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1The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's close friend, and Saul.[#13.1 Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.]
2While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating, the Holy Spirit told them, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them.”[#13.2 The Jews often went without eating as a way of showing how much they loved God. This is also called “fasting.”]
3Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.
4After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus.
5They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the synagogues. They also had John as a helper.[#13.5 Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).]
6Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet.
7He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul.
8But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.
9Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas
10and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord?
11The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.”
Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand.
12When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
13Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem.[#13.13 See the note at 13.5.]
14The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the synagogue and sat down.
15After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, “Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it.”[#13.15 The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.]
16Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:
“You are my son because today
I have become your Father.”
“I will make to you
the same holy promises
that I made to David.”
41“Look, you people[#Hb 1.5 (LXX).]
who make fun of God!
Be amazed
and disappear.
I will do something today
that you won't believe,
even if someone
tells you about it!”
42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath.
43After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had treated them with undeserved grace.
44The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord.[#13.44 Some manuscripts have “God.”]
45When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
46But Paul and Barnabas bravely said:
“I have placed you here
as a light
for the Gentiles.
You are to take
the saving power of God
to people everywhere on earth.”
48This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord.[#13.48 Some manuscripts have “God.”]
49The message about the Lord spread all over this region.
50But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of this part of the country.
51Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium.[#Mt 10.14; Mk 6.11; Lk 9.5; 10.11.; #13.51 This was a way of showing rejection.]
52But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.