Paul Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus
November 23, 2021
Commentary
Chapter 13 marks a major division in the book of Acts. The focus shifts away from Peter and the church in Judea, towards Paul and the churches he planted during his travels. The Lord called Paul and Barnabas to minister to the Gentiles. They were what we today call foreign missionaries. The church confirmed their calling, commissioned them, and sent them forth (vv. 2-3). Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they had decided, quite deliberately, to take the Gospel out into all the world. Paul and Barnabas took another young man, John Mark, with them, and they sailed for the island of Cyprus, arriving on the eastern costal village of Salamis (v. 4). They traveled 90 miles across the island walking from synagogue to synagogue preaching the Word of God (v. 5).
In the home of Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, the new missionaries faced their first real challenge: the Jewish, false prophet, magician Bar-Jesus (Elymas) (vv. 6-12). Sergius had wanted to hear the Word of God preached by Paul and Barnabas, but Elymas opposed them. Recognizing the devil’s influence, Paul, full of the Spirit, denounced Elymas as a son of the devil, an enemy of all righteousness, a deceiver, and a villain. By God’s power Paul took away Elymas’ eyesight for a time. Elymas had tried to make the road to God crooked, so it was only fitting that he should be reliant on others to travel anywhere. When the governor saw this, he was amazed at the power of God and believed in their teachings.
From this point on Saul is called Paul. In those days nearly all Jews had two names. One was a Jewish name, by which they were known in their own circle; the other was a Greek name, by which they were known in the wider world. It may well be that he determined to use only his Gentile name from this time on because he was now launched on the career for which the Holy Spirit had marked him out. He fully accepted his mission as the apostle to the Gentiles.
Application
Do I think that Satan is still trying to stop the gospel from being preached? Yes, and I need to realize that the task is too large for me. I must constantly be calling on the Lord (I John 5:14-15).
Acts 13:1– 12 (NET)
1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off.
4 So Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. (Now they also had John as their assistant.) 6 When they had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the way his name is translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul (also known as Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him 10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness—will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord.
Illustration: Confronting the Darkness in God’s Light
I once heard about a confrontation between a young boy and his mother. The mother asked her son, “Young man, there were two cookies in the pantry this morning! May I ask how it happened that there’s only one now?” The boy didn’t flinch but said, “It must’ve been so dark I didn’t see the other one.” Living in sin is often portrayed as “living in darkness.” Just like the boy who missed the other cookie, we too miss out on many of God’s blessings when we refuse to walk in His light. (Source Unknown, Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author).