The Daily Audio Bible

²⁴ But God’s word grew and multiplied. ²⁵ Barnabas and Saul had by now accomplished their ministry in Jerusalem, and they came back to Antioch, bringing John Mark with them.

Mission and magic

13 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen from the court of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. ² As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So they fasted and prayed; and then they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

⁴ So off they went, sent out by the holy spirit, and arrived at Seleucia. From there they set sail to Cyprus, ⁵ and when they arrived in Salamis they announced God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant. ⁶ They went through the whole of the island, all the way to Paphos. There they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He called Barnabas and Saul and asked to hear the word of God. ⁸ The magician Elymas (that is the translation of his name) was opposing them, and doing his best to turn the governor away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, also named Paul, looked intently at him, filled with the holy spirit.

¹⁰ “You’re full of trickery and every kind of villainy!” he said. “You’re a son of the devil! You’re an enemy of everything that’s right! When are you going to stop twisting the paths that God has made straight? ¹¹ Now see here: the Lord’s hand will be upon you, and you will be blind for a while; you won’t even be able to see the sun!”

At once mist and darkness fell on him, and he went about looking for someone to lead him by the hand. ¹² When the governor saw what had happened, he believed, since he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Address in Antioch

¹³ Paul and his companions set off from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and went back to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ But they came through from Perga and arrived in Antioch of Pisidia, where they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading of the law and the prophets, the ruler of the synagogue sent word to them.

“My brothers,” he said, “if you have any word of exhortation for the people, let us hear it.”