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

1And there were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch; Barnabas, and Symeon called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenean, and Manahem, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2And they ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3Then they having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, sent them away.

On Cyprus

4Then they indeed, having been sent away by the Holy Ghost, came down to Seleucia; and thence sailed away to Cyprus. 5And being in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they also had John as their helper. 6And having gone through the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a Jewish false prophet, to whom was the name of Bar-Jesus: 7who was with Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, an intelligent man. He, having called Barnabas and Saul, sought to hear the word of God; 8but Elymas the magician (for thus his name is interpreted) opposed them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. 9And Saul, (who is also Paul), being filled with the Holy Ghost, fixing his eyes on him, 10said, O thou full of all guile and rascality, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the right ways of God? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness; and going about he was seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12Then the deputy, seeing that which took place, believed; being delighted with the teaching of the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

13And those around Paul having sailed from Paphos, came into Perge of Pamphylia: and John having departed from them returned to Jerusalem. 14And they having come from Perge, arrived into Picidian Antioch, and having come into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down. 15And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the chief rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men, brethren, if there is any word of consolation to the people in you, speak. 16And Paul, rising up, and beckoning with his hand said; Israelitish men, and those fearing God, hear. 17The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt, and with a strong arm led them out of it; 18and when he supported them about the time of forty years in the wilderness, 19and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them the inheritance of the land about four hundred and fifty years. 20And after these things he gave them judges, till Samuel the prophet. 21And then they asked for a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years; 22and having deposed him, he raised up to them David for a king; to whom witnessing he also said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who will do all my wishes. 23From whose seed according to the promise he led forth Jesus, the Savior, to Israel: 24and John having preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel, before the face of his coming. 25And when John fulfilled his course, he said, What do you consider me to be? I am not he: but, behold, there comes one after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose.

26Men, brethren, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among you fearing God, unto us the word of this salvation was sent. 27For those dwelling in Jerusalem, and the rulers, having rejected him, condemning him, have 28fulfilled the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath; and having found no cause of death, asked Pilate that he should be executed; 29and when they perfected all the things which had been written concerning him, taking him down from the cross, placed him in a sepulchre. 30And God raised him from the dead; 31who appeared to those coming up with him to Jerusalem from Galilee many days, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32And we preach unto you the promise, which was made to the fathers, 33that God has fulfilled this unto our children, raising up Jesus, as in the second Psalm it has been written, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34And because he raised him up from the dead, no longer about to return to corruption, He has thus said, I will give unto you the faithful mercies of David. 35Therefore He also says in another place, Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. 36For David, indeed having served his own generation according to the will of God, went to sleep, and did see corruption: 37but he, whom God raised up, did not see corruption. 38Then let it be known unto you, men brethren, that through this one remission of sins is preached: 39and in him every one believing is justified from all things from which ye were not able to be justified by the law of Moses. 40Then beware, lest the word which has been spoken by the prophets may come upon you;

41Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: because I work a work in your days, a work which you may not believe, though one may proclaim it to you.

A Light for the Gentiles

42And they going out, they continued to entreat them that these words should be spoken to them on the next Sabbath. 43And the synagogue having been adjourned, many of the Jews and pious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking with them, continued to persuade them to abide in the grace of God.

44And on the following Sabbath almost all the city came together to hear the word of the Lord. 45And the Jews seeing the multitudes, were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the word spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46And Paul and Barnabas speaking boldly, said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you: since you have rejected it, and judge yourselves not worthy of eternal life, behold we now turn to the Gentiles.

47For thus the Lord has commanded us, I have placed thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shalt be for salvation unto the extremity of the earth.

48And the Gentiles hearing, rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and so many as had been ordained unto eternal life believed: 49and the word of the Lord was carried throughout all the country. 50And the Jews stirred up the noble godly women, and the first men of the city, and they raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders. 51And having cast off the dust from their feet against them, they came into Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy, and the Holy Ghost.