--- title: "In Pisidian Antioch" description: "Paul and Barnabas face a hostile reception in a regional city after their message about Jesus draws massive crowds and divides the local community." image: "" book: "Acts" bookId: "ACT" testament: "new" startChapter: 13 startVerse: 13 endChapter: 13 endVerse: 52 coversChapters: [13] aiTitle: "Tension Boils Over: Traveling Teachers Ejected After Citywide Debate" aiDescription: "Paul and Barnabas face a hostile reception in a regional city after their message about Jesus draws massive crowds and divides the local community." hasAiStory: true location: "Pisidian Antioch" persons: ["Paul","John","Israelites","Gentiles","God","Samuel","Saul","David","Jesus","Abraham","Pilate","Barnabas","Jews","Moses"] hashtags: ["gospel","forgiveness","persecution","repentance","redemption"] genre: "history" readingTime: 4 type: "adaptive" slug: "ACT/in-pisidian-antioch" canonicalId: "ACT.13.13-13.52" chronologicalOrder: 1557 relatedSlugs: ["HAB/habakkuks-first-complaint","1SA/sauls-unlawful-sacrifice","ACT/peter-addresses-the-crowd","ROM/walking-by-the-spirit","LUK/jesus-appears-to-the-disciples-the-ascension","ISA/the-servant-and-light-to-the-gentiles","ACT/paul-preaches-at-rome","ROM/israel-in-the-present","1SA/samuel-anoints-david","ACT/peter-speaks-in-solomons-colonnade","ISA/gods-servant","1KI/abijam-of-judah","ROM/israel-in-the-future","EPH/pauls-greeting-to-the-ephesians-spiritual-blessings","PSA/psalm-78-i-will-open-my-mouth-in-parables","1SA/saul-vs-the-amalekites","LUK/the-birth-of-jesus","MAT/the-mission-of-john-the-baptist","JHN/the-crucifixion","MAT/the-commissioning-of-the-twelve","PSA/psalm-89-i-will-sing-of-his-love-forever","HEB/jesus-is-above-the-angels","2SA/the-temple-and-the-kingship","DEU/do-not-assimilate-into-the-nations","PSA/psalm-2-the-triumphant-messiah","GAL/authentication-of-the-message","LUK/zechariahs-song","JHN/john-the-baptist","1JN/the-first-test-of-fellowship","COL/introduction"] prevSlug: "ACT/pauls-first-missionary-journey-begins-on-cyprus" nextSlug: "ACT/at-iconium" --- A massive crowd gathered in the city on Saturday, nearly filling the entire town, to hear the latest update from two traveling speakers, [Paul](/persons/paul) and [Barnabas](/persons/barnabas). The pair had spent the previous week building momentum, sharing a message that focused on the history of Israel leading up to the life, death, and unexpected return to life of a man named [Jesus](/persons/jesus). The speakers argued that Jesus is the long-awaited savior mentioned by the prophets, emphasizing that his resurrection offers forgiveness to anyone who trusts him. The crowd was initially captivated, but the mood shifted as the local leadership witnessed the overwhelming response. Jealousy quickly turned to open hostility. Local leaders began shouting over the speakers, publicly contradicting their claims and attempting to discredit the message. Undeterred, the traveling pair went on the offensive, pointing out that their message was first intended for the local community but noting that since it had been flatly rejected, they were shifting their focus to the rest of the world. Quoting historical texts, the speakers declared their new mission: 'I have made you a light for the nations, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' This pivot to a broader audience was met with excitement by many, and the message began to spread rapidly throughout the entire region. However, the local power brokers hit back hard. They managed to influence high-ranking local figures and prominent women in the area, successfully stirring up enough public pressure to force the pair out of the district. As they left, Paul and Barnabas performed a symbolic gesture—shaking the dust off their feet as a formal protest against their treatment. Despite being driven out, eyewitnesses report that the pair left in high spirits, showing no signs of defeat and appearing energized by what they had accomplished. After setting sail from Paphos, [Paul](/persons/paul) and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where [John](/persons/john) left them to return to Jerusalem. And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.” Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you [Gentiles](/persons/gentiles) who fear [God](/persons/god), listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years.
After this, God gave them judges until the time of [Samuel](/persons/samuel) the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them forty years under [Saul](/persons/saul) son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. After removing Saul, He raised up [David](/persons/david) as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’ From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior [Jesus](/persons/jesus), as He promised. Before the arrival of Jesus, John preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But He is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ Brothers, children of [Abraham](/persons/abraham), and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked [Pilate](/persons/pilate) to have Him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days He was seen by those who had accompanied Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people. And now we proclaim to you the good news: What God promised our fathers He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:‘You are My Son;today I have become Your Father.’ In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said:‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So also, He says in another Psalm:‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’ For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay. But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of [Moses](/persons/moses). Watch out, then, that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you: ‘Look, you scoffers,wonder and perish!For I am doing a work in your daysthat you would never believe,even if someone told you.’ ” ### A Light for the Gentiles As Paul and [Barnabas](/persons/barnabas) were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath. After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the [Jews](/persons/jews) and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us:‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord spread throughout that region. The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

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