Paul's First Missionary Journey
(Acts 15:36-41; Acts 18:23-28)

1Now there were prophets and teachers in Antioch in the church being there, both Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2Now as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart then to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then having fasted and having prayed and having laid the hands on them, they sent them off.

On Cyprus

4Therefore indeed having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and they sailed from there to Cyprus. 5And having come into Salamis, they began proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John as a helper.

6Now having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He, having summoned Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for his name means thus) was opposing them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

9And Saul, the one also called Paul, having been filled the Holy Spirit, having looked intently upon him, 10said, “O full of all deceit and all craft, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways the of Lord? 11And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun during a season.” And immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and going about, he was seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12Then the proconsul, having seen that having happened, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13And those around Paul, having sailed from Paphos, came to Perga of Pamphylia. But John, having departed from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14Now having passed through from Perga, they came to Antioch of Pisidia, and having gone into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbaths, they sat down. 15And after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if there is any word of exhortation among you toward the people, speak.”

16And Paul, having risen up and having made a sign with the hand, said, “Men of Israel and those fearing God, listen: 17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people in the sojourn in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm He brought them out of it, 18and for a period of about forty years He endured their ways in the wilderness, 19and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave as an inheritance their land— 20during four hundred and fifty years.

And after these things, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22And having removed him, He raised up David to them as king, to whom also He said, having carried witness: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse a man according to My heart, who will do all My will.’

23Of the seed of this man, according to promise, God raised up to Israel the Savior, Jesus— 24John having proclaimed before the face of His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25And while John was fulfilling the course, he was saying, ‘Whom do you suppose me to be? I am not He, but behold, He comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie a sandal of the feet.’

26Men, brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you fearing God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27For those dwelling in Jerusalem and their rulers, not having known Him and the voices of the prophets that are being read on every Sabbath, having condemned Him, they fulfilled them. 28And having found no cause of death, they begged Pilate to put Him to death.

29And when they had finished all the things having been written about Him, having taken Him down from the tree, they put Him in a tomb. 30But God raised Him out from the dead, 31who appeared for many days to those having come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.

32And we preach the gospel to you, the promise having been made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this to us their children, having raised up Jesus, as also it has been written in the second psalm:

‘You are My Son,

today I have begotten you.’a

34And that He raised Him out from the dead, no more being about to return to decay, He spoke thus:

‘I will give to you the holy and sure blessings of David.’b

35Therefore He also says in another:

‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’c

36For indeed David, having served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was added to his fathers, and saw decay. 37But the One God raised up did not see decay.

38Therefore be it known to you, men, brothers, that through this One, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39And in Him everyone believing is justified from all things from which you were not able to be justified in the Law of Moses. 40Take heed therefore, lest that having been said in the prophets might come about:

41‘Behold, scoffers,

and wonder and perish;

for I am working a work in your days,

a work that you would never believe,

even if one should declare it to you.’d”

The Gentiles Ask to Hear the Gospel

42And they having departed, they were begging these words to be spoken to them on the next Sabbath. 43And the synagogue having broken up, many of the Jews and worshipping converts followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, kept persuading them to continue in the grace of God.

44And on the coming Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of the Lord. 45But the Jews, having seen the crowds, were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, blaspheming.

46And Paul and Barnabas, having spoken boldly, said, “It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken first to you. But since you thrust it away and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47For thus the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you for a light of the Gentiles,

you to be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.’e”

48And the Gentiles hearing it were rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49And the word of the Lord was carried through the whole region.

50But the Jews incited the worshipping women of honorable position and the principals of the city, and they stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. 51But having shaken off the dust of the feet against them, they went to Iconium; 52and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.