ACT 13
13
The Beginning of the Global Spread of the Gospel
1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen who had been raised with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 While they were engaging in worship before the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for Me, for the work to which I have summoned them."
3 After they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and released them for service.
4 So, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they travelled down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.
5 Upon arriving in Salamis, they began proclaiming God's message in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them serving as their assistant.
6 They travelled across the entire island until they reached Paphos. There they encountered a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
7 who was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God's message.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer—for that is the meaning of his name—opposed them, attempting to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze directly on Elymas
10 and declared, "You are saturated with every form of deceit and villainy, you offspring of the devil, you enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop twisting the Lord's straight paths into crooked ones?
11 Look—the Lord's hand is against you now. You will be blind, unable to see the sun for a period of time." Immediately mist and darkness enveloped him, and he groped around, searching for someone to lead him by the hand.
12 When the proconsul witnessed what had occurred, he became a believer, deeply impressed by the teaching about the Lord.
Paul's Preaching at Pisidian Antioch
13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them there and returned to Jerusalem.
14 They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent them a message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, please speak."
16 Paul stood up, gestured with his hand for attention, and said:
"Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen to me.
17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and caused the people to flourish during their residence in Egypt. With uplifted arm He brought them out from that land.
18 For approximately forty years He endured their conduct in the wilderness.
19 After destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their territory to His people as an inheritance.
20 All this took approximately four hundred and fifty years. Following these events, He provided judges until the era of Samuel the prophet.
21 Then they requested a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years.
22 After removing Saul, God raised up David as their king. God gave testimony about him: 'I have discovered David, Jesse's son, a man aligned with My own heart, who will accomplish everything I desire.'
23 From this man's lineage, in accordance with His promise, God has brought to Israel a Saviour—Jesus.
24 Before Jesus began His public ministry, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 As John was completing his mission, he said, 'Who do you imagine I am? I am not the one you are expecting. But listen—someone is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'
26 Brothers—children of Abraham's line, and those among you who fear God—this message of salvation has been sent specifically to us.
27 For the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognise Jesus or comprehend the prophetic messages read every Sabbath. By condemning Him, they actually fulfilled those very prophecies.
28 Though they discovered no legitimate grounds for a death sentence, they requested Pilate to have Him executed.
29 When they had accomplished everything written about Him in the Scriptures, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
30 But God raised Him from the dead.
31 For many days He appeared to those who had travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They now serve as His witnesses to the people.
32 We are announcing the good news to you: What God promised to our ancestors,
33 He has fulfilled for us, 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 Regarding the fact that God raised Him from the dead, never to experience decay again, He has spoken in this way:
'I will grant you the holy and reliable blessings promised to David.'*
35 This is why He also states in another place:
'You will not permit Your Holy One to experience decay.'*
36 Now David, after serving God's purpose in his own generation, died and was laid with his ancestors, and his body did experience decay.
37 But the One whom God raised did not experience decay.
38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to understand this: through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.
39 Through Him, everyone who believes receives justification from everything from which you could not be justified through the Law of Moses.
40 Be careful, then, that what the prophets spoke does not happen to you:
41 'Look, you mockers, be astounded and perish,
because I am performing a work in your days,
a work you would never believe
even if someone described it to you in detail.'"*
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters again on the following Sabbath.
43 After the synagogue gathering dispersed, many Jews and devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who engaged them in conversation and urged them to continue in God's grace.
44 On the next Sabbath, nearly the entire city assembled to hear the Lord's message.
45 But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began contradicting what Paul was saying and hurling insults at him.
46 Paul and Barnabas responded boldly: "It was necessary for God's message to be spoken to you first. Since you are rejecting it and judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.
47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
'I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"*
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Lord's message. All who had been appointed for eternal life became believers.
49 The Lord's message spread throughout the entire region.
50 But the Jewish leaders incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their territory.
51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and traveled to Iconium.
52 The disciples, meanwhile, were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Notes
33 Quoted from Ps. 2:8
34 Quoted from Is. 55:3
35 Quoted from Ps. 16:10
41 Quoted from Hab. 1:5
47 Quoted from Is. 49:6
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
ACT 13
13
The Beginning of the Global Spread of the Gospel
1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen who had been raised with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 While they were engaging in worship before the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart Barnabas and Saul for Me, for the work to which I have summoned them."
