The answer is: Jupiter and Mercury

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

In Acts 14, when Paul and Barnabas arrived in Lystra, they performed a miraculous healing of a crippled man, and the surrounding Lystrians jumped to an exciting conclusion. They mistook these two apostles for the mighty gods Jupiter and Mercury—known as Zeus and Hermes in Greek mythology. This incident highlights not only the power of miracles in demonstrating faith, but also the cultural context in which the apostles preached.

Interestingly, the story reflects a significant clash between pagan beliefs and the emerging Christian faith. Lystra was a provincial town in ancient Asia Minor, where local residents had a pantheistic worldview filled with gods and divine figures. To them, Apollo, the god of healing, and Hermes, the messenger god, made perfect sense following a miraculous event. They even attempted to offer sacrifices, showcasing how deeply ingrained these beliefs were in their community.

What’s fun to note is that Hermes (Mercury) was often depicted with winged sandals, making him the “fast” food delivery guy of the gods—perhaps a memory this town carried from local legends. It's a stark reminder of the challenge early Christians faced in articulating a new faith embraced by simple yet brimmingly complex minds steeped in myth and tradition! Paul and Barnabas were set on redirecting this misplaced reverence towards the one true God, showing that even in a backdrop of rich cultural tapestry, a universal message of love and mercy had the power to shine through.