Now in the congregation 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. 2As they worshiped the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God1 in the synagogues of the Jews. They had also John as their attendant. 6When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Joshua, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name in meaning) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. 9But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 10and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of Iblis2, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!”
Immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
13Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. 15After the reading of the Taurat3 and the Prophets4, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak.”
16Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17The 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. 18For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years. 20After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Talut5 Ibn Kish, a man of the tribe of Binyamin, for forty years. 22When he had removed him, he raised up Dawud to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found Dawud Ibn Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23From this man’s seed, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, 24before his coming, when Yahya had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. 25As Yahya 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.’ 26Brothers, children of the stock of Ibrahim, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27For 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. 28Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. 29When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead, 31and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32We bring you the Injil6 of the promise made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up ‘ISA7. As it is also written in the second chapter of the Zabur,
‘You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER.’ 8
34“Now concerning the fact that God raised ‘ISA up from the dead, never to return to corruption, he has spoken thus:
‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of Dawud.’ 9
35Therefore he says also in another chapter of the Zabur,
‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ 10
36For Dawud, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. 37But he whom God raised up saw no decay. 38Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, 39and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Taurat of Musa. 40Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the Prophets:
41‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish; for I am going to do something in your days, which you would never believe, even if someone told you.'” 11
42So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the non-Jews begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43Now 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. 44The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
46Paul 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 you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the non-Jews. 47For so has the Lord commanded us, saying,
‘I have made you a light for the nations, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” 12
48As the non-Jews heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region. 50But 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. 51But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.
- 13:5 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 13:10 Iblis, derived from the Greek diabolos, which also gives rise to the English word, devil. ↩︎
- 13:15 Taurat, this Arabic word is derived from Torah (Hebrew) which literally means “instruction” or “teaching.” Depending on context, Taurat can refer to,
1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
2. The book of Prophet Musa, which is also called the Law (of Moses), or the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
3. Taurat can refer to divine instruction and teaching in general without reference to a particular book. ↩︎ - 13:15 Taurat and the Prophets, that is, the Hebrew Bible, or what Christians call the Old Testament. ↩︎
- 13:21 Talut, or Saul son of Kish. ↩︎
- 13:32 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to,
1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books,
2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH. ↩︎ - 13:33 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 13:33 Quoting the Zabur 2:7 which says: I will tell of the decree. YAHWEH said to me,
“You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER.” ↩︎ - 13:34 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 55:3which says: “Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure blessings of Dawud.” ↩︎
- 13:35 Quoting the Zabur 16:10 which says: “For you will not leave my soul in the grave, You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.” ↩︎
- 13:41 Quoting the Taurat, Habakkuk 1:5 which says: “Look among the nations, watch, and be absolutely amazed; for I am going to do something in your days, which you would not believe, even if someone told you.” ↩︎
- 13:47 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 49:6 which says: “yes, he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Yaqub, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also make you a light for the nations, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.'” ↩︎