Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
Now there were in the church at Antioch aprophets and ateachers, bBarnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of cHerod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, athe Holy Spirit said, b“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul cfor the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and apraying they laid their hands on them and bsent them off.
Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out aby the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God ain the synagogues of the Jews. And they had bJohn to cassist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain amagician, ba Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with athe proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the amagician (for that is the meaning of his name) bopposed them, seeking to turn cthe proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, afilled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You ason of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and bvillainy, will you not stop cmaking crooked dthe straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, athe hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking bpeople to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at athe teaching of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And aJohn left them and returned bto Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And aon the Sabbath day bthey went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After athe reading from bthe Law and the Prophets, cthe rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any dword of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and amotioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel and byou who fear God, listen. 17 aThe God of this people Israel bchose our fathers and cmade the people great dduring their stay in the land of Egypt, and ewith uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about aforty years bhe put up with them in the wilderness. 19 And aafter destroying bseven nations in the land of Canaan, che gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that ahe gave them judges until bSamuel the prophet. 21 Then athey asked for a king, and God gave them Saul bthe son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And awhen he had removed him, bhe raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, c‘I have found in David the son of Jesse da man after my heart, ewho will do all my will.’ 23 aOf this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel ba Savior, Jesus, cas he promised. 24 Before his coming, aJohn had proclaimed ba baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, ahe said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you awho fear God, to us has been sent bthe message of cthis salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because athey did not recognize him nor understand bthe utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, cfulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And athough they found in him no guilt worthy of death, bthey asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when athey had carried out all that was written of him, bthey took him down from cthe tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But aGod raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days ahe appeared to those bwho had come up with him cfrom Galilee to Jerusalem, dwho are now ehis witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news athat what God promised to the fathers, 33 athis he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
b“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’
34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, abno more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
“‘I will give you cthe holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,
a“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’
36 For David, after he had aserved the purpose of God in his own generation, bfell asleep and cwas laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom aGod raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, athat through this man bforgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him aeveryone who believes is freed from everything bfrom which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:
41 a“‘Look, you scoffers,
be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and adevout bconverts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them cto continue in dthe grace of God.
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 aBut bwhen the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with cjealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, dreviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God abe spoken first to you. bSince you thrust it aside and judge yourselves cunworthy of eternal life, behold, we dare turning to the Gentiles. 47 aFor so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
b“‘I have made you ca light for the Gentiles,
that you may dbring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and aglorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 aBut the Jews incited the devout bwomen of high standing and the leading men of the city, cstirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and ddrove them out of their district. 51 But they ashook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled awith joy and bwith the Holy Spirit.