New Testament · Gospels and Acts

Acts chapter 13

Now in the at , there were and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (called Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (who had grown up with Herod the ), and Saul.While they were the Lord and , said, “ Barnabas and Saul for me — for the work I’ve called them to do.”So after more fasting and prayer, they and sent them off.So the two of them, sent out by the Breath of God, went down to and sailed from there to .When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed in the Jewish . was with them as their assistant.They traveled through the whole island until they reached , where they met a Jewish and named Bar-Jesus.He was an attendant of the , Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The proconsul sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s message.But the sorcerer (that’s what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from .Then Saul — — , looked straight at Elymas and said,“You’re full of every kind of deception and fraud, you ! You’re an enemy of everything that’s right. Will you never stop twisting straight paths?”“Now look — is against you. You’re going to be blind and unable to see the sun for a while.” Immediately a dark mist fell over him, and he stumbled around looking for someone to lead him by the hand.When the proconsul saw what had happened, he . He was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to in Pamphylia, where John Mark and returned to Jerusalem.From Perga they continued on to . On the day they went into the synagogue and sat down.After the readings from , the sent them a message: “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said: “People of Israel and you — listen to me.The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and during their time as foreigners in Egypt. With he led them out of there,and for about forty years he in the .He overthrew in Canaan and gave their land to his people as an .All of this took about 450 years. After that, he gave them until the time of the prophet.Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them , from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years.After removing Saul, God raised up David as their king. God about him: ‘I’ve found David son of Jesse to be — he’ll do everything I want him to.’From this man’s descendants, God has brought to Israel a — Jesus — .Before Jesus arrived on the scene, had proclaimed a of to all the people of Israel.As John was finishing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not you’re looking for. But listen — someone is coming after me whose sandals I’m not even worthy to untie.’“Brothers — , and you non-Jewish people among us who honor God — this has been sent to us.The people of Jerusalem and their leaders Jesus for who he was. They didn’t understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, and by condemning him they actually those very prophecies.Even though they found no legitimate reason to execute him, they asked to have him killed.When they had carried out everything that had been written about him, they took him down from the and placed him in a .But God .And for many days he appeared to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his to the people.“And we’re here to bring you the : what God promised our ancestors,he has for us, their children, by raising Jesus. As it’s written in the second Psalm: ‘; today I have become your Father.’And regarding the fact that God raised him from the dead, again, he said this: ‘I will give you I made to David, and they will hold.’That’s why he also says in another psalm: ‘You will not let your see decay.’Now David in his own generation, then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.But the one God raised from the dead did not experience decay.“So I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that through Jesus the of your is being proclaimed to you.Through him, everyone who is — freed from everything that could never free you from.Be careful, then, that what the prophets said doesn’t happen to you:“‘Look, you — be amazed and disappear! Because I’m doing something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone explained it to you.’”As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next Sabbath.When the meeting broke up, many of the Jewish people and followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to keep holding on to God’s .The next Sabbath, almost the entire city gathered to hear .When the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with and began contradicting what Paul was saying, at him.Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out : “It was necessary that God’s message be spoken to you first. But since you’re rejecting it and judging yourselves unworthy of — well then, we’re turning to the .For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you , so that you would bring to the ends of the earth.’”When the non-Jewish people heard this, they were overjoyed and praised the message of the Lord. And everyone who had been for limitless life believed.The message of the Lord spread through the whole region.But the Jewish leaders stirred up the and the leading men of the city. They started a against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of the region.So they in protest against them and went on to .And the were filled with and with .