Paul 1.3

When evening had come, many people from the assemblies in the city gathered at Manaen's house. After we broke bread Manaen asked Barnabas to share them all the things that had happened. During the afternoon, a couple had already met with him privately. I could tell some were a little nervous about our interaction with Gentiles, no doubt from what Mark had told them.

But not long into Barnabas' sharing, Simeon stood up from where he was reclining. He had a word of prophecy to share. Simeon was a dark-skinned proselyte to Judaism and was a prophet. God had used him and Lucian of Cyrene to separate Barnabas and me for the mission to Cyprus in the first place. Now he stood and said, "Brothers, the Holy Spirit has begun to move mightily among the Gentiles. It will not be long before there are more believers among them than there are among we Jews! God is bringing the nations to himself, as it is written in the prophet, 'Those who were not my people I will call my people.'"

For a moment there was silence, although Lucian, Barnabas, and I said the "Amen."

Then I spoke out. "Brothers and sisters, the Spirit bears witness with my spirit that this is true. As many of you know, I have begun to go by my Roman nomen, Paulus, to symbolize that God has begun to draw the Gentiles to faith."

When I said this, a few more said the "Amen." Others seemed concerned, even if of good spirit.

But a moment later Barnabas continued to tell our story. I chimed in from time to time, particularly when we got to our time in Lystra, when I was nearly stoned to death. Barnabas chuckled, "Yes, we were all there standing around him, thinking he was dead. And then, all of a sudden, he just got up, shook himself off a little, and started walking back into the village to Eunice's house. He didn't say anything to anyone. He just walked right past us and back into town. He was walking like someone had spun him around one too many times. But he didn't want any help."