Book of Common Prayer

¹³ Paul and his friends left Paphos in a boat. They went to the town of Perga in the district of Pamphylia. There John left them and went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ The others went on from Perga. They came to Antioch in the district of Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the meeting house and sat down.

¹⁵ First, someone read from the books of the law and the prophets. Then the rulers of the meeting house called Paul and Barnabas and said, `Men and brothers, have you something to say that will help us? Please say it.'

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up and put out his hand. He said, `Men of Israel and you who worship and fear God, please listen to me.

¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made the people into a large tribe when they were strangers in the land of Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt by his power.

¹⁸ For forty years in the wilderness God cared for them like a father.

¹⁹ God took seven tribes out of the land of Canaan. Then he divided the land among our people.

²⁰ God gave judges to rule over them until Samuel the prophet came. About four hundred and fifty years had passed.

²¹ Then the people asked for a king. God gave them Saul. He was the son of Kish, a man from Benjamin's family. Saul was their king for forty years.

²² Then God took him away. He made David king over them. This is what God said about him, "David, Jesse's son, is the kind of man I love. He will do all that I want him to do."

²³ God has given Israel a Saviour from David's family, as he promised to do. His name is Jesus.

²⁴ Before he came, John [the baptiser] talked to all the people of Israel. He said they should stop doing wrong things and be baptised.

²⁵ When John was finishing his work, he said, "Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But wait, someone else will come after me. I am not good enough to untie his shoe strings."

¹⁸ But the leaders of the Jews did not really believe what they heard about the man. They did not believe that first he had been blind and now was able to see. So they called the parents of the man who could now see.

¹⁹ `Tell us,' they said. `Is this your son who you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?'

²⁰ The parents answered, `We know that this is our son. And we know that he was born blind.

²¹ But we do not know how it is that he can now see. We do not know who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to talk for himself.'

²² The parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. They knew that the leaders of the Jews had already agreed that if anyone said Jesus is the Christ, they would be put out of the meeting place.

²³ That is why the parents said, `He is old enough to talk for himself. Ask him.'

²⁴ Then again they called the man who had been blind. They said to him, `You must praise God for this. We know that the man who healed you is a bad man.'

²⁵ He answered them, `I do not know if he is a bad man or not. But one thing I do know. I know that first I was blind, but now I can see.'

²⁶ Then they said to him again, `What did he do to you? How did he heal you?'

²⁷ He answered them, `I told you already. You did not listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to be his disciples?'

²⁸ This made them angry. They said, `You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

²⁹ We know that God talked to Moses. But this man, we do not know where he comes from.'

³⁰ The man who had been blind said, `This surprises me! He healed me and yet you do not know where he comes from!

³¹ We know that God does not listen to bad people. But God listens to the person who shows him respect and who obeys him.

³² Before this, no one has ever healed a man who was born blind. Such a thing has not been heard of since the world was made.

³³ If this man did not come from God, he could not do anything like this.'

³⁴ They answered, `You have been a bad man ever since you were born! Now are you trying to teach us?' And with that they put him out of the meeting place.

³⁵ Jesus heard that the people had put him out. When he found him, he said, `Do you believe in the Son of God?'

³⁶ He answered, `Sir, who is the Son of God? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.'

³⁷ Jesus said, `You have already seen him. The person who is talking to you now, he is the Son of God.'

³⁸ The man said, `Sir, I do believe.' He kneeled down in front of Jesus and worshipped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, `I came into the world so that people may be judged. I came so that those who are blind may see. And I came so that those who see may become blind.'

⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees were with Jesus and heard him say this. They asked him, `You mean to say that we are blind also?'

⁴¹ Jesus answered them, `If you agreed that you were blind, you would not be bad people. But you say, "We can see." So then you are still bad people.'