The Early Church

Realizing what had happened, he went to the house of Miryam the mother of Yochanan (surnamed Mark), where many people had gathered to pray.

He knocked at the outside door, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer.

She recognized Kefa’s voice and was so happy that she ran back in without opening the door, and announced that Kefa was standing outside.

“You’re out of your mind!” they said to her. But she insisted it was true. So they said, “It is his angel.”

Meanwhile, Kefa kept knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

Motioning to them with his hand to be quiet, he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison and said, “Tell all this to Ya‘akov and the brothers.” Then he left and went elsewhere.

When daylight came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Kefa.

Herod had a thorough search made for him, but they failed to find him, so he cross-examined the guards and ordered them put to death. Then Herod went down from Y’hudah to Caesarea and spent some time there.

Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tzor and Tzidon, so they joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, the king’s chief personal servant, they asked for peace; because they depended on the king’s lands for their food supply.

A day was set, and Herod in his royal robes sat on the throne and made a speech to them.

The mob cried out, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”

At once, because Herod did not give the glory to God, an angel of Adonai struck him down. He was eaten away by worms and died.

But the word of the Lord went on growing and being multiplied.

Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul, having completed their errand, returned from Yerushalayim, bringing with them Yochanan, surnamed Mark.

In the Antioch congregation were prophets and teachers — Bar-Nabba, Shim‘on (known as “the Black”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Menachem (who had been brought up with Herod the governor) and Sha’ul.

One time when they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Ruach HaKodesh said to them, “Set aside for me Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul for the work to which I have called them.”

After fasting and praying, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

So these two, after they had been sent out by the Ruach HaKodesh, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus.

After landing in Salamis, they began proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues, with Yochanan (Mark) as an assistant;

and thus they made their way throughout the whole island. They ended up in Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and pseudo-prophet named Bar-Yeshua.

He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. Now the governor had called for Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul and was anxious to hear the message about God;

but the sorcerer Elymas (for that is how his name is translated) opposed them, doing his best to turn the governor away from the faith.

Then Sha’ul, also known as Paul, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, stared straight at him and said,

“You son of Satan, full of fraud and evil! You enemy of everything good! Won’t you ever stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

So now, look! The hand of the Lord is upon you; and for a while you will be blind, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over Elymas; and he groped about, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.