The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 13 -

(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

There were also in the Church that was at Antiochia, certaine Prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen (which had bin brought vp with Herod the Tetrarche) and Saul.

Nowe as they ministred to the Lord, and fasted, the holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the worke whereunto I haue called them.

Then fasted they and prayed, and layde their hands on them, and let them goe.

On Cyprus

And they, after they were sent foorth of the holy Ghost, came downe vnto Seleucia, and from thence they sayled to Cyprus.

And when they were at Salamis, they preached the worde of God in the Synagogues of the Iewes: and they had also Iohn to their minister.

So when they had gone throughout the yle vnto Paphus, they found a certaine sorcerer, a false prophet, being a Iewe, named Bariesus,

Which was with the Deputie Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He called vnto him Barnabas and Saul, and desired to heare the woorde of God.

But Elymas, ye sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstoode them, and sought to turne away the Deputie from the faith.

Then Saul (which also is called Paul) being full of the holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And sayde, O full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe, the childe of the deuill, and enemie of all righteousnesse, wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord?

Nowe therefore behold, the hand of the Lord is vpon thee, and thou shalt be blinde, and not see the sunne for a season. And immediately there fel on him a mist and a darknes; and he went about, seeking some to leade him by the hand.

Then the Deputie when he sawe what was done, beleeued, and was astonied at the doctrine of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

Nowe when Paul and they that were with him were departed by shippe from Paphus, they came to Perga a citie of Pamphylia: then Iohn departed from them, and returned to Hierusalem.

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antiochia a citie of Pisidia, and went into the Synagogue on ye Sabbath day, and sate downe.

And after the lecture of the Law and Prophets, the rulers of ye Synagogue sent vnto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Then Paul stoode vp and beckened with the hand, and sayde, Men of Israel, and yee that feare God, hearken.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt in the land of Egypt, and with an high arme brought them out thereof.

And about the time of fourtie yeeres, suffered he their maners in the wildernesse.

And he destroied seuen nations in the land of Chanaan, and deuided their lad to them by lot.

Then afterward he gaue vnto them Iudges about foure hundreth and fiftie yeeres, vnto the time of Samuel the Prophet.

So after that, they desired a King, and God gaue vnto them Saul, the sonne of Cis, a man of ye tribe of Beniamin, by the space of fourty yeres.

And after he had taken him away, he raised vp Dauid to be their King, of whom he witnessed, saying, I haue found Dauid the sonne of Iesse, a man after mine owne heart, which will doe all things that I will.

Of this mans seede hath God according to his promise raised vp to Israel, ye Sauiour Iesus:

When Iohn had first preached before his coming the baptisme of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And when Iohn had fulfilled his course, he saide, Whom ye thinke that I am, I am not he: but beholde, there commeth one after me, whose shooe of his feete I am not worthy to loose.

Yee men and brethren, children of the generation of Abraham, and whosoeuer among you feareth God, to you is the woorde of this saluation sent.

For the inhabitants of Hierusalem, and their rulers, because they knewe him not, nor yet the woordes of the Prophets, which are read euery Sabbath day, they haue fulfilled them in condemning him.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate to kill him.

And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they tooke him downe from the tree, and put him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him vp from the dead.

And hee was seene many dayes of them, which came vp with him from Galile to Hierusalem, which are his witnesses vnto the people.

And we declare vnto you, that touching the promise made vnto the fathers,

God hath fulfilled it vnto vs their children, in that he raised vp Iesus, euen as it is written in the seconde Psalme, Thou art my Sonne: this day haue I begotten thee.

Nowe as concerning that he raised him vp from the dead, no more to returne to corruption, he hath said thus, I wil giue you the holy things of Dauid, which are faithfull.

Wherefore hee sayeth also in another place, Thou wilt not suffer thine Holy one to see corruption.

Howbeit, Dauid after hee had serued his time by the counsell of God, hee slept, and was laid with his fathers, and sawe corruption.

But he whom God raised vp, sawe no corruption.

Be it knowen vnto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes.

And from al things, from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses, by him euery one that beleeueth, is iustified.

Beware therefore lest that come vpon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets,

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: for I woorke a woorke in your daies, a woorke which yee shall not beleeue, if a man would declare it you.

A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

And when they were come out of the Synagogue of the Iewes, the Gentiles besought, that they woulde preach these woordes to them the next Sabbath day.

Nowe when the congregation was dissolued, many of the Iewes and Proselytes that feared God, followed Paul and Barnabas, which spake to them, and exhorted them to continue in the grace of God.

And ye next Sabbath day came almost the whole citie together, to heare the worde of God.

But when the Iewes saw the people, they were full of enuie, and spake against those things, which were spoken of Paul, contrarying them, and railing on them.

Then Paul and Barnabas spake boldly, and sayde, It was necessarie that the woorde of God shoulde first haue beene spoken vnto you: but seeing yee put it from you, and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerlasting life, loe, we turne to the Gentiles.

For so hath the Lord commanded vs, saying, I haue made thee a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be the saluation vnto the end of the world.

And when the Gentiles heard it, they were glad, and glorified the woorde of the Lord: and as many as were ordeined vnto eternall life, beleeued.

Thus the worde of the Lord was published throughout the whole countrey.

But the Iewes stirred certaine deuoute and honourable women, and the chiefe men of the citie, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coastes.

But they shooke off the dust of their feete against them, and came vnto Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with ioy, and with the holy Ghost.

(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

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.

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

On Cyprus

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.

When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar Jesus,

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.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him

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?

Now, behold, 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.

Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

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.”

Paul stood up, and gesturing with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

The God of this people

(a)

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.

For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance for about four hundred fifty years.

After these things, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

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.’

From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation(b) to Israel according to his promise,

before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.(c)

As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

“Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

But God raised him from the dead,

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.

We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

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.’(d)

“Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’(e)

Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’(f)

For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.

But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

Be it known to you therefore, brothers,(g) that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins;

and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

‘Behold, you scoffers! Wonder and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’” (h)

A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

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.

The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

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.’” (i)

As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

(a)13:17 TR, NU add “Israel”

(b)13:23 TR, NU read “a Savior, Jesus” instead of “salvation”

(d)13:33 ℘ Psalms 2:7

(e)13:34 ℘ Isaiah 55:3

(f)13:35 ℘ Psalms 16:10

(g)13:38 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(h)13:41 ℘ Habakkuk 1:5

(i)13:47 ℘ Isaiah 49:6