Acts

Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

2While 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.”

3And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

On Cyprus

4So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.

6They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

7an 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.

8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas

10and 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?

11Now 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.

12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

14And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.

15After 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.”

16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!

17The 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.

18He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.

19And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

20All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.

21Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

22After 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.’

23From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.

24Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

27The 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.

28And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.

29When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

30But God raised Him from the dead,

31and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people.

32And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers

33He 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.’

34In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

35So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’

36For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.

37But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:

41‘Look, you scoffers,wonder and perish!For I am doing a work in your daysthat you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

A Light for the Gentiles

42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath.

43After 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.

44On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.

46Then 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.

47For 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.’”

48When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.

50The 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.

51So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

1Now there were in the church which was at Antioch, prophets and doctors, among whom was Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2And as they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Ghost said to them: Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work whereunto I have taken them.

3Then they, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.

4So they being sent by the Holy Ghost, went to Seleucia: and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

5And when they were come to Salamina, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also in the ministry.

6And when they had gone through the whole island, as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesu:

7Who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He sending for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God.

8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

9Then Saul, otherwise Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, looking upon him,

10Said: O full of all guile, and of all deceit, child of the devil, enemy of all justice, thou ceasest not to pervert the right ways of the Lord.

11And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell a mist and darkness upon him, and going about, he sought some one to lead him by the hand.

12Then the proconsul, when he had seen what was done, believed, admiring at the doctrine of the Lord.

13Now when Paul and they that were with him had sailed from Paphos, they came to Perge in Pamphylia. And John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

14But they passing through Perge, came to Antioch in Pisidia: and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat down.

15And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Ye men, brethren, if you have any word of exhortation to make to the people, speak.

16Then Paul rising up, and with his hand bespeaking silence, said: Ye men of Israel, and you that fear God, give ear.

17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought them out from thence,

18And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert.

19And destroying seven nations in the land of Chanaan, divided their land among them, by lot,

20As it were, after four hundred and fifty years: and after these things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet.

21And after that they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years.

22And when he had removed him, he raised them up David to be king: to whom giving testimony, he said: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my wills.

23Of this man’s seed God according to his promise, hath raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

24John first preaching, before his coming, the baptism of penance to all the people of Israel.

25And when John was fulfilling his course, he said: I am not he, whom you think me to be: but behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

26Men, brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fear God, to you the word of this salvation is sent.

27For they that inhabited Jerusalem, and the rulers thereof, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets, which are read every sabbath, judging him have fulfilled them.

28And finding no cause of death in him, they desired of Pilate, that they might kill him.

29And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, taking him down from the tree, they laid him in a sepulchre.

30But God raised him up from the dead the third day:

31Who was seen for many days, by them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who to this present are his witnesses to the people.

32And we declare unto you, that the promise which was made to our fathers,

33This same God hath fulfilled to our children, raising up Jesus, as in the second psalm also is written: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

34And to shew that he raised him up from the dead, not to return now any more to corruption, he said thus: I will give you the holy things of David faithful.

35And therefore, in another place also, he saith: Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

36For David, when he had served in his generation, according to the will of God, slept: and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.

37But he whom God hath raised from the dead, saw no corruption.

38Be it known therefore to you, men, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

39In him every one that believeth, is justified.

40Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets:

41Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, if any man shall tell it you.

42And as they went out, they desired them, that on the next sabbath, they would speak unto them these words.

43And when the synagogue was broken up, many of the Jews, and of the strangers who served God, followed Paul and Barnabas: who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

44But the next sabbath day, the whole city almost came together, to hear the word of God.

45And the Jews seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy, and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming.

46Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly: To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.

47For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles; that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.

48And the Gentiles hearing it, were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to life everlasting, believed.

49And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

50But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their coasts.

51But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium.

52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.