“1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets
and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius
of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the
tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid
[their] hands on them, they sent [them] away.”
“4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia;
and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they were at Salamis,
they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they
had also John to [their] minister. 6 And when they had gone through the
isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew,
whose name [was] Barjesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country,
Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and
desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is
his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the
deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul,) filled
with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all
subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of
all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the
Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou
shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there
fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to
lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done,
believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. 13 Now when Paul
and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and
John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.”
“14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia,
and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. 15 And
after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the
synagogue sent unto them, saying, [Ye] men [and] brethren, if ye have
any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 16 Then Paul stood up,
and beckoning with [his] hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God,
give audience. 17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers,
and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of
Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the
time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And
when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided
their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave [unto them] judges
about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the
prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them
Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of
forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them
David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have
found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall
fulfil all my will. 23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to [his]
promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 24 When John had first
preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people
of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye
that I am? I am not [he]. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose
shoes of [his] feet I am not worthy to loose. 26 Men [and] brethren,
children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God,
to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27 For they that dwell at
Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the
voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have
fulfilled [them] in condemning [him]. 28 And though they found no cause
of death [in him], yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took [him]
down from the tree, and laid [him] in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him
from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with
him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was
made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their
children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written
in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, [now] no more to
return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure
mercies of David. 35 Wherefore he saith also in another [psalm], Thou
shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after
he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and
was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 But he, whom God
raised again, saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, men
[and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from
all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the
prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a
work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a
man declare it unto you.”
“42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles
besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43
Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious
proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded
them to continue in the grace of God. 44 And the next sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the
Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against
those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that
the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put
it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we
turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I
have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for
salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as
were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was
published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the
devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their
coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and
came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with
the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 13:1-52 AV)
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