Acts 13
Set Apart by the Spirit and Sent
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Barnabas and Saul Set Apart
13:1In the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
13:2While 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.”
13:3Then, after fasting and praying and laying their hands upon them, they sent them away.
Cyprus and the Magician Elymas
13:4So, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.
13:5When they came to Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as an assistant.
13:6They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos and found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
13:7who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
13:8But Elymas the magician—for that is how his name is translated—opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
13:9Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
13:10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all villainy, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness—will you not stop making crooked the Lord’s straight ways?
13:11Now look, the Lord’s hand is upon you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
13:12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Antioch of Pisidia
13:13Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
13:14They continued from Perga and arrived at Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down.
13:15After the reading of the law and the prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, speak.”
Paul’s Address in the Synagogue
13:16Paul rose, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
13:17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people during their stay as strangers in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted arm He led them out of it,
13:18and for about forty years He put up with their conduct in the wilderness.
13:19He overthrew seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land as an inheritance,
13:20over about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave judges until Samuel the prophet.
13:21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
13:22After removing him, He raised up David as king for them, to whom He also bore witness, saying, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’
13:23From this man’s seed, according to promise, God brought Israel a Savior, Jesus,
13:24after John had proclaimed, before His coming, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
13:25As John was completing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not that one. But look, One is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
The Message of This Salvation
13:26Men, brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God: to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
13:27For those living in Jerusalem and their rulers, failing to recognize Him and the voices of the prophets read every Sabbath, fulfilled those voices by condemning Him.
13:28Although they found no cause for death, they asked Pilate to have Him killed.
13:29When they had completed everything written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
13:30But God raised Him from the dead.
13:31For many days He appeared to those who had gone up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.
13:32We proclaim to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers:
13:33God has fulfilled this for our children by raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’
13:34That He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
13:35Therefore He also says in another place, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.’
13:36For David, after serving his own generation according to God’s purpose, fell asleep, was gathered to his fathers, and saw decay.
13:37But the One whom God raised did not see decay.
Forgiveness Through This Man
13:38Therefore let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; and from everything from which you could not be justified in the law of Moses,
13:39in Him everyone who believes is justified.
13:40Take care, then, lest what is spoken in the prophets come upon you:
13:41‘Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish, for I am doing a work in your days, a work you will never believe even if someone recounts it to you.’”
The Gentiles Ask to Hear the Word
13:42As they went out, the people urged that these words be spoken to them on the next Sabbath.
13:43After the synagogue gathering was dismissed, many Jews and devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke with them and urged them to remain in the grace of God.
Turning to the Gentiles
13:44On the coming Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
13:45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and contradicted what Paul was saying, speaking abusively.
13:46Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly and said, “It was necessary for God’s word to be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, look—we are turning to the Gentiles.
13:47For the Lord has commanded us in this way: ‘I have appointed you as a light for Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
13:48When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
13:49The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.
Driven Out of Antioch
13:50But the Jews stirred up the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory.
13:51They shook the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.
13:52The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.