Acts 13

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1In 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.

2While 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.”

3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

4The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

6They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

7who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be 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.

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

13From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

14From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.

15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

16Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!

17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country,

18he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert,

19he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance.

20All this took about 450 years. “After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.

21Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

22After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

23“From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.

24Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.

25As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

26“Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

27The 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.

28Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.

29When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

30But God raised him from the dead,

31and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers

33he 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. ’

34The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: “ ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

35So it is stated elsewhere: “ ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’

36“For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.

37But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

40Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41“ ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’ ”

42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.

43When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

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

48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

49The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

50But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

51So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

52And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

13:1-3 What an assemblage was here! In these names we see that the Lord raises up instruments for his work, from various places and stations in life; and zeal for his glory induces men to give up flattering connexions and prospects to promote his cause. It is by the Spirit of Christ that his ministers are made both able and willing for his service, and taken from other cares that would hinder in it. Christ's ministers are to be employed in Christ's work, and, under the Spirit's guidance, to act for the glory of God the Father. They are separated to take pains, and not to take state. A blessing upon Barnabas and Saul in their present undertaking was sought for, and that they might be filled with the Holy Ghost in their work. Whatever means are used, or rules observed, the Holy Ghost alone can fit ministers for their important work, and call them to it.

CHAPTER 13PAUL'S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY: In Company with Barnabas. Ac 13:1-14:28.Ac 13:1-3. Barnabas and Saul, Divinely Called to Labor among the Gentiles, Are Set Apart and Sent Forth by the Church at Antioch.The first seven chapters of this book might be entitled, The Church among the Jews; the next five (chapters eight through twelve), The Church in Transition from Jews to Gentiles; and the last sixteen (chapters thirteen through twenty-eight), The Church among the Gentiles [Baumgarten]. "Though Christianity had already spread beyond the limits of Palestine, still the Church continued a stranger to formal missionary effort. Casual occurrences, particularly the persecution at Jerusalem (Ac 8:2), had hitherto brought about the diffusion of the Gospel. It was from Antioch that teachers were first sent forth with the definite purpose of spreading Christianity, and organizing churches, with regular institutions (Ac 14:23)" [Olshausen].1. there were … certain prophets—(See on [2000]Ac 11:27).and teachers; as Barnabas, &c.—implying that there were others there, besides; but, according to what appears the true reading, the meaning is simply that those here mentioned were in the Church at Antioch as prophets and teachers.Simeon … Niger—of whom nothing is known.Lucius of Cyrene—(Ac 2:20). He is mentioned, in Ro 16:21, as one of Paul's kinsmen.Manaen—or Menahem, the name of one of the kings of Israel (2Ki 15:14).which had been brought up with—or, the foster brother of.Herod the tetrarch—that is, Antipas, who was himself "brought up with a certain private person at Rome" [Josephus, Antiquities, 17.1,3]. How differently did these two foster brothers turn out—the one, abandoned to a licentious life and stained with the blood of the most distinguished of God's prophets, though not without his fits of reformation and seasons of remorse; the other, a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus and prophet of the Church at Antioch! But this is only what may be seen in every age: "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight.' If the courtier, whose son, at the point of death, was healed by our Lord (Joh 4:46) was of Herod's establishment, while Susanna's husband was his steward (Lu 8:3), his foster brother's becoming a Christian and a prophet is something remarkable.and Saul—last of all, but soon to become first. Henceforward this book is almost exclusively occupied with him; and his impress on the New Testament, on Christendom, and on the world is paramount.

