Commentary on Acts 13:6-10

By Bob Myhan

⁶Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

Luke does not reveal any details regarding the reception of the gospel in Salamis but hurries to disclose an incident at the other end of the island (about 150 miles away), sometime later. They had probably stopped at several places but apparently nothing of moment occurred in any of them. However, in Paphos, the Roman capital, there was at least one individual who showed interest in the gospel. His name was Sergius Paulus, the official elected by the Roman Senate to govern Cyprus, which was a senatorial province.

Luke tells us that the proconsul was intelligent and that he “called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.” By this Luke implies that the man had heard second-hand reports of the gospel but wanted to hear it from the mouths of the prophets. The reports had no doubt been unfavorable but he is a fair man and will not pass judgment until he has given it a fair hearing.

Throughout the Bible, kings and governors have had trusted advisors—prophets and other wise men—to counsel them. The trusted advisor of Sergius Paulus was Bar-Jesus. This man was a magician, like Simon in Samaria, but also a false prophet.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

“Elymas” is not said here to be equivalent to “Bar-Jesus.” Rather, “sorcerer” (“Magos” in the original) is equivalent to “Elymas.” People throughout the Bible have had more than one name. Most people living today have three or more names. “Bar-Jesus,” as “Bar-Jonah,” is patronymic. Thus, his name was Elymas Bar-Jesus or Elymas, the son of Jesus. The name, “Jesus,” is “Yeshua” (Joshua) in the original. It was a common name in the first century. As a false prophet, he would not have admitted the truth of the gospel. He knew that Sergius Paulus would have no further use for him if the proconsul accepted the gospel. Hence, Elymas assayed to sway him away from the same.

⁹Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him ¹⁰and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

Luke does not here indicate that Saul has changed his name to Paul but simply that he was called Paul as well as Saul. The simplest explanation is that Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul his Latin or Roman name. The word, “filled,” in the phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit,” is aorist tense and indicates a one-time act without specifying when that act took place. It does not necessarily mean that Paul has just now been filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, although that could be the case in so far as the language itself is concerned. The twelve “were all filled with the Holy Spirit” on Pentecost (Acts 2:4) and again on a later occasion (Acts 4:31). The truth is we are not told when Paul first received the power to perform “the signs of an apostle” (2 Cor. 12:12). It is certain, however, that he did not receive such miraculous power by the laying of the hands of Ananias (Acts 9:17). If that had been the case his apostleship would have been less than that of the twelve. And he said he was “not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles” (2 Cor. 11:5). But if he received the Holy Spirit second hand from Ananias, he would have been doubly inferior to them. And there is no indication that anyone other than the apostles could impart the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. He himself manifested this power on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:1-6). He surely did not receive the power of an apostle from one who was not an apostle.

Paul later says in his letter to the Galatians he did not learn the gospel from men (1:11-12). Nor did he receive it from the other apostles. In fact, he had been preaching for three years before seeing them (1:13-18). Now since he preached the gospel without learning it by natural means he must have had the gift of inspiration, which he must have received between the time that he was baptized and the time when he began to preach, which was not long.

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. (Acts 9:17-20)

Because Elymas was “seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith,” he had made himself an enemy of the gospel. He used deceit and fraud. Indeed, these are the only weapons enemies of the gospel have at their disposal. These were the very weapons the serpent had used in the garden (Gen. 3:1-5). And the serpent used them well (3:6).  Paul later warns the Corinthians of the use his detractors were making of these weapons.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Cor. 11:3)

Such might have worked on the proconsul had Paul not been present. Clever but unsound reasoning, though, will only work when it goes unchallenged. Many a false teacher can make a prima facie case against the truth but once it is scrutinized by one who knows the truth, it falls apart like a house of cards.

The apostles frequently debated the truth of the gospel but they never debated the power given to them by the Holy Spirit to confirm the truth of the gospel. They simply confirmed it by the power of God. The confirmation was accomplished in many ways: diseases healed, demons cast out, the dead raised; one man and his wife died at the feet of Peter for lying to God. Elymas, “son of the devil” and “enemy of all righteousness,” was fortunate. His punishment was not physical death, but he had to learn not to be “perverting the straight ways of the Lord.”

(To be continued)

A Study of the Holy Spirit (Part 8)

By Bob Myhan 

The Holy Spirit was the last divine link between God’s eternal purpose and the creation of the physical realm. He was also the last divine link between God and man in the revelation of the divine will and the inspiration of the Scriptures that contain that revelation.

When referring to the inspired record of the words of God to Moses, Jesus said,

“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

That which God said to Moses Jesus said was spoken by God to Israel. It was spoken to Moses initially but when Moses was inspired to write it down later, it was “spoken” to Israel.

Between the ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter affirmed,

"Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."

"For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.'

"Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."  (Acts 1:16-18, 21-22)

What David wrote is “that which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David.”

Peter also made the following statement.

“But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” (Acts 3:18) 

Peter elaborated on this in both his epistles.

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21)

Thus, the Holy Spirit moved the Old Testament prophets to pen the divine will. These men did not speak and write that which originated in their minds but that which originated in the mind of God—His eternal purpose.

(To be continued)