CHAPTER 13
In
the
church
at
Antioch
there were
prophets
and
teachers:
Barnabas,
Simeon
called
Niger,
Lucius
of
Cyrene,
Manaen
(a childhood companion
of 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."
Then
Barnabas and Saul,
sent forth
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.
And
John
was with them
as their helper.
They traveled through
the
whole
island
as far as
Paphos,
where they found
a
Jewish
sorcerer
and false prophet
named
Bar-Jesus,
an attendant
of the
proconsul,
Sergius
Paulus.
The proconsul,
a man
of intelligence,
summoned
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.
and said,
“O
child
of the devil
and enemy
of all
righteousness!
You are full
of all kinds
of deceit
and
trickery.
Will you never stop
perverting
the
straight
ways
of the
Lord?
Now
look,
the hand
of the Lord
is against
you,
and
for
a time
you will be
blind and
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 astonished
at
the
teaching
about the
Lord.
After setting sail
from
Paphos,
Paul
and his companions
came
to
Perga
in Pamphylia,
where
John
left
them
to return
to
Jerusalem.
And
from
Perga,
they
traveled inland
to
Pisidian
Antioch,
where
they entered
the
synagogue
on the
Sabbath
and sat down.
After
the
reading
from the
Law
and
the
Prophets,
the
synagogue leaders
sent word
to
them:
“Brothers,
if
you have
a
word
of encouragement
for
the
people,
please speak."
Paul
stood up,
motioned
with his
hand,
and began to speak:
“Men
of Israel
and
you Gentiles who
fear
God,
listen to me!
The
God
of
the
people
of Israel
chose
our
fathers.
He made them into a great
people
during
their
stay
in
Egypt,
and
with
an uplifted
arm
He led
them
out of
that land.
And
having vanquished
seven
nations
in
Canaan,
He gave their
land
to His people as an 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
God
gave
them
forty
years
under Saul
son
of Kish,
from
the tribe
of Benjamin.
After
removing
Saul,
He raised up
David
as
their
king
and
testified
about him:
‘I have found
David
son
of Jesse
a man
after
My
own
heart;
he
will carry out
My
will
in its entirety.'
As
John
was completing
his
course,
he said,
‘Who
do you suppose
I
am?
I
am
not that One.
But
He is coming
after
me
whose
sandals
I am
not
worthy
to untie.'
Brothers,
children
of Abraham,
and
you Gentiles who
fear
God,
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.
When
they had carried out
all
that
was written
about
Him,
they took Him down
from
the
tree
and laid Him
in
a tomb.
and for
many
days
He
appeared
to those who
had accompanied
Him
from
Galilee
to
Jerusalem.
They
are
now
His
witnesses
to
our
people.
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.'
In fact,
God raised
Him
from
the dead
never
to see
decay.
As He has said:
‘I will give
you
the
holy and
sure blessings
I promised to David.’
For
when David
had served
God’s
purpose
in his own
generation,
he fell asleep.
His body was buried
with
his
fathers
and
saw
decay.
Therefore
let it be
known
to you,
brothers,
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.
‘Look,
you
scoffers,
wonder
and
perish;
for
I
am doing
a work
in
your
days
that
you would never believe,
even if
someone
told
you.’”
As
Paul and Barnabas
were leaving the synagogue,
the people urged
them
to continue
this
message
on
the
next
Sabbath.
After
the
synagogue
was dismissed,
many
of the
Jews
and
devout
converts to Judaism
followed
Paul
and
Barnabas,
who
spoke
to them
and urged
them
to continue
in the
grace
of God.
But when
the
Jews
saw
the
crowds,
they were filled
with jealousy,
and
they blasphemously
contradicted
what
Paul
was saying.
Then
Paul
and
Barnabas
answered them boldly:
“It was
necessary
to speak
the
word
of God
to you
first.
But 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,
to bring
salvation
to
the ends
of the
earth.’”
When
the
Gentiles
heard this,
they rejoiced
and
glorified
the
word
of the
Lord,
and
all who
were
appointed
for
eternal
life
believed.
The
Jews,
however,
incited
the
religious
women
of prominence
and
the
leading men
of the
city.
They stirred up
persecution
against
Paul
and
Barnabas
and
drove them out
of
their
district.