Acts 13:2-52

2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, 1the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me 2Barnabas and Saul for 3the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, when they had fasted and 4prayed and 5laid their hands on them, 6they sent them away.

4So, being 7sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to 8Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in 9the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had 10John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a 11magician, a Jewish 12false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the 13proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the 14magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the 15proconsul away from 16the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, 1718filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you 19son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked 20the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, 21the 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 22proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at 23the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from 24Paphos and came to 25Perga in 26Pamphylia; but 27John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at 28Pisidian 29Antioch, and on 30the Sabbath day they went into 31the synagogue and sat down. 15After 32the reading of the Law and 33the Prophets 34the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16Paul stood up, and 35motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and 36you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel 37chose our fathers and 3839made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm 40He led them out from it. 18For 41a period of about forty years 42He put up with them in the wilderness. 1943When He had destroyed 44seven nations in the land of Canaan, He 45distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took 46about four hundred and fifty years. 20After these things He 47gave them judges until 48Samuel the prophet. 21Then they 49asked for a king, and God gave them 50Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had 51removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘52I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My 53will.’ 2354From the descendants of this man, 55according to promise, God has brought to Israel 56a Savior, Jesus, 24after 57John had proclaimed before 58His coming a 59baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John 60was completing his course, 61he 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 62this salvation has been sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their 63rulers, 64recognizing neither Him nor the 65utterances of 66the prophets which are 67read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they 68asked Pilate that He be 69executed. 29When they had 70carried out all that was written concerning Him, 71they took Him down from 72the 73cross and 74laid Him in a tomb. 30But God 75raised Him from the dead; 31and for many days 76He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now 77His witnesses to the people. 32And we 78preach to you the good news of 79the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise 80to our children in that He 81raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘82You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’ 34As for the fact that He 83raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘84I will give you the holy and 85sure blessings of David.’ 35Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘86You will not 87allow Your 88Holy One to 89undergo decay.’ 36For 90David, after he had 91served 92the purpose of God in his own generation, 93fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and 94underwent decay; 37but He whom God 95raised did not 96undergo decay. 38Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that 97through 98Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and 99through Him 100everyone who believes is 101freed 102from all things, from which you could not be 103freed 104through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of 105in the Prophets may not come upon you:41‘106Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and 107perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’”

42As 108Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these 109things might be spoken to them the next 110Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the 111God-fearing 112113proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in 114the grace of God.

44The next 115Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of 116the Lord. 45But when 117the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were 118blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you 119first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, 120we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘121I have placed You as a 122light for the Gentiles, That You may 123bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying 124the word of 125the Lord; and as many as 126had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And 127the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But 128the Jews incited the 129130devout women 131of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their 132district. 51But 133they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to 134Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually 135filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.