Acts 13
13
Sent Out from Antioch
1Now in the Antioch community, there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (brought up since childhood with Herod the Tetrarch), and Saul.
2While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Ruach ha-Kodesh said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3Then after fasting, praying, and laying hands on them, they sent them off.
4So, sent out by the Ruach ha-Kodesh, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5When they arrived at Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as a helper.
6When they had gone throughout the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a man who was a magician—a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Bar-Yeshua.
7He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh, fixed his gaze on him
10and said, “O you, full of all deceit and trickery, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness—will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
11Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and not see the sun for awhile.” Immediately, cloudiness and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
12When he saw what had happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
Paul’s Message in Diaspora Synagogues
13Setting sail from Paphos, Paul’s company came to Perga in Pamphylia. John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14But they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia. Entering the synagogue on the Shabbat, they sat down.
15After the reading of the Torah and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak.”
16So Paul, standing up and motioning with his hand, said, “Men of Israel and God-fearers, listen.
17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an outstretched arm He led them out of there.
18For about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.
19And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave their land as an inheritance—
20all of this took about 450 years. After that, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22After removing him, He raised up David to be their king. He also testified about him and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do My will.’
23“From this man’s seed, in keeping with His promise, God brought to Israel a Savior—Yeshua.
24Before His coming, John had proclaimed an immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25As John was completing his service, he said, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not He. But behold, One is coming after me, whose sandal I’m not worthy to untie.’
26“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who are God-fearers, it is to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
27For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers—not recognizing Him or the sayings of the Prophets that are read every Shabbat—fulfilled these words by condemning Him.
28Though they found no charge worthy of a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.
29When they had carried out all that had been written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.
30But God raised Him from the dead!
31For many days He appeared to those who had come up from the Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.
32“And we proclaim to you Good News—the promise to the fathers has arrived!
33For God has fulfilled this promise to the children—to us—by raising up Yeshua, as it is also written in the second psalm: ‘You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father.’
34“But since He raised Him up from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, ‘I will give you the holy and sure mercies of David.’
35Therefore He also says in another psalm, ‘You will not permit Your Holy One to see decay.’
36For after David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he went to sleep and was laid with his fathers and saw decay.
37But the One whom God raised up did not see decay.
38“Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this One is proclaimed to you the removal of sins, including all those from which you could not be set right by the Torah of Moses.
39Through this One everyone who keeps trusting is made righteous.
40“Be careful, then, so that what is said in the Prophets may not come upon you:
41‘Look, you scoffers, be amazed and vanish away. For I am doing a work in your days— a work you will never believe, even if someone tells it to you in detail.’”
42As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging them to speak these things to them the next Shabbat.
43When the synagogue meeting broke up, many of the Jewish people and God-fearing inquirers followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and trying to persuade them to continue in the grace of God.
44The following Shabbat, almost the entire city came together to hear the word of the Lord.
45When the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and tried to contradict what Paul was saying by reviling him.
46Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unfit for eternal life—behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
47For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed you as a light to the nations, so that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were thrilled and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as had been inscribed for eternal life believed.
49Now the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region.
50But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and they drove them out of their district.
51But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them, and they went on to Iconium.
52And the disciples were filled with joy and the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Acts 13
13
Barnabas and Saul are Chosen and Sent
1In the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod#13.1 herod: Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee (see Lk 3.1). the governor), and Saul. 2While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them.”
3They fasted and prayed, placed their hands on them, and sent them off.
In Cyprus
4Having been sent by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia and sailed from there to the island of Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues. They had John Mark with them to help in the work.
6They went all the way across the island to Paphos, where they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, a Jew who claimed to be a prophet. 7He was a friend of the governor of the island, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor called Barnabas and Saul before him because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But they were opposed by the magician Elymas (that is his name in Greek), who tried to turn the governor away from the faith. 9Then Saul — also known as Paul — was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician 10and said, “You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord's truths into lies! 11The Lord's hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and will not see the light of day for a time.”
At once Elymas felt a dark mist cover his eyes, and he walked about trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the governor saw what had happened, he believed; for he was greatly amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
In Antioch in Pisidia
13Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga, a city in Pamphylia, where John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14They went on from Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, and on the Sabbath they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law of Moses and from the writings of the prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message: “Brothers and sisters, we want you to speak to the people if you have a message of encouragement for them.” 16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak:
“Fellow-Israelites and all Gentiles here who worship God: hear me! 17#Ex 1.7; 12.51The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made the people a great nation during the time they lived as foreigners in Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his great power, 18#Num 14.34; Deut 1.31and for forty years he endured#13.18 he endured; some manuscripts have he took care of. them in the desert. 19#Deut 7.1; Josh 14.1He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and made his people the owners of the land. 20#Judg 2.16; 1 Sam 3.20All this took about 450 years.
“After this#13.20 All this took about 450 years. “After this; or Some 450 years later. he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. 21#1 Sam 8.5; 10.21And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years. 22#1 Sam 13.14; 16.12; Ps 89.20After removing him, God made David their king. This is what God said about him: ‘I have found that David son of Jesse is the kind of man I like, a man who will do all I want him to do.’ 23It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Saviour of the people of Israel, as he had promised. 24#Mk 1.4; Lk 3.3Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized. 25#Mt 3.11; Mk 1.7; Lk 3.16; Jn 1.20, 27And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.’
26“My fellow-Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent! 27For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not know that he is the Saviour, nor did they understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Yet they made the prophets' words come true by condemning Jesus. 28#Mt 27.22–23; Mk 15.13–14; Lk 23.21–23; Jn 19.15And even though they could find no reason to pass the death sentence on him, they asked Pilate to have him put to death. 29#Mt 27.57–61; Mk 15.42–47; Lk 23.50–56; Jn 19.38–42And after they had done everything that the Scriptures say about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from death, 31#Acts 1.3and for many days he appeared to those who had travelled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses for him to the people of Israel. 32-33#Ps 2.7And we are here to bring the Good News to you: what God promised our ancestors he would do, he has now done for us, who are their descendants, by raising Jesus to life. As it is written in the second Psalm:
‘You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.’
34 #
Is 55.3 (LXX) And this is what God said about raising him from death, never to rot away in the grave:
‘I will give you the sacred and sure blessings
that I promised to David.’
35 #
Ps 16.10
As indeed he says in another passage:
‘You will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.’
36For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body rotted in the grave. 37But this did not happen to the one whom God raised from death. 38-39We want you to know, my fellow-Israelites, that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; and that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free. 40Take care, then, so that what the prophets said may not happen to you:#13.40 Some manuscripts do not have to you.
41 #
Hab 1.5 (LXX) ‘Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die!
For what I am doing today
is something that you will not believe,
even when someone explains it to you!’ ”
42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to come back the next Sabbath and tell them more about these things. 43After the people had left the meeting, Paul and Barnabas were followed by many Jews and by many Gentiles who had been converted to Judaism. The apostles spoke to them and encouraged them to keep on living in the grace of God.
44The next Sabbath nearly everyone in the town came to hear the word of the Lord. 45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; they disputed what Paul was saying and insulted him. 46But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles. 47#Is 42.6; 49.6For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us:
‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
so that all the world may be saved.’ ”
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.
49The word of the Lord spread everywhere in that region. 50But the Jews stirred up the leading men of the city and the Gentile women of high social standing who worshipped God. They started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their region. 51#Mt 10.14; Mk 6.11; Lk 9.5; 10.11The apostles shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went on to Iconium. 52The believers in Antioch were full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.