"\nAs they ministered to the Lord,.... That is, the five prophets and teachers before mentioned; and whose ministry lay in preaching the Gospel, teaching the people the doctrines of it, and expounding prophecies, and also in prayer; to which latter the Syriac version restrains their ministry, rendering it, "as they prayed to God"; but the phrase seems to be more extensive: "and fasted"; which the Jews were much used to, and the believing ones had not yet left it off; their custom was to fast on Mondays and Thursdays: [See comments on Lu 18:12]. Whether it was on one of those days, that these men were ministering and fasting, is not certain; but this we may be sure of, it was not on the Jewish sabbath, for on that day they never fasted; very likely that this was a fast appointed and fixed among themselves, on some particular occasion; it may be on account of the famine, which was at this time, Ac 11:28.\n\nThe Holy Ghost said; either with an articulate voice, or by an internal impulse, upon the minds of three of the prophets:\n\nseparate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them; the work which the Holy Ghost had appointed, and called them to before this, was to go and preach the Gospel among the Gentiles, distinct from the Jews, of which we read in the latter part of this chapter; and now he would have them be separated from their brethren, as Aaron and his sons were from theirs, and be sent forth from hence directly, upon that work: this shows the Spirit to be a person, since speaking and commanding in an authoritative way, and calling to a work, are ascribed unto him; and that he is a divine person, and truly God, and equal with God, since calling to a sacred office is attributed to him; and a separation to it is ordered for himself, for his service, honour, and glory; he does not say separate them to the Lord, or to God, but to me.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd when they had fasted and prayed,....

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG በአንጾኪያም ባለችው ቤተ ክርስቲያን ነቢያትና መምህራን ነበሩ፤ እነርሱም በርናባስ፥ ኔጌር የተባለው ስምዖንም፥ የቀሬናው ሉክዮስም፥ የአራተኛው ክፍል ገዥ የሄሮድስም ባለምዋል ምናሔ፥ ሳውልም… አማርኛ BCV ኣብታ ኣብ ኣንፆኪያ ዝነበረት ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከዓ፥ ነቢያትን መምህራንን ነበሩ። ንሳቶም ከዓ በርናባስን፥ እቲ “ፀሊም” ተብሂሉ ዝፅዋዕ ስምኦንን፥ ሉቅዮስ ቀሬናውን፥ ምስ ገዛኢ ርባዕ ክፍሊ… ትግርኛ GAZBIB Waldaa kristiiyaanaa Anxokiyaa keessa raajonnii fi barsiisonni turan; isaanis Baarnaabaas, Simi'oon ?Isa gurraachicha? … Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወሀለዉ በቤተ ክርስቲያን ዘአንጾኪያ ነቢያት ወሊቃውንት፡ በርናባስ ወስምዖን ዘተሰምየ ኔጎር፡ ወሉቅዮስ ቀሬናዊ፡ ወምናሄ ወልደ ሐፃኒቱ ለሄሮድስ ንጉሥ፡ ወሳውል። giz GAZGAZ Waldaa kristiiyaanaa Anxokiyaa keessa raajonnii fi barsiisonni turan; isaanis Baarnaabaas, Simi'oon ?Isa gurraachicha? … Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ኣብታ ኣብ ኣንፆኪያ ዝነበረት ቤተ ክርስቲያን ከዓ፥ ነቢያትን መምህራንን ነበሩ። ንሳቶም ከዓ በርናባስን፥ እቲ “ፀሊም” ተብሂሉ ዝፅዋዕ ስምኦንን፥ ሉቅዮስ ቀሬናውን፥ ምስ ገዛኢ ርባዕ ክፍሊ… ትግርኛ AMHNIV በአንጾኪያ ባለችው ቤተ ክርስቲያን ነቢያትና መምህራን ነበሩ፤ እነርሱም፦ በርናባስ፣ ኔጌር የተባለው ስምዖን፣ የቀሬናው ሉክዮስ፣ የአራተኛው ክፍል ገዥ የሄሮድስ አብሮ አደግ የነበረው ምናሔና… አማርኛ SWAHSUV Na huko Antiokia katika kanisa lililokuwako palikuwa na manabii na waalimu, nao ni Barnaba, na Simeoni aitwaye Nigeri, … Kiswahili