Acts 13
1 Now there were, in the Church at Antioch, prophets and teachers, among whom were Barnabas, and Simon, who was called the Black, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.2 Now as they were ministering for the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them: Separate Saul and Barnabas for me, for the work for which I have selected them.3 Then, fasting and praying and imposing their hands upon them, they sent them away.4 And having been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. And from there they sailed to Cyprus.5 And when they had arrived at Salamis, they were preaching the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John in the ministry.6 And when they had traveled throughout the entire island, even to Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesu.7 And he was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. This man, summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear the Word of God.8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) stood against them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the Faith.9 Then Saul, who is also called Paul, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him,10 and he said: So full of every deceit and of all falsehoods, son of the devil, enemy of all justice, you never cease to subvert the righteous ways of the Lord!11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you. And you will be blinded, not seeing the sun for a length of time. And immediately a fog and a darkness fell over him. And wandering around, he was seeking someone who might lead him by the hand.12 Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, being in wonder over the doctrine of the Lord.13 And when Paul and those who were with him had sailed from Paphos, they arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. Then John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.14 Yet truly, they, traveling on from Perga, arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. And upon entering the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.15 Then, after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Noble brothers, if there is in you any word of exhortation to the people, speak.16 Then Paul, rising up and motioning for silence with his hand, said: Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen closely.17 The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, when they were settlers in the land of Egypt. And with an exalted arm, he led them away from there.18 And throughout a time of forty years, he endured their behavior in the desert.19 And by destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land among them by lot,20 after about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them judges, even until the prophet Samuel.21 And later on, they petitioned for a king. And God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.22 And having removed him, he raised up for them king David. And offering testimony about him, he said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man according to my own heart, who will accomplish all that I will.23 From his offspring, according to the Promise, God has brought Jesus the Savior to Israel.24 John was preaching, before the face of his advent, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.25 Then, when John completed his course, he was saying: I am not the one you consider me to be. For behold, one arrives after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loosen.26 Noble brothers, sons of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, it is to you the Word of this salvation has been sent.27 For those who were living in Jerusalem, and its rulers, heeding neither him, nor the voices of the Prophets that are read on every Sabbath, fulfilled these by judging him.28 And although they found no case for death against him, they petitioned Pilate, so that they might put him to death.29 And when they had fulfilled everything that had been written about him, taking him down from the tree, they placed him in a tomb.30 Yet truly, God raised him up from the dead on the third day.31 And he was seen for many days by those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who even now are his witnesses to the people.32 And we are announcing to you that the Promise, which was made to our fathers,33 has been fulfilled by God for our children by raising up Jesus, just as it has been written in the second Psalm also: You are my Son. This day I have begotten you.34 Now, since he raised him from the dead, so as to no longer return to corruption, he has said this: I will give to you the holy things of David, the faithful one.35 And also then, in another place, he says: You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption.36 For David, when he had ministered to his generation in accordance with the will of God, fell asleep, and he was placed next to his fathers, and he saw corruption.37 Yet truly, he whom God has raised from the dead has not seen corruption.38 Therefore, let it be known to you, noble brothers, that through him is announced to you remission from sins and from everything by which you were not able to be justified in the law of Moses.39 In him, all who believe are justified.40 Therefore, be careful, lest what was said by the Prophets may overwhelm you:41 You despisers! Look, and wonder, and be scattered! For I am working a deed in your days, a deed which you would not believe, even if someone were to explain it to you. 42 Then, as they were departing, they asked them if, on the following Sabbath, they might speak these words to them.43 And when the synagogue had been dismissed, many among the Jews and the new worshipers were following Paul and Barnabas. And they, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.44 Yet truly, on the following Sabbath, nearly the entire city came together to hear the Word of God.45 Then the Jews, seeing the crowds, were filled with envy, and they, blaspheming, contradicted the things that were being said by Paul.46 Then Paul and Barnabas said firmly: It was necessary to speak the Word of God first to you. But because you reject it, and so judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.47 For so has the Lord instructed us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. 48 Then the Gentiles, upon hearing this, were gladdened, and they were glorifying the Word of the Lord. And as many as believed were preordained to eternal life.49 Now the word of the Lord was disseminated throughout the entire region.50 But the Jews incited some devout and honest women, and the leaders of the city. And they stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas. And they drove them away from their parts.51 But they, shaking the dust from their feet against them, went on to Iconium.52 The disciples were likewise filled with gladness and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13
The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul
1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch:ss Barnabas, Simeon called Niger,s Lucius the Cyrenian,s Manaen (a close friend of Herods the tetrarchts from childhoodt) and Saul.2 While they were servingt the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apartt for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, after they had fastedt andt prayed and placed their handss on them, they sent them off.
