Paul’s First Missionary Journey
1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for me for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
On Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant. 6 When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God, 8 but Elymas the sorcerer (for this is his name by interpretation) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 10 and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!”
Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
In Pisidian Antioch
13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But passing on from Perga, they came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.”
16 Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people chose our fathers and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. 18 For a period of about 40 years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19 When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance for about 450 years.
20 After these things, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.
22 When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
23 From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, 24 before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. 25 As John was fulfilling his mission, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he, but one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
29 When they had fulfilled all the things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32 We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm,
‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your father.’ a
34 “Concerning the fact that he raised him up from the dead, no more to return to corruption, this is what He has said:
‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ b
35 Therefore he says also in another Psalm,
‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ c
36 For David, after he had served God’s purpose, in his own generation, he fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. 37 But he whom God raised up saw no decay. 38 Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, 39 and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:
41 ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder, and perish,
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work which you would never believe,
even if someone declared it to you.’ ” d
The Gentiles Ask to Hear the Gospel
42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of the Lord should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you rejected it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’ ”
48 As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the leaders of the city and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their borders. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium. 52 The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
a Psalm 2:7
b Isaiah 55:3
c Psalm 16:10
d Habakkuk 1:5