Barnabas and Saul Sent from Antioch by the Holy Spirit

1Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul 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.

On Cyprus

4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5And when they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John as their helper. 6And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, [†]filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the [†]Lord? 11Now, behold, the hand of the [†]Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13Now after Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and [†]lifted up the people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. 18And for a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. 19And when He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about 450 years. 20After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22And after He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, about whom He also said, bearing witness, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My [†]will.’ 23From the seed of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, 24after John had preached before [†]His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And as John was fulfilling his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of His feet.’

26“Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent. 27For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the [†]utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him. 28And though they found no ground for death, they asked Pilate that He be [†]executed. 29And when they had finished all that was written concerning 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 appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32And we proclaim to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this promise [†]to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ 34But that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and [†]FAITHFUL lovingkindnesses OF DAVID.’ 35Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT GIVE YOUR [†]HOLY ONE OVER TO SEE CORRUPTION.’ 36For David, after he had [†]served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his fathers and saw corruption; 37but He whom God raised did not see corruption. 38Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through [†]Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from [†]through the Law of Moses. 40Therefore watch out, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you:

41‘LOOK, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND [†]PERISH;

FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS,

A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD RECOUNT IT TO YOU.’”

42And as [†]Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept pleading that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing [†]proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Many Gentiles Believe

44And the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of [†]the [†]Lord. 45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, [†]blaspheming. 46Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For so the [†]Lord has commanded us,

‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES,

THAT YOU MAY [†]BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’”

48And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of [†]the [†]Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49And the word of the [†]Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50But the Jews incited the [†]God-fearing women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their [†]district. 51But having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, they went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.