Paul and Barnabas Preach in Cyprus
4 So Barnabas and Saul,t sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia,s and from there they sailed to Cyprus.s5 Whent they arrivedt in Salamis,s they began to proclaimt the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.s (Now they also had Johns as their assistant.)ts6 When they had crossed overt the whole island as far as Paphos,s they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,s7 who was with the proconsuls Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsult summonedt Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hears the word of God.8 But the magician Elymast (for that is the way his name is translated)s opposed them, trying to turn the proconsuls away from the faith.9 But Saul (also known as Paul),s filled with the Holy Spirit,s stared straightt at him10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing,t you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?s11 Nowt look, the hand of the Lord is againstt you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistinesss and darkness came overt him, and he went around seeking peoplet to lead him by the hand.
12 Then when the proconsuls saw what had happened, he believed,s because he was greatly astoundedt at the teaching aboutt the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch
13 Then Paul and his companions put out to seat from Paphoss and came to Pergas in Pamphylia,s but Johns left them and returned to Jerusalem.ss14 Moving on fromt Perga,s they arrived at Pisidian Antioch,tss and on the Sabbath day they went intot the synagogues and sat down.15 After the reading from the law and the prophets,s the leaders of the synagoguet sent them a message,t saying, “Brothers,t if you have any messaget of exhortationt for the people, speak it.”t
16 So Paul stood up,t gesturedt with his hand and said,
“Men of Israel,t and you Gentiles who fear God,t listen:17 The God of this people Israelt chose our ancestorsts and made the people greatt during their stay as foreignerst in the countryt of Egypt, and with uplifted arms he led them out of it.18 Fort a period of about forty years he put up witht them in the wilderness.t19 Aftert he had destroyedt seven nationss in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance.t20 All this tookt about four hundred fifty years. After thist he gave them judges until the time oft Samuel the prophet.21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruledt forty years.22 After removing him, Godt raised ups David their king. He testified about him:t ‘I have found Davids the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart,s who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’t23 From the descendantsts of this mans God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.ts24 Beforet Jesust arrived, Johns had proclaimed a baptism for repentancet to all the people of Israel.25 But while John was completing his mission,t he said repeatedly,t ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’t26 Brothers,t descendantst of Abraham’s family,t and those Gentiles among you who fear God,t the messaget of this salvation has been sent to us.27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognizet him,t and they fulfilled the sayingsts of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemningt him.t28 Thought they foundt no basiss for a death sentence,t they asked Pilate to have him executed.29 When they had accomplishedt everything that was writtens about him, they took him downt from the crosst and placed himt in a tomb.30 But God raiseds him from the dead,31 andt for many days he appeared to those who had accompanieds him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Theset are now his witnesses to the people.32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors,t33 that this promisets God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raisingts Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son;stoday I have fathered you.’ts34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesust from the dead, nevert again to bet in a state of decay, Godt has spoken in this way: ‘I will give youtthe holy and trustworthy promisestmade to David.’s35 Therefore he also says in another psalm,t ‘You will not permit your Holy Onetto experiencetdecay.’s36 For David, after he had servedt God’s purpose in his own generation, died,t was buried with his ancestors,t and experiencedt decay,37 but the ones whom God raised up did not experiencet decay.38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this onet forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,39 and by this ones everyone who believes is justifiedt from everything from which the law of Moses could not justifyt you.t
40 Watch out,s then, that what is spoken about byt the prophets does not happen to you:
41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish!t
For I am doing a work in your days,
a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’”s
42 As Paul and Barnabast were going out,t the peoplet were urgingt them to speak about these thingst on the next Sabbath.
43 When the meeting of the synagogues had broken up,t many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytest followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuadingt themt to continuet in the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord.ss45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy,s and they began to contradictt what Paul was sayingt by reviling him.t46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously,t “It was necessary to speak the word of Godt to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthyt of eternal life, wet are turning to the Gentiles.s47 For thist is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointedtyou to be a lightsfor the Gentiles, to bring salvationtto the ends of the earth.’”s48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoicet and praiset the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal lifes believed.49 So the word of the Lord was spreadingt through the entire region.50 But the Jews incitedt the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them outt of their region.51 So after they shookt the dust off their feets in protest against them, they went to Iconium.s
52 And the disciples were filled with joys and with the Holy Spirit.