking barriers amazing for their time!