Acts 13

13 ¹In the Antioch church were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (a lifelong companion of Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

²While they worshiped our Lord Jesus and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work I've called them to."

³Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The Father's Word Reaches Cyprus

⁴Sent by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, then sailed to Cyprus. ⁵Arriving at Salamis, they proclaimed our Father's word in the Jewish synagogues. They had John as their helper. ⁶Having crossed the whole island to Paphos, they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He summoned Barnabas and Saul, wanting to hear our Father's word. ⁸Elymas the magician—that's his name's meaning—opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul from the faith. ⁹But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him, ¹⁰and said, "You son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, full of every deceit and trickery — will you never stop twisting our Father's straight paths? ¹¹Now look: the hand of our Father is on you. You will be blind, unable to see the sun, for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell on him; he felt his way around, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹²Seeing what happened, the proconsul believed, amazed at the teaching of our Lord Jesus.

The Father's Story Proclaimed in Antioch

¹³Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴From Perga they went on to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word: "Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, speak."

¹⁶Paul stood, waved his hand, and said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear our Father, listen. ¹⁷Our Father, the Father of this people Israel, chose our ancestors, made them great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out with a raised arm. ¹⁸And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹After destroying seven nations in Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. ²⁰This took about 450 years. Then he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹Then they asked for a king, and our Father gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from Benjamin's tribe, for forty years. ²²After removing him, he raised up David as their king, testifying: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do everything I want.' ²³From this man's offspring our Father has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ²⁴Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵As John was completing his course, he said, 'What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me — I'm not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.'

²⁶"Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear our Father: this salvation message was sent to us. ²⁷Jerusalem's people and their leaders didn't recognize him or grasp the prophets' words read each Sabbath—condemning him, they fulfilled those very words. ²⁸Though they found no cause for his death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹After they finished everything written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰But our Father raised him from the dead, ³¹for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, now his witnesses to the people. ³²And we bring you the good news that what our Father promised to our ancestors.

³³He has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising Jesus, as is also written in Psalm 2: "You are my Son; today I have fathered you."

³⁴And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, never to decay again, he said, "I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David." ³⁵Therefore he also says in another psalm: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'" ³⁶For David, after serving our Father's purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was laid with his ancestors, and saw decay, ³⁷but he whom our Father raised up did not see decay. ³⁸So know this, brothers — through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹through him, everyone who believes is freed from everything the law of Moses could not free you from. ⁴⁰Be careful, then, that what is said in the Prophets does not happen to you: ⁴¹'Look, you scoffers, be astonished and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells it to you.'"

⁴²As Paul and Barnabas left, the people urged them to speak again about these things next Sabbath. ⁴³When the synagogue meeting ended, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke with them and urged them to continue in the grace of our Father.

⁴⁴The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of our Lord Jesus. ⁴⁵When the Jews saw the crowds, jealousy filled them, and they contradicted Paul's words, insulting him.

⁴⁶Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly: "The word of our Father had to be spoken to you first. Since you reject it, judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life, look—we turn to the Gentiles." ⁴⁷For our Father has commanded us: "I have made you a light to the nations, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth."

⁴⁸Hearing this, the Gentiles rejoiced and glorified the word of our Lord Jesus; all appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹And the word of our Lord Jesus spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout, prominent women and the city's leading men, roused persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ⁵¹So they shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.