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Barnabas and Saul Commissioned

Chapter: 13

1THERE WERE AT ANTIOCH, in the congregation there, certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been at the court of Prince Herod, and Saul. 2While they were keeping a fast and offering worship to the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me, to do the work to which I have called them.' 3Then, after further fasting and prayer, they laid their hands on them and let them go.

The Apostles Preach in Cyprus

Chapter: 13

4So these two, sent out on their mission by the Holy Spirit, came down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus. 5Arriving at Salamis, they declared the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had John with them as their assistant. 6They went through the whole island as far as Paphos, and there they came upon a sorcerer, a Jew who posed as a prophet, Bar-Jesus by name. 7He was in the retinue of the Governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who had sent for Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8This Elymas the sorcerer (so his name may be translated) opposed them, trying to turn the Governor away from the Faith. 9But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked him in the face 10and said, 'You utter impostor and charlatan! You son of the devil and enemy of all goodness, will you never stop falsifying the straight ways of the Lord? 11Look now, the hand of the Lord strikes: you shall be blind, and for a time you shall not see the sunlight.' Instantly mist and darkness came over him and he groped about for someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the Governor saw what had happened he became a believer, deeply impressed by what he learned about the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Antioch of Pisidia

Chapter: 13

13Leaving Paphos, Paul and his companions went by sea to Perga in Pamphylia; John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14From Perga they continued their journey as far as Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they went to synagogue and took their seats; 15and after the readings from the Law and the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent this message to them: 'Friends, if you have anything to say to the people by way of exhortation, let us hear it.' 16Paul rose, made a gesture with his hand, and began:

'Men of Israel and you who worship our God, listen to me! 17The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers. When they were still living as aliens in Egypt he made them into a nation and brought them out of that country with arm outstretched. 18For some forty is years he bore with their conduct in the desert. 19Then in the Canaanite country he overthrew seven nations, whose lands he gave them to be their heritage 20for some four hundred and fifty years, and afterwards appointed judges for them until the time of the prophet Samuel.
21'Then they asked for a king and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

- 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart who will do all my will.'

Chapter: 13

22Then he removed him and set up David as their king, giving him his approval in these words: "I have found David son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my purposes." 23This is the man from whose posterity God, as he promised, has brought Israel a saviour, Jesus. 24John made ready for his coming by proclaiming baptism as a token of repentance to the whole people of Israel. 25And when John was nearing the end of his course, he said, "I am not what you think I am. No, after me comes one whose shoes I am not fit to unfasten."
26'My brothers, you who come of the stock of Abraham, and others among you who revere our God, we are the people to whom the message of this salvation has been sent. 27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, or understand the words of the prophets which are read Sabbath by Sabbath; indeed they fulfilled them by condemning him. 28Though they failed to find grounds for the sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29And when they had carried out all that the scriptures said about him, they took him down from the gibbet and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead; 35and there was a period of many days during which he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
32'They are now his witnesses before our nation; and we are here to give you the good news that God, who made the promise to the fathers,

- Thou art my Son

Chapter: 13

33has fulfilled it for the children by raising Jesus from the dead, as indeed it stands written, in the second Psalm: "You are my son; this day have I begotten you."

- I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.

Chapter: 13

34Again, that he raised him from the dead, never again to revert to corruption, he declares in these words: "I will give you the blessings promised to David, holy and sure."

- 'Thou wilt not let thy Holy One see corruption.

Chapter: 13

35This is borne out by another passage: "Thou wilt not let thy loyal servant suffer corruption." 36As for David, when he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, he died, and was gathered to his fathers, and suffered corruption; 37but the one whom God raised up did not suffer corruption; 38and you must understand, my brothers, that it is through him that forgiveness of sins is now being proclaimed to you. 39It is through him that everyone who has faith is acquitted of everything for which there was no acquittal under the Law of Moses. 40Beware, then, lest you bring down upon yourselves the doom proclaimed by the prophets:

