Book of Common Prayer

Paul and Barnabas are called to preach among the heathen. Of Sergius Paulus and Elymas the magician. Paul preaches at Antioch.

13 There were in the congregation at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, such as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² As they worshipped the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. ³ Then they fasted and prayed, and put their hands on them, and let them go. ⁴ And they, after they were sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. ⁵ And when they had come to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John Mark to assist them.

⁶ When they had gone throughout the isle to the city of Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet who was a Jew named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul of the province, one Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man called to him Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for so was his name by translation) withstood them, and sought to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

⁹ Then Saul, who also is called Paul, being full of the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him ¹⁰ and said, O full of all subtlety and deceitfulness, child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you cease not to pervert the straight ways of the Lord. ¹¹ And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a season.

And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul, when he saw what had happened, believed, and wondered at the doctrine of the Lord.

²³ And it chanced that he was walking through the grain fields in the Sabbath days, and his disciples, as they went their way, began to pluck the ears of grain. ²⁴ And the Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing on the Sabbath days that which is not lawful?

²⁵ And he said to them, Have you never read what David did when he had need and was hungry, both he and those who were with him? ²⁶ How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest and did eat the hallowed loaves, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests only, and gave also to those who were with him?

²⁷ And he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ Therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.

He helps the man with the withered hand, and chooses his apostles. He casts out the unclean spirit, which the Pharisees ascribe to the devil. The brother, sister, and mother of Christ.

3 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. ² And they watched him to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath day, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man who had the withered hand, Arise, and stand in the midst. ⁴ And he said to them, Is it lawful to do a good deed on the Sabbath days, or an evil deed? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. ⁵ And he looked round about on them angrily, mourning the blindness of their hearts, and said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored fully as whole as the other.

⁶ Then the Pharisees departed, and straightaway assembled a council with Herod’s men against him, so that they might destroy him.