We concluded yesterday with the inglorious death of Herod Agrippa I. In contrast to his fate, Luke says of the gospel, "But the word of God continued to spread and flourish." (Acts 12:24)
The gospel flourishes because the believers now understand they must take it to all people, both Jews and Gentiles. "When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John also called Mark." (Acts 12:25) This "mission" is the taking of the offering that was gathered in Antioch in preparation for a coming famine. Saul and Barnabas were chosen to deliver the offering in Acts 11:30. After delivering aid to the elders at Jerusalem they return to Antioch and bring Mark with them.
"Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:1-3) This group of leaders at Antioch pray together for guidance from the Lord and they receive it. Barnabas and Saul are to be sent out by the church to share the gospel. Just as we do in the churches of our own times, the church at Antioch supports these missionaries spiritually by prayer and financially by funding their work.
"The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper." (Acts 13:4-5) John here is John Mark who will later desert Saul and Barnabas. Was Mark not meant to go with these two men in the first place? We can't be certain, but our text today might suggest that the Lord called only Saul and Barnabas to be missionaries at this time. I think Mark had good intentions when he went along as their assistant, but he is clearly not ready for missionary work. Saul and Barnabas will end up having a sharp disagreement over Mark in Chapter 15 and they will part ways from each other, but later on in his second letter to Timothy the Apostle Paul shows remorse for having believed Mark wasn't going to amount to anything as a missionary. He will say of Mark, "He is helpful to me in my ministry." (2 Timothy 4:11)
"They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus." (Acts 13:6-7a) Paphos was an especially pagan area with a large congregation that worshiped the goddess Venus. Wealthy and influential men like Sergius Paulus were known to keep wizards or fortune tellers in their employ, so we can assume that this Bar-Jesus is his personal "spiritual adviser".
But Sergius Paulus isn't satisfied with religion as he knows it. His soul longs for a personal relationship with a God who cares about him, so when he learns that the missionaries are in the region he sends for them. "The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God." (Acts 13:7b) Anyone who wants to hear the word of God can rightly be called intelligent. King David would agree with this assessment, for here is what he said of those who deny the existence of God, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1a) It's foolish to look around upon this magnificent creation and conclude that there is no Creator. Intelligent men and women recognize that there is a God---and not only a Creator God, but a personal God who knows and cares for each individual.
"But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith." (Acts 13:8) Bar-Jesus is his given name, meaning "son of Jesus". He's not claiming to be the son of Jesus Christ, but the name "Jesus" was one of the most common male names in first century Judea. He is a Jewish man whose father was named Jesus. Luke prefers to call him by his title and to not even say the word "Jesus" in connection with this man.
Satan opposes anyone coming to the faith and that is what we find him doing here through the sorcerer. Satan tries to give us anything but Jesus Christ because he knows only Jesus Christ will set us free from a life of bondage to sin. Only Jesus Christ will save our souls from destruction. So naturally he tries to keep an influential man from coming to faith in the Lord. But Saul doesn't intend to stand for it and he rebukes the man publicly. "Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 'You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.'" (Acts 13:9-11a)
Temporary blindness served to convince and covert Paul himself so he uses this same affliction to rebuke Elymas for his error, to hopefully convince him of the power of God and to bring him to conversion, and to prove to Sergius Paulus that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. "Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand." (Acts 13:11b) Elymas is used to being depended upon for advice; now he must depend on others to go from one room to another. Luke doesn't tell us whether this humbling event led to his conversion or not, but he tells us that it led to the conversion of the proconsul. "When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord." (Acts 13:12)
"From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem." (Acts 13:13) In tomorrow's study we will discuss some possible reasons John Mark leaves the group at this point and returns to the church at Jerusalem. His departure, according to Acts 15, is an acute disappointment to Paul, who writes him off as immature and ineffective. As we study Mark's actions tomorrow we will also consider the grace of a God who doesn't write us off but who offers us additional chances to be the people He wants us to be.
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