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.
Go on to Chapter 14
Return to the book of Acts study page
Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /