Acts 13

Preparing for the Mission Field

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, # 13:1 Mt 14:1; Ac 4:36; 11:19,22,27; 1Co 12:28 and Saul.

2As they were worshiping # 13:2 Or 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.” # 13:2 Ac 8:29; 9:15; Rm 1:1; Gl 1:15 3Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. # 13:3 Ac 6:6; 14:26

The Mission to Cyprus

4So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. # 13:5 Ac 9:20; 12:12 6When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. # 13:6 Mt 7:15; Ac 8:9 7He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. # 13:7 Ac 18:12; 19:38 8But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed # 13:8 Ex 7:11; 2Tm 3:8 them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. # 13:8 Ac 6:7; 8:9

9But Saul — also called Paul — filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas 10and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil # 13:10 Mt 13:38; Jn 8:44 and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths # 13:10 Hs 14:9; 2Pt 2:15 of the Lord? 11Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you. # 13:11 Ex 9:3; 1Sm 5:6–7; Ps 32:4; Heb 10:31 You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. # 13:12 Ac 13:49; 15:35–36

Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia

13Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem. # 13:13 Ac 12:12; 13:6; 15:38 14They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. # 13:14 Ac 9:20; 14:19,21; 16:3; 17:2; 18:4 15After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.” # 13:15 Mk 5:22; Ac 15:21

16Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen! # 13:16 Ac 10:2; 12:17 17The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty # 13:17 Lit with an uplifted arm. # 13:17 Ex 1:6; 6:6; Dt 7:6–8; Ac 7:17 18And for about forty years he put up with them # 13:18 Other mss read he cared for them in the wilderness; # 13:18 Dt 1:31; Ac 7:36 19and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, # 13:19 Dt 7:1; Jos 14:1; 19:51; Ps 78:55; Ac 7:45 he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. # 13:20 Jdg 2:16; 1Sm 3:20; Ac 3:24 21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. # 13:21 1Sm 8:5; 9:1; 10:1 22After removing him, # 13:22 1Sm 15:23,26; 16:13 he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, # 13:22 1Sm 13:14; Ps 89:20,# 13:22 1Sm 13:14; Ps 89:20 who will carry out all my will.’

23“From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel # 13:23 Ps 132:1; Mt 1:1; Lk 2:11; Ac 13:32 the Savior, Jesus. # 13:23 Other mss read brought salvation 24Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. # 13:24 Mt 3:1; Mk 1:4; Lk 3:3; Ac 1:22; 19:4 25Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’ # 13:25 Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:20,27; Ac 20:24

26“Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent. # 13:26 Ac 4:12; 5:20 27Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him. # 13:27 Lk 24:27; Ac 3:17 28Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed. # 13:28 Mt 27:22–23; Ac 3:14 29When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb. # 13:29 Mt 27:59; Lk 23:53; Ac 5:30 30But God raised him from the dead, # 13:30 Mt 28:6; Ac 2:24 31and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. # 13:31 Mt 28:16; Lk 24:48; Ac 1:3 32And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors. # 13:32 Ac 5:42; 26:6; Rm 4:13; 9:4 33God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:

You are my Son;

today I have become your Father. # 13:33 Or I have begotten you,# 13:33 Ps 2:7,# 13:33 Ps 2:7; Heb 1:5; 5:5

34As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David. # 13:34 Is 55:3,# 13:34 Is 55:3; Ac 13:30,37 35Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay. # 13:35 Ps 16:10,# 13:35 Ps 16:10; Ac 2:27 36For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, # 13:36 Ac 7:60; 1Co 11:30; 15:6,18,20,51; 1Th 4:13–15 was buried with his fathers, and decayed, # 13:36 1Kg 2:10; Ac 2:29; 13:22; 20:27 37but the one God raised up did not decay. 38Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. # 13:38 Lk 24:47; Ac 2:38 39Everyone who believes is justified # 13:39 Or freed, also later in this verse through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses. # 13:39 Rm 3:28; 10:4 40So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:

41 Look, you scoffers,

marvel and vanish away,

because I am doing a work in your days,

a work that you will never believe,

even if someone were to explain it to you.” # 13:41 Hab 1:5,# 13:41 Is 29:14; Hab 1:5

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch

42As they were leaving, the people # 13:42 Other mss read they were leaving the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. 43After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God. # 13:43 Ac 11:23; 14:22

