Acts 13

First Missionary Journey

1Now there were at 1Antioch, in the 2church that was there, 3prophets and 4teachers: 5Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of 6Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with 7Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, 8the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me 9Barnabas and Saul for 10the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, when they had fasted and 11prayed and 12laid their hands on them, 13they sent them away.

4So, being 14sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to 15Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in 16the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had 17John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a 18magician, a Jewish 19false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the 20proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the 21magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the 22proconsul away from 23the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 2425filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you 26son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked 27the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, 28the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the 29proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at 30the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from 31Paphos and came to 32Perga in 33Pamphylia; but 34John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at 35Pisidian 36Antioch, and on 37the Sabbath day they went into 38the synagogue and sat down. 15After 39the reading of the Law and 40the Prophets 41the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16Paul stood up, and 42motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and 43you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel 44chose our fathers and 4546made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm 47He led them out from it. 18For 48a period of about forty years 49He put up with them in the wilderness. 1950When He had destroyed 51seven nations in the land of Canaan, He 52distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took 53about four hundred and fifty years. 20After these things He 54gave them judges until 55Samuel the prophet. 21Then they 56asked for a king, and God gave them 57Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had 58removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘59I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My 60will.’ 2361From the descendants of this man, 62according to promise, God has brought to Israel 63a Savior, Jesus, 24after 64John had proclaimed before 65His coming a 66baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John 67was completing his course, 68he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of 69this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their 70rulers, 71recognizing neither Him nor the 72utterances of 73the prophets which are 74read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they 75asked Pilate that He be 76executed. 29When they had 77carried out all that was written concerning Him, 78they took Him down from 79the 80cross and 81laid Him in a tomb. 30But God 82raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days 83He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now 84His witnesses to the people. 32And we 85preach to you the good news of 86the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise 87to our children in that He 88raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘89You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’ 34As for the fact that He 90raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘91I will give you the holy and 92sure blessings of David.’ 35Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘93You will not 94allow Your 95Holy One to 96undergo decay.’ 36For 97David, after he had 98served 99the purpose of God in his own generation, 100fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and 101underwent decay; 37but He whom God 102raised did not 103undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that 104through 105Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and 106through Him 107everyone who believes is 108freed 109from all things, from which you could not be 110freed 111through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of 112in the Prophets may not come upon you:41‘113Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and 114perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42As 115Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these 116things might be spoken to them the next 117Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the 118God-fearing 119120proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in 121the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

44The next 122Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of 123the Lord. 45But when 124the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were 125blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you 126first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, 127we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘128I have placed You as a 129light for the Gentiles, That You may 130bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying 131the word of 132the Lord; and as many as 133had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And 134the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But 135the Jews incited the 136137devout women 138of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their 139district. 51But 140they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to 141Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually 142filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.