Saul (Paul) Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus
April 19, 2020
Commentary
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 went from synagogue to synagogue where they preached the Word of God (v. 5). Day after day they walked, stopping to preach and teach in many places, until they had traveled ninety miles to the west end of the island (v. 6). At their very last stop on the island, the governor heard about these strange men with a strange message from God, and sent for them. However, the governor had on his staff a fortune-teller called Elymas, who was a child of the devil (John 8:44) (vv. 7-8). Paul recognized that Satan was using Elymas to try to keep the governor from hearing the Gospel. Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul spoke out boldly, denouncing the false prophet and bringing blindness on the man by the power of God in divine judgment (vv. 9-11).
Elymas was so blinded that he could not even see the sunlight. When the governor saw this he was amazed at the power of God and said to them, “Now I believe that what you have been trying to tell me is true (v. 12).” The big question is – Was Servius Paulus converted? There is no evidence that there was a change of heart and life. 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. So Cephas is the Hebrew name and Peter the Greek name for a rock; Thomas is the Hebrew name and Didymus the Greek name for a twin. So Saul was also Paul. 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, so I must constantly be calling on the Lord (I John 5:14-15).
Acts 13:4– 12 (NET)
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.