44The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. # 13:44 Other mss read of God 45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. # 13:45 Ac 18:6; 1Th 2:16; 1Pt 4:4; Jd 10

46Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. # 13:46 Mt 21:43; Ac 3:26; 18:6; 22:21; 28:28 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

I have made you

a light for the Gentiles

to bring salvation

to the ends of the earth.” # 13:47 Is 49:6,# 13:47 Is 42:6; 49:6; Lk 2:32

48When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. # 13:50 Ac 14:2,19; 2Tm 3:11 51But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet # 13:51 Mt 10:14; Mk 6:11; Lk 9:5; Ac 18:6 against them # 13:51 Ac 14:1,19,21; 16:2; 2Tm 3:11 and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. # 13:52 Mt 5:12; Jn 16:22; Ac 2:4

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Acts 13: CSB

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Gevurot Meyruach Hakodesh 13

1Now there was in Antioch there among the Moshiachʼs Kehillah nevi'im and morim: Bar-Nabba, and Shim'on called Niger, and Lucius from Cyrene, and Menachem (brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and [Rav] Sha'ul. 2They were ministering to Adonoi and under a tzom when the Ruach Hakodesh said to them, Set apart for Me Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul for the avodas kodesh ministry to which I have called them.#13:2 2Chr 13:10; 35:3; Ezek 40:46; 44:16; 45:4 3Then, having continued the tzom and having davened and having laid their hands upon them, they sent them off.

4They, then, having been sent out by the Ruach Hakodesh, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed away to Cyprus. 5Having arrived in Salamis, they were proclaiming the dvar Hashem in the shuls, with Yochanan Markos also as ozer (helper). 6Having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain ish, a magician, a Jewish navi sheker, by name of Bar-Yehoshua, 7who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an ish of seichel. This one, having summoned Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul, sought to hear the dvar Hashem. 8But Elymas the magician was opposing them — for thus is his name translated — and was seeking to be mashpia on the proconsul (seeking to sway him to think undesirably) about the emunah (faith).#13:8 Isa 30:11 9But Rav Sha'ul, the one also called Paulos, having been filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, gazed at him, 10and said, O ish full of all mirmah (deceit, fraud) and all resha, ben haSatan, oyev (enemy) of all Tzedek, will you not cease making crooked the straight paths of Hashem?#13:10 Hos 14:9 11Now — hinei — the yad Hashem is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the shemesh (sun) for awhile. Immediately mistiness and choshech (darkness) fell on him, and, going about, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand.#13:11 Ex 9:3; 1Sm 5:6,7; Ps 32:4; Gn 19:10,11; 2Kgs 6:18 12Then, the proconsul, having seen what had happened, had emunah, being nispoyel (standing in awe) at the torah about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu.

