The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 13 -

(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

Now 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.

While 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.”

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

On Cyprus

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

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

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

an 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.

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

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

and 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?

Now 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.

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

In Pisidian Antioch

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

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

After 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.”

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

The 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.

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

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

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

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

After 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.’(a)

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

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

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

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

The 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.

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

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

But God raised Him from the dead,

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

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

He 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.’(c)

In 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.’(d)

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’(f)”

A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

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

After 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.

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

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

Then 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.

For 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.’(g)”

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

And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region.

The 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.

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

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

Footnotes

(a)13:22 See 1 Samuel 13:14.

(b)13:25 Luke 3:16; see also Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:7, and John 1:27.

(d)13:34 Literally I will give you the holy, the trustworthy of David; Isaiah 55:3

(e)13:35 Psalms 16:10

(f)13:41 Habakkuk 1:5 (see also LXX)

(g)13:47 Isaiah 49:6

(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

Now 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.

As 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.”

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

On Cyprus

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

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

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

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

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

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

and 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?

Now, 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.

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

In Pisidian Antioch

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

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

After 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.”

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

The God of this people

(a)

chose 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.

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

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

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

Afterward 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.

When 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.’

From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation(b) to Israel according to his promise,

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

As 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.’

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

For 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.

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

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

But God raised him from the dead,

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

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

that 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.’(d)

“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.’(e)

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

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

But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

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

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

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

‘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.’” (h)

A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

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

Now 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.

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

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

Paul 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.

For 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.’” (i)

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

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

But 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.

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

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

Footnotes

(a)13:17 TR, NU add “Israel”

(b)13:23 TR, NU read “a Savior, Jesus” instead of “salvation”

(d)13:33 ℘ Psalms 2:7

(e)13:34 ℘ Isaiah 55:3

(f)13:35 ℘ Psalms 16:10

(g)13:38 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(h)13:41 ℘ Habakkuk 1:5

(i)13:47 ℘ Isaiah 49:6