Acts 13:27-52

²⁷The people of Jerusalem and their leaders, failing to recognize Jesus, and not understanding the utterances of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

²⁸They found no ground at all for putting him to death, and yet demanded his execution from Pilate;

²⁹and, after carrying out everything written about him, they took Jesus down from the cross, and laid him in a tomb.

³⁰But God raised him from the dead;

³¹and he appeared for many days to those who had gone up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are now witnesses for him to the people.

³²We also have good news to tell you, about the promise made to our ancestors —

³³That our children have had this promise completely fulfilled to them by God, by his raising Jesus. That is just what is said in the second Psalm — ‘You are my Son; this day I have become your Father.’

³⁴As to his raising Jesus from the dead, never again to return to corruption, this is what is said — ‘I will give to you the sacred promises made to David;’

³⁵And, therefore, in another Psalm it is said — ‘You will not give up the Holy One to undergo corruption.’

³⁶David, after obediently doing God's will in his own time, fell asleep and was laid by the side of his ancestors, and did undergo corruption;

³⁷but Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, did not undergo corruption.

³⁸I would, therefore, like you to know, friends, that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,

³⁹and that, in union with him, everyone who believes in him is absolved from every sin from which under the Law of Moses you could not be absolved.

⁴⁰Beware, therefore, that what is said in the prophets does not come true of you —

⁴¹‘Look, you despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I am doing a deed in your days — a deed which, though told you in full, you will never believe’.”

⁴²As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people begged for a repetition of this teaching on the next Sabbath.

⁴³After the congregation had dispersed, many of the Jews, and of the converts who joined in their worship, followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue to rely on the loving kindness of God.

⁴⁴On the following Sabbath, almost all the city gathered to hear God's message.

⁴⁵But the sight of the crowds of people filled the minds of the Jews with jealousy, and they kept contradicting Paul's statements in violent language.

⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out fearlessly, and said: “It was necessary that the message of God should be told to you first; but, since you reject it and reckon yourselves not worthy of the eternal life — we turn to the Gentiles!

⁴⁷For this is the Lord's command to us — ‘I have destined you for a light to the Gentiles, a means of salvation to the ends of the earth’.”

⁴⁸On hearing this, the Gentiles were glad and extolled God's message; and all those who had been enrolled for eternal life became believers in Christ;

⁴⁹and the Lord's message was carried throughout that district.

⁵⁰But the Jews incited the women of high social standing who worshiped with them, and the leading men of the town, and started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region.

⁵¹They, however, shook the dust off their feet in protest,

⁵²and went to Iconium, leaving the disciples full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.