13And having put out to sea from Paphos, Rav Sha'ul and those with him came to Perga of Pamphylia. But Yochanan (Markos), having left them, returned to Yerushalayim. 14But having gone on from Perga, they came to Pisidian Antioch, and, having entered the shul on Shabbos, they sat down. 15After the kri'at HaTorah (reading of the Sefer Torah) and the kri'at HaNevi'im, the Rashei Beit HaKnesset sent to them, saying Anashim Achim, if there is any dvar hachizzuk among you to the people, say it. 16And having got up and having motioned with his hand, Rav Sha'ul said, Anshei Yisroel, and Yirei Elohim, listen! 17Elohei HaAm Yisroel chose Avoteinu. Hashem made the people great during their sojourn in Eretz Mitzrayim, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of it,#13:17 Ex 6:1,6,7; 14:8; Dt 7:6-8 18and lav davka (approximately) ARBA'IM SHANAH He put up with them in the desert.#13:18 Dt 1:31; Num 14:33,34; Ps 95:10; Ex 16:35 19And having destroyed SHIVAH GOYIM in eretz Kena'an, he gave as a nachalah (an inheritance) their land#13:19 Dt 7:1; Josh 14:2; 19:51; Ps 78:55 20during lav davka (approximately) arba me'ot vachamashim shanah. After these things, He gave shofetim until Shmuel HaNavi.#13:20 Judg 2:16; 1Sm 3:19,20 21And then they asked for a melech, and Hashem gave to them Sha'ul Ben Kish, an ish from the shevet of Binyamin, for arba'im shanah.#13:21 1Sm 8:5,19; 10:1; 9:1,2 22And after having removed Sha'ul, Hashem raised up Dovid as a Melech for them. About Dovid also Hashem testified, saying, I found Dovid Ben Yishai an ISH KILEVAVI#13:22 a man after His (G-dʼs) heart who will do all My ratzon.#13:22 1Sm 15:23; 16:13; Ps 89:20; 1Sm 13:14; Jer 3:15; Isa 44:28 23From the zera (seed) of this man, according to the havtachah (promise), Hashem has brought to Yisroel a Moshi'a (Savior), Yehoshua.#13:23 2Sm 7:11; 22:51; Jer 30:9 24Now previously, before the coming of Moshiach, Yochanan proclaimed to Klal Yisroel a tevilah of teshuva. 25Now as Yochanan was completing his course, he was saying, What do you suppose me to be? I am not! But, hinei, he comes after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandal of his feet.#13:25 The first Shlichus Journey (46-48 C.E.) was followed by the second (49-52 C.E.) and then by the third (53-57 C.E.) with the trip to appear before Nero (59-60 C.E.) but everything begins here in chapter 13. This material is of great importance in the Bible. Here we see the world kiruv outreach of Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach in action. Notice the beginning of Chapter 13. The whole world is affected, is even turned upside down, by what happens in one little Messianic kehillah in Antioch, where believers are engaged in worship, and waiting on G-d in prayer and fasting. This kehillah has various ministries, including nevi'im and morim. See Ro 12:6-8; Ep 4:11; 1C 12:28-29. Notice that ministers are set apart for avodas kodesh service, and what they do is not their own choice but the choice of the Ruach Hakodesh. Just as the Levi'im were consecrated and set apart for their holy service in the Beis Hamikdash, so believers are called to preach the Besuras Hageulah to the ends of the earth. Hashem by His Ruach Hakodesh calls them, equips them, trains them, raises them up, and sends them, empowering them and leading them every step of the way. Notice that these men have a recognized call by a body of believers who lay hands on them, who recognize their gifting and calling and lay on hands to consecrate them for the L-rdʼs work. These two men do not embark as religious freelancers. A body of believers stands behind them to pray for them and the two ministers are accountable to this sending body for their doctrine and service. Notice that the Ruach Hakodesh is directing this world kiruv outreach, it is His Work, and He is empowering all the dynamics of it. Rav Sha'ul will make three of these journeys and he will complete his course, just like Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva. Like Yochanan he will pay the ultimate price, dying al kiddush ha-Shem for his edus to the truth of the Besuras HaGeulah as a Messianic martyr for the faith. But everything that is accomplished is by the power of the Ruach Hakodesh. Notice as Rav Sha'ul goes to the whole world and to every creature, he always goes to the Jewish people first. See Ac 13:14; 14:1; 17:1,10; 18:4, 19; 19:8. Why? Is this merely an expediency or a pragmatic decision? As anyone should be able to see by reading this translation, The Orthodox Jewish Bible, salvation is from the Jewish people, from Jewish prophets and writings, from Jewish servants of the G-d of Israel. Salvation is not a Gentile commodity available from a Gentile religion, and primarily directed toward non-Jews. Salvation is of the Jewish faith and therefore it would be both intrinsically misleading and also cruelly anti-Semitic to avoid or by-pass the Jewish people in preaching the saving Jewish message of Besuras HaGeulah (Good News of Redemption) that offers to all men the Yeshu'at Eloheinu (Salvation of our G-d). In this thirteenth chapter of the Gevurot MeyRuach HaKodesh (Acts of the Holy Spirit) we see that an important theme is spiritual blindness. Those who do not have the Ruach Hakodesh and blindly hinder and even oppose the work of the Ruach Hakodesh will not succeed. The Roman proconsul of Cyprus is an important contact and, if he could be won over to the Messianic faith, doors would open to the entire island. Hasatanʼs worker, Elymas, is positioned demonically to keep exactly that from happening. What follows is a power encounter between the Ruach Hakodesh and the occult powers of a sorcerer. There are those who would pervert the right ways of Hashem, who twist and try to garble the holy words of the Scripture. There may be some who will oppose this Bible translation and will try to mock it, vilify it, demean it, oppose it, attack it and try to keep it from readers, even physically attack it and burn it. But like this Elymas they will not succeed. No weapon formed against us will prosper. And G-d will watch over his Word and protect it. It is my prayer that just as Rav Sha'ul was blinded by the Moshiach and was taught about his own spiritual blindness by a judgment miracle, wherein he was temporarily blinded as a warning, and just as Elymas was also blinded by Hashem for a time so that he would also have an opportunity to repent and come to the truth and turn away from HaSatan who had taken him captive to do his will — so it is my prayer that anyone, Jewish or non-Jewish, who attempts to attack this translation and keep it from being read by Jewish people or anyone else, will come to their senses and see what blindness they are laboring under, and that Hashem will open their eyes to the light of the salvation that we have in Moshiach Adoneinu. Omein.

