Acts 13:4-12

Teaching Notes

As we make our way into Acts 13:4-12, Barnabas and Saul, newly set apart by the church in Antioch, begin their first missionary journey under the clear direction of the Holy Spirit. They travel down to Seleucia, sail across the Mediterranean, and arrive at the island of Cyprus, Barnabas’ homeland. With John Mark accompanying them as their assistant, they begin in Salamis and preach the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, establishing common ground with those who knew the Scriptures.

From there, they make their way through the island, eventually arriving at Paphos, the capital city, where they encounter a man named Bar-Jesus, also called Elymas, a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet. Though his very name means “son of salvation,” he lived as a deceiver, using demonic power to mislead and oppose the truth. He held influence in the court of Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, a man of intelligence and authority who desired to hear the word of God from Barnabas and Saul.

As the missionaries proclaim the gospel, Elymas actively resists them, seeking to turn Sergius Paulus away from the faith. At this decisive moment, Saul—who from here on is referred to by his Roman name Paul—confronts Elymas directly. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he rebukes him as a son of the devil, an enemy of righteousness, and pronounces God’s judgment: temporary blindness.

Immediately a mist of darkness falls upon Elymas, and he gropes for someone to lead him by the hand. Just as Paul himself had once been blinded on the road to Damascus, Elymas’ blindness becomes a sign of God’s authority, exposing the futility of his counterfeit power. The display of true spiritual power has a profound effect on Sergius Paulus. Seeing what had happened, and being astonished at the teaching of the Lord, the Roman governor believes.

This scene marks a turning point in Acts: the gospel has now reached a Roman ruler, demonstrating both the reach of God’s salvation and the futility of opposition against it. Paul steps into the forefront of leadership, the gospel continues to break through barriers, and the power of God’s word proves stronger than sorcery, culture, or human resistance.