Acts chapter 13
Antioch sends Barnabas and Saul as foreign missionaries. They evangelize in Cyprus and in Antioch in Pisidia. They decide to target Gentiles instead of Jews.
ANTIOCH SENDS BARNABAS AND SAUL AS FOREIGN MISSIONARIES
VERSE 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.
prophets and teachers. The Holy Spirit gives special gifts to some individuals so they can serve the community of Christian believers. We explore those ministry gifts in our series called Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE 2. 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.”
fasted. To fast is to abstain from eating. And possibly drinking. Or to follow a restricted diet. It is a wonderful companion during special times in our lives. Read more »
the work to which I have called them. To what has God already called you? Would you be open to him calling you to something new in the future?
VERSE 3. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
THE MISSIONARY TEAM ARRIVES IN CYPRUS
VERSE 4. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
VERSE 5. When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.
John. That is, John Mark. In our day, we call him the apostle Mark.
VERSE 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,
VERSE 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.
VERSE 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
VERSE 9. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,
VERSE 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?
VERSE 11. 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.
VERSE 12. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
THE MISSIONARY TEAM ARRIVES IN ANTIOCH IN PISIDIA
VERSE 13. Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.
John. That is, John Mark. In our day, we call him the apostle Mark.
VERSE 14. But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
VERSE 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.”
VERSE 16. Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 18. For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
VERSE 19. 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.
VERSE 20. After these things, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
VERSE 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 forty years.
VERSE 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.’
VERSE 23. From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation† to Israel according to his promise,
VERSE 24. before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.
VERSE 25. 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.’
VERSE 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.
VERSE 27. 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.
VERSE 28. Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
VERSE 29. When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.
The body of Jesus was placed in a donated tomb. It had been carved into a rock. Essentially it was a cave. Some other people in the Bible were buried like that. Read more »
VERSE 30. But God raised him from the dead,
VERSE 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.
VERSE 32. We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,
VERSE 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.’
VERSE 34. “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.’
VERSE 35. Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’
VERSE 36. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.
VERSE 37. But he whom God raised up saw no decay.
VERSE 38. Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,
through this man. That is, through the Lord Jesus Christ.
remission of sins. To sin is to violate God’s will for us. It harms our relationship with God. We all have missed the mark and sinned. Here are the verses we’ve found »
VERSE 39. and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
everyone who believes. Eternal salvation is not limited to a select group of people. Rather, it is available to anyone.
is justified. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified.
Romans 5:1. Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
VERSE 40. Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:
VERSE 41. ‘Behold, you scoffers, and 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.’ ”
VERSE 42. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Gentiles begged … preached to them. Gentiles are begging that Paul and Barnabas preach Jesus Christ to them.
VERSE 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.
PAUL AND BARNABAS DECIDE TO EVANGELIZE GENTILES INSTEAD OF JEWS
VERSE 44. The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.
VERSE 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
VERSE 46. 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.
we turn to the Gentiles. This marks a great turning point. Now Paul and Barnabas would mainly target Gentiles instead of Jews.
VERSE 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.’ ”
VERSE 48. As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
VERSE 49. The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region.
word was spread. This is the natural outcome of growing in our Christian faith. We get rooted in Jesus and the Scriptures, and then we become “carriers.” People catch the “contagion” of the faith from us.
VERSE 50. 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.
VERSE 51. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
VERSE 52. The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Acts of the Apostles and from the entire Bible.
filled with joy … the Holy Spirit. May this be said of us as well!
ACTS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.