26Achim, Bnei Mishpochah Avraham, and Yirei Elohim, it is to us that the dvar of this Yeshu'ah HaGedolah (Great Deliverance) was sent out.#13:26 Ps 107:20 27For the ones dwelling in Yerushalayim and their moshlim (rulers) did not have da'as of this one or of the devarim of the Nevi'im being read every Shabbos; they fulfilled these devarim by condemning him. 28Even without finding a cause for a mishpat mavet, they asked Pilate that he be done away with. 29When they finished all the things having been written about him, he was taken down from HaEtz,#13:29 Dt 21:23 and they put him into a kever#13:29 Isa 53:9 (tomb). 30But Hashem made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim, 31and he was seen over many yamim by the ones having come up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim who now are his edim to the people. 32And we are preaching to you the Besuras HaGeulah of the Havtachah made to Avoteinu,#13:32 Isa 40:9; 52:7 33That Hashem has fulfilled this havtachah for us, their banim, having made to stand up alive again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, as also in the Tehillim it has been written, BENI ATAH, ANI HAYOM YELIDETICHA (You are My son; today I have become your father).#13:33 Ps 2:7 34And that He made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim, no longer to return to decay, thus he has said, I will give you CHASEDEI DOVID HANE'EMANIM.#13:34 Isa 55:3 TARGUM HASHIVIM 35Therefore, also elsewhere in the Tehillim, he says LO TITEN CHASIDECHA LIR'OT SHACHAT (You will not allow your Chasid [Moshiach] to undergo decay).#13:35 Ps 16:10 TARGUM HASHIVIM 36For Dovid, after in his own dor (generation) he had served birtzon Hashem, fell asleep, and VAYISHKAV DOVID IM AVOTAV (and Dovid rested with his fathers) and he experienced decay.#13:36 2Sm 7:12; 1Kgs 2:10; Judg 2:10; 2Chr 29:28 37But whom Hashem made to stand up alive again did not experience decay. 38Let it be known, therefore, to you, Anashim Achim, that through this one, selicha (forgiveness) of chatta'im (averos [sins]) is proclaimed to you; and from all things of which by the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu you were not able to be justified, 39By this one everyone having emunah is justified. 40Be shomer then that the thing having been spoken by the Nevi'im (Prophets) may not come upon you, 41Look, scoffers, And be amazed and marvel, and stand in awe and perish, because I am working a work in your yamim, a work which you may by no means believe if someone should tell you.#13:41 Hab 1:5 TARGUM HASHIVIM

42And as Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba were going out, the people were begging that these devarim be spoken to them the following Shabbos. 43And when the gathering was dismissed, rabbim (many) of the Yehudim and of the Gerim (Proselytes) with chassidus followed Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba, who urged them to remain in the Chen v'Chesed Hashem.

44Now on the following Shabbos nearly all the city was assembled to hear the dvar Hashem. 45But when the Yehudim saw the multitudes, they were filled with kinah and were choilek (taking issue) and speaking keneged (against, in opposition to) the things being spoken by Rav Sha'ul, and they were committing Chillul Hashem. 46And having spoken with ometz lev (boldness), Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba said, To you it was necessary rishonah (first) for the dvar Hashem to be spoken; vi-bahlt (since) you reject it, and judge yourselves not worthy of Chayyei Olam, hinei, we are turning to the Goyim. 47For thus has Hashem commanded us, I have placed you as a light to the Nations, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth.#13:47 Isa 49:6

48Now hearing this, the Goyim rejoiced with simcha gedolah and were praising the dvar Hashem. And as many as had been destined to Chayyei Olam became ma'aminim hameshichiyim. 49And the dvar Hashem was spreading through the entire region. 50But the Yehudim aroused the chashuve (prominent) G-d fearing nashim and the gontser machers of the city, and they instigated redifah keneged Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba, and they drove them from out of their territory. 51And having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba came to Iconium; 52And the talmidim were being filled with simcha and the Ruach Hakodesh.

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