In the church at Antioch there were a number of prophets and teachers of the Word, including Barnabas, Simeon from Niger, Lucius the Libyan, Manean (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. While they were worshiping as priests before the Lord in prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “I have called Barnabas and Saul to do an important work for me. Now, release them to go and fulfill it.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and sent them off.
So Saul and Barnabas, and their assistant Mark (known as John), were directed by the Holy Spirit to go to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they went to the synagogues and declared the Word of God. From there they crossed the island as far as Paphos, where they encountered a Jewish false prophet, a sorcerer named Elymas, who also went by the name of “son of Jesus.” He had gained influence as the spiritual advisor to the regional governor, Sergius Paulus, considered by many to be a wise and intelligent leader. The governor requested a meeting with Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the message of God’s word. But Elymas, whose name means “sorcerer,” stood up against them and tried to prevent the governor from believing their message.
Saul, also known as Paul, stared into his eyes and rebuked him. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he said, “You son of the devil! You are full of every form of fraud and deceit and an enemy of all that is right. When will you stop perverting the truth of God into lies? At this very moment the hand of God’s judgment comes down upon you and you will be blind—so blind you won’t even be able to see the light of the sun.”
As Paul spoke these words, a shadowy mist and darkness came over the sorcerer, leaving him blind and groping about, begging someone to lead him around by the hand. When the governor witnessed this, he believed and was awestruck by the power of the message of the Lord.
Paul and his companions sailed from the Cyprus port of Paphos to Perga in southern Turkey. John left them there and returned to Jerusalem as they journeyed on to the city of Antioch in the region of Pisidia.
On the Sabbath they went into the synagogue and took their seats. After the reading from the scrolls of the books of Moses and the prophets, the leader of the meeting sent Paul and Barnabas a message, saying, “Brothers, do you have a word of encouragement to share with us? If so, please feel free to give it.”
Paul stood and motioned that he had something to say. He said, “Listen, all of you Jews and non-Jews who worship God. The God of Israel divinely chose our ancestors to be his people. While they were enslaved in Egypt, he made them great, both in numbers and in strength, until he unveiled his mighty power and led them out of bondage. For nearly forty years, he nourished them in the wilderness. He was the one who destroyed the seven nations inhabiting the land of Canaan and afterward gave the land to his people as their inheritance. This took about four hundred and fifty years.
“Then God raised up deliverers for the people until the time of the prophet Samuel. The people craved for a king, so God gave them one from the tribe of Benjamin: Saul, the son of Kish, who ruled for forty years. After removing him, God raised up David to be king, for God said of him, ‘I have found in David, son of Jesse, a man who always pursues my heart and will accomplish all that I have destined him to do.’
“From David’s lineage God brought Israel a Savior, just as he promised. So before Jesus appeared, John preached the message of a baptism of repentance to prepare all of Israel. As John was about to finish his mission, he said repeatedly, ‘If you think that I am the one to come, you’re mistaken. He will come after me, and I don’t even deserve to stoop down and untie his sandals!’
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