Study Notes

Acts 13:6-12

Review

Having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, and the mission confirmed by the church, Barnabas and Saul made it to the island of Cyprus in the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, right below modern-day Turkey.

They got to the city of Sal-am-ECE and...

Acts 13:5 ...began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews...

This was the pattern they followed, preaching in the synagogues from east to west, finally getting to PAF-os.

13:6 They Found

Barnabas and Saul weren't just sticking to the synagogues. They were interacting with the community. One of the things I've noticed we as Christians - and especially ministers - tend to do is stay sequestered in our own faith communities. Our friends and social events all center around church people, and as a result, much of the community never comes face-to-face with us. Many of them never hear the gospel, because we're so busy "fellowshipping."

Barnabas and Saul were on a mission to preach the gospel and teach the Word. And while they were faithfully doing that in the synagogues, they weren't staying sequestered. And it was at this time - in the community - that they found a magician.

A Magician

The word translated "magician" here is the word "MAG-os." It is a generic term in the Babylonian language for a wise man, soothsayer, astrologer, seer, magician, or physician. The only other time the word is used in the New Testament is when Matthew tells about the Magi that visited the child Jesus (Matt. 2).

But magicians as a group are never spoken well of in Scripture. Their practices are forbidden in the Law:

Lev. 19:26 "You shall not... practice divination or soothsaying."

Deut. 18:10-12 "There shall not be found among you anyone who ... uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD..."

Which of these practices did this man perform? From the context, all we really know is that this man was at least a false prophet. That is someone who misleads people into believing something is from God when it is not. They do this through miracles (Matt. 24:24) or heretical teaching (2Pet. 2:1), often speaking in the name of God (Deut. 18:20).

Bar-Jesus

This false prophet's name was "Bar-ee-ay-SOOCE," meaning "son of Jesus." Understand that he was not claiming to be a child of Jesus Christ. The name Jesus was a very common one among the Jewish people, "Ee-ay-SOOCE" being the Greek version of the Hebrew name "Yeh-ho-SHOO-ah," or "Joshua." So his name was as common as Johnson (lit: John's son) is today.

13:7 The Proconsul

Bar-ee-ay-SOOCE seems to have been a counselor, friend, or advisor of SERG-ee-os POW-los, who was the proconsul - the man that governed this Roman province.

The proconsul was a wise and learned man, having great understanding and intelligence. He summoned Barnabas and Saul, seeking to hear the Word of God.

Saints, we are often intimidated by people with college degrees or great intelligence. We think that we're too simple to share the gospel with the super-smart, fearing that they will tear apart the simple truth that we have to share.

It is true that some, seeking to be wise, become fools (Rom. 1:22), convincing themselves that there is no God (Psa. 14:1).

But listen: even the most intelligent people have been created by God to have fellowship with their Creator. And many of them are so aware that in spite of all their learning, they don't have the answer to life. They aren't able to reason their way out of the hole of emptiness they feel inside. And they're waiting to hear the answer and fill that hole. Don't be afraid, and don't be afraid to be simple! Remember the words of Paul to the Corinthians:

1Cor. 2:1-5 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

This man ASKED Barnabas and Saul to share the Word of God with him. He SOUGHT to hear the Scriptures.

Our obligation is simply to be ready for those opportunities. And that doesn't mean a lot of book learning. It means consistently walking in a way that gives Jesus the Lordship of your life:

1Pet. 3:15 ...sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you...

13:8 Opposition To The Truth

Bar-ee-ay-SOOCE was called "El-OO-mas," which is Arabic for "wise man." He was not happy at all that Barnabas and Saul were sharing the Word of God with the proconsul. He continually interrupted and contradicted. He knew that if SERG-ee-os POW-los came to faith in Christ, the magician's access to the proconsul's ear would disappear.

This is something that really blows people away when they first begin to share the gospel: opposition. After all, nobody usually gets mad and starts interrupting when we're telling what happened at our last family picnic, or some interesting event we witnessed. But start talking about Jesus, and often the fur will fly! Sometimes people will begin to interrupt, get angry, call us names, and do anything to get us to stop talking or negate our message.

If that happens to you, remember Jesus' words:

Matt. 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

If you feel like giving up because of the opposition, remember the rest of what He said:

Matt. 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Don't back down from the truth. Shine the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2Cor. 4:4).

Or, you might go a step further, like Saul did...

13:9-10 Saul Vs. The Magician

Saul lets loose with a full-on rebuke, calling the magician a son of the devil and an enemy of all righteousness. That sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? Well, Saul (who we are told for the first time is also known as Paul) might not win any awards for political correctness, but he is correct.

The Bible makes these things clear: You are either a child of God, or a child of the devil (Col. 1:13; John 8:44; Gal. 3:26). And if you stand against Jesus, you are an enemy of all that is righteous, for He is the Righteous One (Acts 3:14).

But Paul didn't stop there. Led and empowered by the Spirit of God, he pulled a Simon Peter kind of thing (Acts 5:3-10)...

13:11 Punishment Or Opportunity?

Bar-ee-ay-SOOCE was stricken with blindness. Was this punishment, or an opportunity? Either.

You see, God will often lay a burden or trial upon us to affect change in us. But often, that change is up to us. Saul had been stricken with blindness on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:8), and it caused him to pray (Acts 9:11). Would the magician pray, or harden his heart? His choice.

In this very recent season of my life, God whacked me pretty good. And for a time, I thought that I wasn't going to repent. I stubbornly kicked against the trial. And if I'd stayed there, it would have been God's punishment for me. But instead, I prayed. I repented. And no longer was it God's punishment, but an opportunity. An opportunity to grow, to break up the fallow ground in my heart. And opportunity to bless, and to get to a place of closeness to Him.

The next time you're hit with something huge, ask yourself, "Is this punishment, or opportunity?" And remember that the answer is, "Well, that's my choice, isn't it?"

13:12 Belief From Sight, Amazed At Teaching

The power of God was evident when the magician was stricken with blindness, and the proconsul believed Paul was speaking for God. But interestingly, his amazement wasn't at the miracle. It was at the teaching.

Saints, the teaching of the Word is more amazing than any number of miracles. I'd rather sit in a living room and teach the Word of God than to fill a stadium and dole out miraculous healings in an assembly line.

It's the Word of God that is so powerful. It's the teaching that changes lives for real. Sickness and handicap might be removed with a miracle, but it's the Word of God that gives us real life.

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