3 After they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and released them for service.
4 So, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they travelled down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.
5 Upon arriving in Salamis, they began proclaiming God's message in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them serving as their assistant.
6 They travelled across the entire island until they reached Paphos. There they encountered a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
7 who was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God's message.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer—for that is the meaning of his name—opposed them, attempting to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze directly on Elymas
10 and declared, "You are saturated with every form of deceit and villainy, you offspring of the devil, you enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop twisting the Lord's straight paths into crooked ones?
11 Look—the Lord's hand is against you now. You will be blind, unable to see the sun for a period of time." Immediately mist and darkness enveloped him, and he groped around, searching for someone to lead him by the hand.
12 When the proconsul witnessed what had occurred, he became a believer, deeply impressed by the teaching about the Lord.
Paul's Preaching at Pisidian Antioch
13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them there and returned to Jerusalem.
14 They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent them a message: "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, please speak."
16 Paul stood up, gestured with his hand for attention, and said:
"Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen to me.
17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and caused the people to flourish during their residence in Egypt. With uplifted arm He brought them out from that land.
18 For approximately forty years He endured their conduct in the wilderness.
19 After destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their territory to His people as an inheritance.
20 All this took approximately four hundred and fifty years. Following these events, He provided judges until the era of Samuel the prophet.
21 Then they requested a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled for forty years.
22 After removing Saul, God raised up David as their king. God gave testimony about him: 'I have discovered David, Jesse's son, a man aligned with My own heart, who will accomplish everything I desire.'
23 From this man's lineage, in accordance with His promise, God has brought to Israel a Saviour—Jesus.
24 Before Jesus began His public ministry, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 As John was completing his mission, he said, 'Who do you imagine I am? I am not the one you are expecting. But listen—someone is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'
26 Brothers—children of Abraham's line, and those among you who fear God—this message of salvation has been sent specifically to us.
27 For the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognise Jesus or comprehend the prophetic messages read every Sabbath. By condemning Him, they actually fulfilled those very prophecies.
28 Though they discovered no legitimate grounds for a death sentence, they requested Pilate to have Him executed.
29 When they had accomplished everything written about Him in the Scriptures, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
30 But God raised Him from the dead.
31 For many days He appeared to those who had travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They now serve as His witnesses to the people.
32 We are announcing the good news to you: What God promised to our ancestors,
33 He has fulfilled for us, 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 Regarding the fact that God raised Him from the dead, never to experience decay again, He has spoken in this way:
'I will grant you the holy and reliable blessings promised to David.'*
35 This is why He also states in another place:
'You will not permit Your Holy One to experience decay.'*
36 Now David, after serving God's purpose in his own generation, died and was laid with his ancestors, and his body did experience decay.
37 But the One whom God raised did not experience decay.
38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to understand this: through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.
39 Through Him, everyone who believes receives justification from everything from which you could not be justified through the Law of Moses.
40 Be careful, then, that what the prophets spoke does not happen to you:
41 'Look, you mockers, be astounded and perish,
because I am performing a work in your days,
a work you would never believe
even if someone described it to you in detail.'"*
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people urged them to speak about these matters again on the following Sabbath.
43 After the synagogue gathering dispersed, many Jews and devout converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who engaged them in conversation and urged them to continue in God's grace.
44 On the next Sabbath, nearly the entire city assembled to hear the Lord's message.
45 But when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began contradicting what Paul was saying and hurling insults at him.
46 Paul and Barnabas responded boldly: "It was necessary for God's message to be spoken to you first. Since you are rejecting it and judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.
47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
'I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"*
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Lord's message. All who had been appointed for eternal life became believers.
49 The Lord's message spread throughout the entire region.
50 But the Jewish leaders incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their territory.
51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and traveled to Iconium.
52 The disciples, meanwhile, were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Notes
33 Quoted from Ps. 2:8
34 Quoted from Is. 55:3
35 Quoted from Ps. 16:10
41 Quoted from Hab. 1:5
47 Quoted from Is. 49:6
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).