- 'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish

Chapter: 13

41"See this, you scoffers, wonder, and begone;
for I am doing a deed in your days,
a deed which you will never believe when you are told of it." ' 42As they were leaving the synagogue they were asked to come again and speak on these subjects next Sabbath; 43and after the congregation had dispersed, many Jews and gentile worshippers went along with Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to hold fast to the grace of God.
44On the following Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of God. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealous resentment, and contradicted what Paul and Barnabas said, with violent abuse. 46But Paul and Barnabas were outspoken in their reply. 'It was necessary', they said, 'that the word of God should be declared to you first. But since you reject it and thus condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

- I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles

Chapter: 13

47For these are our instructions from the Lord: "I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, and a means of salvation to earth's farthest bounds." ' 48When the Gentiles heard this, they were overjoyed and thankfully acclaimed the word of the Lord, and those who were marked out for eternal life became believers. 49So the word of the Lord spread far and wide through the region. 50But the Jews stirred up feeling among the women of standing who were worshippers, and among the leading men of the city; a persecution was started against Paul and Barnabas, and they were expelled from the district. 51So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the converts were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

Chapter: 14

1At Iconium similarly they went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke to such purpose that a large body both of Jews and Greeks became believers. 2But the unconverted Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the Christians. 3For some time Paul and Barnabas stayed on and spoke boldly and openly in reliance on the Lord; and he confirmed the message of his grace by causing signs and miracles to be worked at their hands. 4The mass of the townspeople were divided, some siding with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5But when a move was made by Gentiles and Jews together, with the connivance of the city authorities, to maltreat them and stone them, 6they got wind of it and made their escape to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country, 7where they continued to spread the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

Chapter: 14

8At Lystra sat a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked in his life. 9This man listened while Paul was speaking. Paul looked him in the face and saw that he had the faith to be cured, 10so he said to him in a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet'; and he sprang up and started to walk. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, in their native Lycaonian, 'The gods have come down to us in human form.' 12And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul they called Mercury, because he was the spokesman. 13And the priest of Jupiter, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and he and all the people were about to offer sacrifice.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd shouting,

- who made the heaven

Chapter: 14

15'Men, what is this that you are doing? We are only human beings, no less mortal than you. The good news we bring tells you to turn from these follies to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16In past ages he allowed all nations to go their own way; 17and yet he has not left you without some clue to his nature, in the kindness he shows: he sends you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, and gives you food and good cheer in plenty.'
18With these words they barely managed to prevent the crowd from offering sacrifice to them. 19Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came on the scene and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, thinking him dead. 20The converts formed a ring round him, and he got to his feet and went into the city. Next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

Chapter: 14

21After bringing the good news to that town, where they gained many converts, they returned to Lystra, then to Iconium, and then to Antioch, 22heartening the converts and encouraging them to be true to their religion. They warned them that to enter the kingdom of God we must pass through many hardships. 23They also appointed elders for them in each congregation, and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.
24Then they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. 25When they had given the message at Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26and from there set sail for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the task which they had now completed. 27When they arrived and had called the congregation together, they reported all that God had helped them to do, and how he had thrown open the gates of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they stayed for some time with the disciples there.
References: Barnabas and Saul Commissioned Ac.13.1-3 The Apostles Preach in Cyprus Ac.13.4-12 Paul and Barnabas at Antioch of Pisidia Ac.13.13-52 - 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart who will do all my will.' Ac.13.22 | Ps.89.20 | 1Sm.13.14 - Thou art my Son Ac.13.33 | Ps.2.7 - I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David. Ac.13.34 | Is.55.3 - 'Thou wilt not let thy Holy One see corruption. Ac.13.35 | Ps.16.10 - 'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish Ac.13.41 | Hab.1.5 - I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles Ac.13.47 | Is.49.6 Paul and Barnabas at Iconium Ac.14.1-7 Paul and Barnabas at Lystra Ac.14.8-20 - who made the heaven Ac.14.15 | Ex.20.11 | Ps.146.6 The Return to Antioch in Syria Ac.14.21-28
NEBNew English Bible: © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press & the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961. This Webpage layout © Paul Ingram 2009. Any mismatches, truncated verses, other mistakes? Please e-mail me.