13:1 In the Church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
13:2 On one occasion, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work to which I have called them.”
13:3 Then, after completing their fasting and prayer, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
13:4 Having been sent on their mission by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they set sail for Cyprus.
13:5 When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues, while John served as their assistant.
13:6 When they had traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, they encountered a magician named Bar-Jesus, who was a Jewish false prophet.
13:7 He was an attendant of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a learned man who had summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.
13:8 However, the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them in an attempt to prevent the proconsul’s conversion to the faith.
13:9 Then Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at Elymas
13:10 and said, “You offspring of the devil, you enemy of righteousness, filled with every kind of deceit and fraud, will you never cease to pervert the straight paths of the Lord?
13:11 Now take note of how the hand of the Lord will strike you. You will be blind, and for a period of time you will not be able to see the sun.” Immediately, he was enveloped in a dark mist, and he groped about for someone to lead him by the hand.
13:12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he became a believer, having been deeply impressed by the teaching of the Lord.
13:13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. There, John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
13:14 Then they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath, they went into the synagogue and took their seats.
13:15 After the readings from the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent this message to them, “Brethren, if you have any words of exhortation to offer to the people, please do so.”
13:16 Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak, saying, “Listen, men of Israel and you others who fear God!
13:17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made our people great while they were dwelling as foreigners in Egypt. With uplifted arm, he led them out,
13:18 and for about forty years he endured their conduct in the desert.
13:19 “After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave their land to his people as their inheritance
13:20 at the end of about four hundred and fifty years. After that, he appointed judges for them until the time of the prophet Samuel.
13:21 “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. He reigned for forty years,
13:22 after which God removed him and raised up David as their king. In commending him, he said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man after my own heart. He will carry out my every wish.’
13:23 “From this man’s descendants, God has fulfilled his promise by raising up for Israel a savior, Jesus.
13:24 Prior to his coming, John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
13:25 And as John was nearing the end of his work, he said, ‘I am not the one you believe me to be. One is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to unfasten.’
13:26 “Brethren, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who fear God, we are the ones to whom this message of salvation has been sent.
13:27 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize Jesus or to understand the words of the Prophets that are read on every Sabbath, and they fulfilled those prophecies by condemning him.
13:28 Even though they found no basis to justify his execution, they asked Pilate to have him killed.
13:29 “When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
13:31 and over a period of many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people.
13:32 “We have come here to proclaim to you the good news—what God promised to our ancestors
13:33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus up as it is written in the second psalm: ‘You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.’
13:34 “God raised him from the dead, never to be subjected to corruption. He declares it in these words, ‘To you I will give the blessings promised to David.’
13:35 And he also says in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to suffer corruption.’
13:36 When David had served God’s purposes during his lifetime, he fell asleep, and he was buried with his ancestors, and he saw corruption.
13:37 However, the one whom God raised up did not see corruption.
13:38 “You must understand, brethren, that it is through him that forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.
13:39 All those who believe are justified from all the things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses.
13:40 Beware, then, lest what the Prophets have foretold will happen to you:
13:41 ‘Look carefully, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you will never believe even if someone tells you.’ ”
13:42 As they were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to speak further on these subjects on the following Sabbath.
13:43 After the congregation had dispersed, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.
13:44 On the next Sabbath, almost the entire city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
13:45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and with blasphemy they contradicted whatever Paul said.
13:46 Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be proclaimed to you first. However, since you have rejected it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
13:47 For so has the Lord commanded us to do, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles so that you may bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’ ”
13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were delighted, and they praised the word of the Lord. All those who were destined for eternal life became believers.
13:49 Thus, the word of the Lord continued to spread throughout the entire region.
13:50 However, the Jews incited the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city. As a result, a campaign of persecution was stirred up against Paul and Barnabas, and they were driven out of the territory.
13:51 And so they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.
13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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