Acts
13
- In the church at Antioch there were prophets
and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who
had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
- While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work
to which I have called them."
- So after they had fasted and prayed, they
placed their hands on them and sent them off.
- The two of them, sent on their way by the
Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
- When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed
the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.
- They traveled through the whole island until
they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named
Bar-Jesus,
- who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius
Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because
he wanted to hear the word of God.
- But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what
his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
- Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled
with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,
- "You are a child of the devil and an
enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and
trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord
?
- Now the hand of the Lord is against you.
You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light
of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped
about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
- When the proconsul saw what had happened,
he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
- From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed
to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
- From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.
On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.
- After the reading from the Law and the Prophets,
the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have
a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."
- Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand
and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to
me !
- The God of the people of Israel chose our
fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty
power he led them out of that country,
- he endured their conduct for about forty
years in the desert,
- he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and
gave their land to his people as their inheritance.
- All this took about 450 years. "After
this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
- Then the people asked for a king, and he
gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
- After removing Saul, he made David their
king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man
after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
- "From this man's descendants God has
brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
- Before the coming of Jesus, John preached
repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.
- As John was completing his work, he said:
'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me,
whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'
- "Brothers, children of Abraham, and
you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been
sent.
- The people of Jerusalem and their rulers
did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of
the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
- Though they found no proper ground for a
death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
- When they had carried out all that was written
about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
- But God raised him from the dead,
- and for many days he was seen by those who
had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses
to our people.
- "We tell you the good news: What God
promised our fathers
- he has fulfilled for us, their children,
by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are
my Son; today I have become your Father.'
- The fact that God raised him from the dead,
never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy
and sure blessings promised to David.'
- So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will
not let your Holy One see decay.'
- "For when David had served God's purpose
in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and
his body decayed.
- But the one whom God raised from the dead
did not see decay.
- "Therefore, my brothers, I want you
to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
- Through him everyone who believes is justified
from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
- Take care that what the prophets have said
does not happen to you:
- "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe,
even if someone told you.'"
- As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue,
the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
- When the congregation was dismissed, many
of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who
talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
- On the next Sabbath almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
- When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled
with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
- Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly:
"We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and
do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
- For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
"'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation
to the ends of the earth.'"
- When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad
and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life
believed.
- The word of the Lord spread through the whole
region.
- But the Jews incited the God-fearing women
of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution
against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
- So they shook the dust from their feet in
protest against them and went to Iconium.
- And the disciples were filled with joy and
with the Holy Spirit.
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