Acts 13

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

1 At the church in Antioch, they had some real ones holding it down: Barnabas, Simeon (called Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (who grew up with Herod), and Saul.

2 While they were praying and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”

3 So after more praying and fasting, they laid hands on them and sent them off.

4 Barnabas and Saul, led by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they got to Salamis, they started preaching the word in the Jewish synagogues, with John (Mark) as their assistant.

6 They traveled through the island and came to Paphos, where they met a magician named Bar-Jesus, who was working with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a smart dude who wanted to hear God’s word.

7 But the magician, also called Elymas, was blocking them, trying to keep Sergius from believing.

8 Saul, also called Paul now, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared Elymas down and said,

9 “You fraud and enemy of everything good! You are full of lies and tricks, always trying to mess up God’s plans.

10 The Lord’s hand is on you now, you are going to be blind for a while, unable to see the light of day.”

11 Immediately, Elymas went blind, stumbling around, begging for someone to guide him.

12 When Sergius Paulus saw what went down, he believed, amazed at what Paul was teaching about the Lord.

13 Paul and his crew sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia, but John (Mark) left them and went back to Jerusalem.

14 Paul and Barnabas kept it moving to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath, they hit up the synagogue and sat down.

15 After the Scripture readings, the leaders asked them, “Brothers, if you all got a word of encouragement, go ahead and speak.”

Paul’s Sermon in Antioch

16 Paul stood up, waved his hand, and said, “Listen up, fam! Jews and God-fearing Gentiles,

17 God chose our ancestors, made them great in Egypt, and brought them out with mad power.

18 He put up with their nonsense in the wilderness for 40 years.

19 Then He took down seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to His people.

20 All of this went down over about 450 years. After that, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21 Then they asked for a king, so God gave them Saul, son of Kish, who ruled for 40 years.

22 After Saul, God raised up David, saying, ‘This is a man after My own heart; he will do whatever I want him to do.’

23 From David’s line, God brought Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as He promised.

24 Before Jesus came, John the Baptist preached repentance and baptism to everyone in Israel.

25 John said, ‘I am not the one you all are looking for. Someone greater is coming after me, and I am not even worthy to tie His shoes.’

26 “Brothers, this message of salvation is for us!

27 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus, and by condemning Him, they actually fulfilled the prophecies read every Sabbath.

28 Though they found no reason to sentence Him to death, they asked Pilate to kill Him anyway.

29 After they did everything written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

30 But God raised Him from the dead!

31 For many days, He was seen by those who traveled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are witnesses to all of this.

32 And now we are bringing you the good news: what God promised our ancestors

33 He has fulfilled for us by raising up Jesus, as it is written in Psalm 2: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’

34 God promised He would never let His Holy One rot in the grave,

35 Just like Psalm 16 says: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’

36 David died and was buried, and his body decayed.

37 But Jesus, whom God raised, did not decay.

38 So know this, fam: Through Jesus, your sins are forgiven.

39 Everyone who believes in Him is free from the sins that the law of Moses could not clear up.

40 Do not sleep on this! Do not let the warning from the prophets apply to you:

41 ‘Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, because I am doing something you would not believe, even if someone told you.’”

42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people begged them to come back next Sabbath and preach again.

43 Many Jews and devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who encouraged them to stay true to God’s grace.

The Gentiles Rejoice

44 The next Sabbath, almost the whole city came out to hear the word of God.

45 When the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they got jealous and started talking trash to oppose Paul.

46 But Paul and Barnabas clapped back, saying, “We had to bring God’s word to you all first. But since you are rejecting it and judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are taking this message to the Gentiles.

47 This is what God commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were lit and praised God’s word. All who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

50 But the Jewish leaders stirred up trouble, getting some influential women and men to persecute Paul and Barnabas and run them out of town.

51 So they shook the dust off their feet and went to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were hyped, full of joy and the Holy Spirit.