In Greek mythology Hermes was the god of communication, trade, and trickery. He was a son of Zeus and is popularly known as the messenger of the gods.
His name appears twice in the Bible. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul sends greetings to a Christian named Hermes, who was presumably named after the god by his parents, and in the book of Acts the apostle Paul is temporarily mistaken for Hermes by the over-enthusiastic inhabitants of Lystra after he healed a man who was lame. The incident is related as follows:
“When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.”
“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: ‘Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.'”
He redirects their adoration, away from himself, towards the One above all.
Curious Christian 