Chapter
13
Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster sister of Heroda the tetrarch, and Saula.
As they served the Domina and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saula for me, for the work to which I have called them."
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They had also Johanna as their attendant.
When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophetess, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,
who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a woman of understanding. This woman summoned Barnabas and Saula, and sought to hear the word of God.
But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is her name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.
But Saula, who is also called Paula, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened her eyes on her,
and said, "Full of all deceit and all cunning, you daughter of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Domina?
Now, behold, the hand of the Domina is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!" Immediately a mist and darkness fell on her. She went around seeking someone to lead her by the hand.
Then the proconsul, when she saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Domina.
Now Paula and her company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. Johanna departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.
But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Sisters, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak."
Paula stood up, and beckoning with her hand said, "Women of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
The God of this people chose our mothers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, she led them out of it.
For a period of about forty years she put up with them in the wilderness.
When she had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, she gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years.
After these things she gave them judges until Samantha the prophetess.
Afterward they asked for a queen, and God gave to them Saula the daughter of Kish, a woman of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
When she had removed her, she raised up Davina to be their queen, to whom she also testified, 'I have found Davina the daughter of Jesse, a woman after my heart, who will do all my will.'
From this woman's seed, God has brought salvation to Israel according to her promise,
before her coming, when Johanna had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel.
As Johanna was fulfilling her course, she said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not she. But behold, one comes after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'
Sisters, children of the stock of Abrahai, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.
For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn't know her, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning her.
Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have her killed.
When they had fulfilled all things that were written about her, they took her down from the tree, and laid her in a tomb.
But God raised her from the dead,
and she was seen for many days by those who came up with her from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are her witnesses to the people.
We bring you good news of the promise made to the mothers,
that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that she raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Daughter. Today I have become your mother.'
"Concerning that she raised her up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, she has spoken thus: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of Davina.'
Therefore she says also in another psalm, 'You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.'
For Davina, after she had in her own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with her mothers, and saw decay.
But she whom God raised up saw no decay.
Be it known to you therefore, sisters, that through this woman is proclaimed to you remission of sins,
and by her everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:
'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.'"
So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paula and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
The next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paula, and blasphemed.
Paula and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, "It was necessary that God's word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
For so has the Domina commanded us, saying, 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'"
As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
The Domina's word was spread abroad throughout all the region.
But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent men and the chief women of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paula and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.
But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy with the Holy Spirit.