Acts 13

Barnabas and Saul start their First Missionary Journey from Antioch, their home base. Notice that their entourage includes a boyhood associate of the recently deceased ruler, Herod.) The Church prays over them and lays hands on them to commission them for their work.

The Holy Spirit leads Barnabas and Saul to Cyprus where they start in work in a synagogue with Mark helping. They get into trouble when a sorcerer tries to turn the local leader (who was of the faith) against them. Saul, now called by his roman name, Paul, calls the sorcerer on his evil intent and says this will cause him to be blind. In an ironic turn, when he becomes blind, the leader has his faith strengthened and not weakened.

In Pisidian Antioch (there are two Anitoch's,) they again teach on the Sabbath in a synagogue after being welcomed by the local group. Paul uses Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) as a springboard to proclaim Jesus as Savior as God had promised. Paul goes on that Jesus provides what trying to do the Law of Moses could not - a right relationship with God. Just turn (repent) and believe (invest) in Jesus. The people liked what they heard and were invited back.

The synagogue is packed the next week. Unfortunately, this brings out jealousy in the synagogue crowd. They probably felt bad that THEY never filled the place but these upstarts could. They changed their mind and bad-mouthed the missionaries. Paul says, in effect, "Fine, we'll take our business elsewhere (the Gentiles.)" The Gentiles thought this was great.

The jealousy continues with the leaders getting women of prominence to bad-mouth Paul and his group. Paul and Barnabas get kicked out. This made them happy because they were doing God's work. They knew there would be hardships but successes as well. God (the Holy Spirit) was with them.