Acts 14:12

They called (ekaloun). Inchoative imperfect began to call. Barnabas, Jupiter (ton Barnaban Dia). Because Barnabas was the older and the more imposing in appearance. Paul admits that he was not impressive in looks ( 2 Corinthians 10:10 ). And Paul, Mercury (ton de Paulon Hermhn). Mercury (Hermh) was the messenger of the gods, and the spokesman of Zeus. Hermh was of beautiful appearance and eloquent in speech, the inventor of speech in legend. Our word hermeneutics or science of interpretation comes from this word ( Hebrews 7:2 ; John 1:38 ). Because he was the chief speaker (epeidh auto hn o hgoumeno tou logou). Paul was clearly "the leader of the talk." So it seemed a clear case to the natives. If preachers always knew what people really think of them! Whether Paul was alluding to his experience in Lystra or not in Galatians 4:14 , certainly they did receive him as an angel of God, as if "Mercury" in reality.