Acts 13:13–43

Preaching in the Synagogue at Pisidian Antioch

¹³Now Paul and his companions^b put out to sea from Paphos and^* came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John departed from them and^* returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴And they went on from Perga and^* arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And they entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and^* sat down. ¹⁵So after the reading from the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word^* to them, saying, “Men and brothers, if there is any message of exhortation by you for the people, say it.”^*

¹⁶So Paul stood up,^* and motioning with his^* hand, he said, “Israelite men, and those who fear God, listen! ¹⁷The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people during their^* stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. ¹⁸And for a period of time of about forty years, he put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹And after^* destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave their land to his people^* as an inheritance. ²⁰This took^* about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things, he gave them^* judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹And then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²²And after^* removing him, he raised up David for their king, about whom he also said, testifying, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man in accordance with my heart, who will carry out all my will.’^{c 23}From the descendants of this man, according to his promise, God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus. ²⁴Before his coming^d John had publicly proclaimed^* a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵But while John was completing his^* mission, he said, ‘What do you suppose me to be? I am not he! But behold, one is coming after me of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his^* feet!’

²⁶“Men and brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear God—to us the message of this salvation has been sent! ²⁷For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they^* did not recognize this one, and the voices of the prophets that are read on every Sabbath, fulfilled them^* by^* condemning him.^{* 28}And although they^* found no charge worthy of death, they asked Pilate that he be executed. ²⁹And when they had carried out all the things that were written about him, they took him^* down from the tree and^* placed him^* in a tomb. ³⁰But God raised him from the dead, ³¹who appeared for many days to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem—who are now his witnesses to the people. ³²And we proclaim the good news to you: that the promise that was made to the fathers, ³³this promise^e God has fulfilled to our children^f by^* raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm,

‘You are my Son;

today I have fathered you.’^g

³⁴But that he has raised him from the dead, no more going to return to decay, he has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the reliable divine decrees of David.’^{h 35}Therefore he also says in another psalm,^*

‘You will not permit your Holy One to experience decay.’ⁱ

³⁶For David, after^* serving the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was buried with^j his fathers, and experienced decay. ³⁷But he whom God raised up did not experience decay.

³⁸“Therefore let it be known to you, men and brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and from all the things from which you were not able to be justified by the law of Moses, ³⁹by this one everyone who believes is justified! ⁴⁰Watch out, therefore, lest what is stated by the prophets come upon you:^*

⁴¹‘Look, you scoffers,

and be astonished and perish!

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work that you would never believe

even if someone were to tell it^* to you.’ ”^k

Response to the Message in Pisidian Antioch

⁴²And as^* they were going out, they began urging^* that these things be spoken about to them on the next Sabbath. ⁴³And after^* the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout^l proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and^* were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.