Duties toward God

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

¹³ Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem,^{(A) 14} but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.^{(B) 15} After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent them a message, saying, “Brothers,^[a] if you have any word of exhortation for the people, give it.” ¹⁶ So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak:

“Fellow Israelites^[b] and others who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.^{(C) 18} For about forty years he put up with^[c] them in the wilderness.^{(D) 19} After he had destroyed seven peoples in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance^{(E) 20} for about four hundred fifty years. After that he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.^{(F) 21} Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.^{(G) 22} When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.’^{(H) 23} Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised;^{(I) 24} before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.^{(J) 25} And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of the sandals^[d] on his feet.’^(K)

²⁶ “Brothers and sisters,^[e] you descendants of Abraham’s family and others who fear God, to us^[f] the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him.^{(L) 28} Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed.^{(M) 29} When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.^{(N) 30} But God raised him from the dead,^{(O) 31} and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people.^{(P) 32} And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors^{(Q) 33} he has fulfilled for us, their children,^[g] by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,

³⁴ “As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

³⁵ “Therefore he has also said in another psalm,

³⁶ “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died,^[h] was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption,^{(U) 37} but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. ³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers and sisters,^[i] that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you;^{(V) 39} by this Jesus^[j] everyone who believes is set free from all those sins^[k] from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.^{(W) 40} Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:^(X)

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas^[l] were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.^(Y)

Blessings of Wisdom

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.^{[a] 45} But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.^{(A) 46} Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the gentiles.^{(B) 47} For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

⁴⁸ When the gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord, and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. ⁴⁹ Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their region. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.^{(D) 52} And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.^(E)

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing occurred in Iconium, where Paul^[b] and Barnabas^[c] went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. ² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ So they remained for a long time speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them.^{(F) 4} But the residents of the city were divided: some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.^{(G) 5} And when an attempt was made by both gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them,^{(H) 6} the apostles^[d] learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region,^{(I) 7} and there they continued proclaiming the good news.