Paul’s First Missionary Journey Begins
(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)

1NOW there were at Antioch, according to the established church, prophets and teachers; such as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger the black, and Lucius a Cyrenian, and Manaen, Herod the tetrarch?s foster-brother, and Saul. 2And as they were employed in the ministry, and kept a fast, the Holy Ghost said, Set apart for me now both Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3Then having kept a fast and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them out.

On Cyprus

4They then being sent forth indeed by the Holy Ghost, went down to Seleucia; and from thence sailed to Cyprus. 5And being at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had John also as their attendant. 6Now as they travelled through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain person who professed magic, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: 7who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; he inviting to his house Barnabas and Saul, desired earnestly to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for such is his name when interpreted) opposed them, seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul (now Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, and fixing his eyes upon him, 10said, O thou full of all guile and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the strait ways of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand. 12Then when the proconsul saw what was done, he believed, being struck with the doctrine of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13Hereupon sailing from Paphos, they who were about Paul came to Perga in Pamphylia: but John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. 14And they departed from Perga, and came to Antioch in Pisidia, and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, they sat down. 15Then after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogues sent to them, saying, Men and brethren, if ye are disposed to give a word of exhortation to the people, speak. 16Then Paul arose, and waving his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hear me. 17The God of this people Israel selected our fathers, and exalted the people during their abode in the land of Egypt, and with a mighty arm brought he them out of it. 18And about the space of forty years he bore with their behaviour in the wilderness. 19And destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their territory to them by lot. 20And after these things, during a space of about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21And from that time they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, during forty years. 22And removing him, he raised up unto them David to be king; respecting whom also he spake testifying, ?I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall perform all my intentions.? 23From this man?s seed according to the promise hath God raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus: 24John having preached before his first coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25But as John was finishing his course, he said, Whom do ye suppose me to be? I am not the Messiah. But, behold! he is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.

26Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, being ignorant of him, and the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath-day, by condemning him have fulfilled them. 28And though they found no cause of death in him, they besought Pilate that he might be killed. 29But when they had finished all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30But God raised him from the dead: 31and he was seen many days by those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32And we preach to you the promise made to our fathers; 33for this hath God fulfilled to their children, even to us, in raising up Jesus: as it is also written in the second Psalm, ?Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.? 34But that he raised him from the dead, no more in future to return to corruption, he hath thus spoken, ?I will give you the holy things of David, which are sure.? 35Wherefore also he saith in another place, ?Thou wilt not permit thy Holy One to see corruption.? 36For David indeed, after having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was placed with his fathers, and saw corruption. 37But he, whom God raised up, saw no corruption. 38Be it therefore known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man remission of sin is proclaimed to you: 39and by this man shall every one who believeth be justified from all things, from which it was not possible that he should be justified by the law of Moses. 40Take heed then, that this come not upon you, which is spoken by the prophets;

41?Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I do a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though one declare it unto you.?

A Light for the Gentiles

42But when the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles entreated that these words might be spoken to them the following sabbath. 43And when the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, exhorting them, persuaded them to abide stedfast in the grace of God.

44And on the next sabbath almost all the city thronged together to hear the word of God. 45But the Jews seeing the multitude, were filled with envy, and opposed the things spoken by Paul, contradicting and reviling. 46Then Paul and Barnabas speaking with undaunted boldness, said, It was necessary that the word of God should be first spoken unto you: but since ye have thrust it from you, and judged yourselves not worthy of eternal life, lo! we turn to the Gentiles.

47For so hath the Lord enjoined us, ?I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mightest be for salvation unto the extremity of the earth.?

48Now when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and they believed, even as many as were ordained to life eternal. 49So the word of the Lord was diffused through the whole region. 50Then the Jews stirred up the devout women, and those who were respectable, and the principal persons of the city, and raised up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders. 51But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.