BSB ACTs Chapter 13

Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins

(Acts 15:36–41, Acts 18:23–28)

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen ( who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch ), and Saul. 2 [While] they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid [their] hands on them [and] sent [them] off.

On Cyprus

4 So [Barnabas and Saul], sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 [When] they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.

6 They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, [where] they found a Jewish sorcerer [and] false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. [The proconsul], a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them [and] tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

9 Then Saul, who [was] also [called] Paul, filled with [the] Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas 10 and said, “O child of [the] devil [and] enemy of all righteousness, [you are] full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now look, [the] hand of the Lord [is] against you, and for a time you will be blind [and] unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead [him] by the hand.

12 [When] the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13 After setting sail from Paphos, Paul [and] his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, [where] John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath [and] sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

16 Paul stood up, motioned with [his] hand, [and] began to speak: “Men [of] Israel and [you Gentiles] who fear God, listen [to me]! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during [their] stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of [that land]. 18 He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. 19 And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, {He gave} their land [to His people] as an inheritance.

20 [All this took about] 450 years. After this, [God] gave [them] judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then [the people] asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, from [the] tribe of Benjamin, [who ruled] forty years. 22 [After] removing [Saul], He raised up David as their king and testified [about him]: ‘I have found David [son] of Jesse a man after My [own] heart; [he] will carry out My will in its entirety.’[fn]

23 From the descendants of this [man], God has brought to Israel [the] Savior Jesus, as He promised. 24 Before the arrival of [Jesus], John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing [his] course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not [that One]. But there is One coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’[fn]

26 Brothers, children of Abraham and you [ Gentiles ] who fear God, [it is] to us [that] this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The [people] of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize [Jesus], yet in condemning [Him] they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed

29 When they had carried out all that was 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] for many days [He] was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. [They] are now His witnesses to [our] people.

32 And now we proclaim to you the good news [What God] promised [our] fathers

33 [He] has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father

34 In fact, [God] raised Him from [the] dead, never to see decay. As He has said ‘I will give you the holy [and] sure [blessings] [promised to] David.’[fn]

35 So also, He says in another [Psalm]: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’[fn]

36 For [when] David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. [His body] was buried with his fathers and saw decay. 37 But the [One] whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through [Jesus] [the] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by [the] law of Moses. 40 Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen [to you]:

41 ‘Look, [you] scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days [that] you would never believe, even if someone told you.’[fn]”

A Light for the Gentiles

(Isaiah 49:1–6)

42 [As] [Paul and Barnabas] were leaving [the synagogue], [the people] urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath. 43 [After] the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them [and] urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of [the] Lord. 45 But [when] the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and {they} blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered [them] boldly “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for [the] Gentiles, to bring salvation to [the] ends of the earth.’[fn]”

48 [When] the Gentiles heard [this], they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord spread throughout [that] region.

50 The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district. 51 [So] they shook the dust {off} [their] feet [in protest] against them [and] went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and [with the] Holy Spirit.