Acts 13

Journey to Cyprus and Elymas Acts 13:4–12

⁴Verse 4. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵Verse 5. When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant. ⁶Verse 6. When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus, ⁷Verse 7. 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. ⁸Verse 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

⁹Verse 9. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, ¹⁰Verse 10. and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹Verse 11. 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. ¹²Verse 12. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Arrival in Pisidian Antioch Acts 13:13–26

¹³Verse 13. Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴Verse 14. But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. ¹⁵Verse 15. 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.” ¹⁶Verse 16. Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. ¹⁷Verse 17. The God of this people 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.

¹⁸Verse 18. For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹Verse 19. 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. ²⁰Verse 20. After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹Verse 21. 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. ²²Verse 22. 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.’

²³Verse 23. From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, ²⁴Verse 24. before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. ²⁵Verse 25. 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.’ ²⁶Verse 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.

Paul’s Sermon on Jesus Acts 13:27–39

²⁷Verse 27. 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. ²⁸Verse 28. Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. ²⁹Verse 29. When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰Verse 30. But God raised him from the dead, ³¹Verse 31. 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.

³²Verse 32. We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, ³³Verse 33. that God has fulfilled the same 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.’ ³⁴Verse 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.’ ³⁵Verse 35. Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ ³⁶Verse 36. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

³⁷Verse 37. But he whom God raised up saw no decay. ³⁸Verse 38. Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, ³⁹Verse 39. and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Warning to the Scoffers Acts 13:40–41

⁴⁰Verse 40. Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets: ⁴¹Verse 41. ‘Behold, you scoffers, and 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.’”

Response of Gentiles and Opposition Acts 13:42–49

⁴²Verse 42. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. ⁴³Verse 43. 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. ⁴⁴Verse 44. The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵Verse 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. ⁴⁶Verse 46. 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 you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷Verse 47. 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.’” ⁴⁸Verse 48. As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹Verse 49. The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

Expulsion and Joy of Disciples Acts 13:50–52

⁵⁰Verse 50. 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. ⁵¹Verse 51. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. ⁵²Verse 52. The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.