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.

⁴¹ Then Peter said to him, Master, do you speak this similitude to us, or to all men? ⁴² And the Lord said, If there be any servant faithful and wise, whom his lord appoints over his household to give them their portion of food at due season, ⁴³ happy is that servant whom his master, when he comes, finds so doing. ⁴⁴ Of a truth I say to you, he will appoint him over all that he has. ⁴⁵ But if the evil servant says in his heart, My master will defer his coming, and begins to smite the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken, ⁴⁶ the lord of that servant will come in a day when he thinks not, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will separate him, and will give him his reward with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ The servant that knew his master’s will and did not prepare himself, nor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸ But he who did not know, and yet committed things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. For to whom much is given, of him will much be required. And to whom men commit much, the more will they ask of him.