The church at Antioch sends out Barnabas and Saul. On Cyprus they confront a sorcerer, and the proconsul believes. In Pisidian Antioch Paul preaches in the synagogue, many Gentiles believe, and some leaders stir up opposition.
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 .