Acts 13-14

GOD’S WORD Translation

13 Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (a close friend of Herod since childhood), and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.” ³ After fasting and praying, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, and released them ⌞from their work in Antioch⌟.

⁴ After Barnabas and Saul were sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to the city of Seleucia and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus. ⁵ Arriving in the city of Salamis, they began to spread God’s word in the synagogues. John Mark had gone along to help them. ⁶ They went through the whole island as far as the city of Paphos.

In Paphos they met a Jewish man named Barjesus. He was an astrologer who claimed to be a prophet. ⁷ He was associated with an intelligent man, Sergius Paulus, who was the governor of the island. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s word. ⁸ Elymas, whose name means astrologer, opposed them and tried to distort the meaning of the faith so that the governor wouldn’t believe.

⁹ But Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared at Elymas ¹⁰ and said, “You are full of dirty tricks and schemes, you son of the devil! You hate everything that has God’s approval. Quit trying to distort the truth about the way the Lord wants people to live. ¹¹ The Lord is against you now. For a while you will be blind, unable to see the light of day.”

Suddenly, Elymas couldn’t see a thing. He tried to find people to lead him. ¹² When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. The Lord’s teachings amazed him.

Paul and Barnabas Go to Antioch Near Pisidia

¹³ Paul and his men took a ship from Paphos and arrived in Perga, a city in Pamphylia. John Mark deserted them there and went back to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Paul and Barnabas left Perga and arrived in Antioch, a city near Pisidia. On the day of rest—a holy day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.

¹⁵ After reading from Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent ⌞a message⌟ to Paul and Barnabas. The message said, “Brothers, if you have any words of encouragement for the people, feel free to speak.”

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and converts to Judaism, listen to me. ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made them a strong nation while they lived as foreigners in Egypt. He used his powerful arm to bring them out of Egypt, ¹⁸ and he put up with them for about forty years in the desert. ¹⁹ Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as an inheritance. ²⁰ He did all this in about four hundred and fifty years.

“After that he gave his people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.

²¹ “Then the people demanded a king, so God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years ²² God removed Saul and made David their king. God spoke favorably about David. He said, ‘I have found that David, son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

²³ “God had the Savior, Jesus, come to Israel from David’s descendants, as he had promised. ²⁴ Before Jesus began his ministry, John ⌞the Baptizer⌟ told everyone in Israel about the baptism of repentance.^{[a] 25} When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the person you’re looking for. He will come later. I’m not even good enough to untie his sandals.’

²⁶ “Brothers—descendants of Abraham and converts to Judaism—the message that God saves people was sent to us. ²⁷ The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t know who Jesus was. They didn’t understand the prophets’ messages, which are read every day of rest—a holy day. So they condemned Jesus and fulfilled what the prophets had said. ²⁸ Although they couldn’t find any good reason to kill him, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God brought him back to life, ³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These people are now witnesses and are testifying to the Jewish people about him. ³² We are telling you the Good News: What God promised our ancestors has happened. ³³ God has fulfilled the promise for us, their descendants, by bringing Jesus back to life. This is what Scripture says in the second psalm:

³⁴ “God stated that he brought Jesus back to life and that Jesus’ body never decayed. He said, ‘I will give you the enduring love promised to David.’ ³⁵ Another psalm says, ‘You will not allow your holy one to decay.’ ³⁶ After doing God’s will by serving the people of his time, David died. He was laid to rest with his ancestors, but his body decayed. ³⁷ However, the man God brought back to life had a body that didn’t decay.

³⁸ “So, brothers, I’m telling you that through Jesus your sins can be forgiven. Sins kept you from receiving God’s approval through Moses’ Teachings. ³⁹ However, everyone who believes in Jesus receives God’s approval.

⁴⁰ “Be careful, or what the prophets said may happen to you.

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak on the same subject the next day of rest—a holy day. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas talked with them and were persuading them to continue trusting God’s good will.^[b]

⁴⁴ On the next day of rest—a holy day, almost the whole city gathered to hear the Lord’s word. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they became very jealous. They used insulting language to contradict whatever Paul said.

⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas told them boldly, “We had to speak God’s word to you first. Since you reject the word and consider yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we are now going to turn to people of other nations. ⁴⁷ The Lord gave us the following order:

⁴⁸ The people who were not Jews were pleased with what they heard and praised the Lord’s word. Everyone who had been prepared for everlasting life believed. ⁴⁹ The word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But Jews stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials of the city. These people started to persecute Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their territory.

⁵¹ In protest against these people, Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet and went to the city of Iconium. ⁵² Meanwhile, the disciples ⌞in Antioch⌟ continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing happened in the city of Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large crowd of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up some people who were not Jewish and poisoned their minds against the believers. ³ Paul and Barnabas stayed in the city of Iconium for a long time. They spoke boldly about the Lord, who confirmed their message about his good will ^[c] by having them perform miracles and do amazing things. ⁴ But the people of Iconium were divided. Some were for the Jews, while others were for the apostles.

⁵ In the meantime, Paul and Barnabas found out that the non-Jewish people and the Jewish people with their rulers planned to attack them and stone them to death. ⁶ So they escaped to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding territory. ⁷ They spread the Good News there.

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra

⁸ A man who was born lame was in Lystra. He was always sitting because he had never been able to walk. ⁹ He listened to what Paul was saying. Paul observed him closely and saw that the man believed he could be made well. ¹⁰ So Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up.” The man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come to us, and they look human.” ¹² They addressed Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes because Paul did most of the talking. ¹³ Zeus’ temple was at the entrance to the city. The priest of the god Zeus brought bulls with flowery wreaths around their necks to the temple gates. The priest and the crowd wanted to offer a sacrifice ⌞to Paul and Barnabas⌟.

¹⁴ When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they were very upset. They rushed into the crowd ¹⁵ and said, “Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past God allowed all people to live as they pleased. ¹⁷ Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.” ¹⁸ Although Paul and Barnabas said these things, they hardly kept the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ However, Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium arrived in Lystra and won the people over. They tried to stone Paul to death and dragged him out of the city when they thought that he was dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

The next day Paul and Barnabas left for the city of Derbe. ²¹ They spread the Good News in that city and won many disciples. Then they went back to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (which is in Pisidia). ²² They strengthened the disciples in these cities and encouraged the disciples to remain faithful. Paul and Barnabas told them, “We must suffer a lot to enter God’s kingdom.” ²³ They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders,^[d] and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed.

²⁴ After they had gone through Pisidia, they went to Pamphylia. ²⁵ They spoke the message in the city of Perga and went to the city of Attalia. ²⁶ From Attalia they took a boat and headed home to the city of Antioch ⌞in Syria⌟. (In Antioch they had been entrusted to God’s care ^[e] for the work they had now finished.) ²⁷ When they arrived, they called the members of the church together. They reported everything God had done through them, especially that he had given people who were not Jewish the opportunity to believe. ²⁸ They stayed for a long time with these disciples.