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 in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

5When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.

6When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus,

7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

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

9But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him

10and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

14But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

15After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”

16Paul stood up, and gesturing with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

17The God of this peoplechose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it.

18For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

19When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance for about four hundred fifty years.

20After these things, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’

23From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvationto Israel according to his promise,

24before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.

25As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26“Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

27For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

28Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

29When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

30But God raised him from the dead,

31and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

32We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

33that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm,‘You are my Son.Today I have become your father.’

34“Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

35Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’

36For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

37But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

38Be it known to you therefore, brothers,that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins;

39and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

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

41‘Behold, you scoffers!Wonder and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’”

42So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

43Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47For so has the Lord commanded us, saying,‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles,that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’”

48As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

49The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

50But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

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

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