4. Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went to the city of Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus.
5. When they came to Salamis, they preached the Good News of God in the synagogues. John Mark was with them to help.
6. They went across the whole island to Paphos where they met a magician named Bar-Jesus. He was a false prophet
7. who always stayed close to Sergius Paulus, the governor and a smart man. He asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him, because he wanted to hear the message of God.
8. But Elymas, the magician, was against them. (Elymas is the name for Bar-Jesus in the Greek language.) He tried to stop the governor from believing in Jesus.
9. But Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas
38-39. Brothers, understand what we are telling you: You can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus. The law of Moses could not free you from your sins. But through Jesus everyone who believes is free from all sins.
40. Be careful! Don’t let what the prophets said happen to you:
41. ‘Listen, you people who doubt!You can wonder, and then die.I will do something in your lifetimethat you won’t believe even when you are told about it!’ ”
42. While Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people asked them to tell them more about these things on the next Sabbath.
43. When the meeting was over, many people with those who had changed to worship God followed Paul and Barnabas from that place. Paul and Barnabas were persuading them to continue trusting in God’s grace.
44. On the next Sabbath day, almost everyone in the city came to hear the word of the Lord.
45. Seeing the crowd, the Jewish people became very jealous and said insulting things and argued against what Paul said.
46. But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly, saying, “We must speak the message of God to you first. But you refuse to listen. You are judging yourselves not worthy of having eternal life! So we will now go to the people of other nations.
47. This is what the Lord told us to do, saying:‘I have made you a light for the nations;you will show people all over the world the way to be saved.’ ”
48. When those who were not Jewish heard Paul say this, they were happy and gave honor to the message of the Lord. And the people who were chosen to have life forever believed the message.
49. So the message of the Lord was spreading through the whole country.