Resisting Opposition November 6th, 2022
God of wisdom, we turn to the Scripture for insight and understanding. Send your Spirit to open our hearts and minds to receive the challenge and the comfort you offer through your Word. Amen.
Today, in the book of Acts, we began the thirteenth chapter, which is a turning point in the history of the church, it’s what Winston Churchill would have called one of the hinges of history. It marks the beginning of the third phase of our Lord's Great Commission. In the opening chapter of this book, before Jesus ascended into the heavens, he said to his disciples, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you will be witnesses of me..." (Acts 1:8a). He then told them that they were to begin this witness in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria. Then thirdly, and finally, unto the uttermost parts of the earth. In Acts 13 we read of the beginning of the last phase, the going unto the uttermost parts of the earth, which is a very important part of our modern day church.
It is also the beginning of the apostleship of Paul. Up to this time, though he was called to be an apostle when he was first converted on the Damascus Road, this would be his first big missionary trip that was recorded in the Bible. Now, some eleven or twelve years after his conversion, he begins to fulfill the ministry to which he was called, to be an apostle of Jesus Christ throughout the world. And this is the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey, he is leaving the city of Antioch and making his way across to Cyprus.
The important lesson we can learn from this chapter is that the main business of the church is to obey the Holy Spirit in promoting God’s glory among the nations by sending out workers called by God to spread the gospel.
So, let’s have a look at the first few verses of the chapter and see how all these things come together.
Now chapter 13 of Acts also marks a great division in the book. The first 12 chapters are about the ministry of the disciple Peter, and now, from chapter 13 through 28, the ministry of Paul. And it begins with these words, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Up to this point Paul has been known by his Jewish name, Saul, but from now on, for the most part he’ll be referred to by his Roman name, Paul. As he was to be the missionary to the Gentiles, he’ll be called by his Gentile name.
And this first missionary journey of Paul was to begin in the city of Antioch which was located in modern day Turkey. After his conversion, Paul ended up spending some time there witnessing to its citizens. The Apostle Luke tells us how that happened, “So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:25-26)
And now, with the church in Antioch on solid ground, it was time for the word of God to spread further afield. This is what took place, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Thus God, working through the Holy Spirit, selected Paul and his fellow missionary, Barnabas, to leave Antioch and go out into the mission field.
So, from there they went to the island of Cyprus, which is of the southern coast of Turkey, and was the home of Barnabas, and began to teach in the Jewish synagogues. They began there because the Jewish people were already familiar with God from the Old Testament and also, because from the days of the covenant which God had made with Abraham, they were his chosen people. As well, there were a number of Gentiles who attended synagogue services who had come to know God and had become familiar with the teachings of the Old Testament. Beginning his teachings in the local synagogue was to become Paul’s regular missionary method wherever he went.
As they traveled about the island of Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas encountered a false prophet. Here’s what took place, “When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”
This false prophet, known by the name Elymas, was basically a magician (it’s important to note they were different than the magicians today). He was being paid by the Roman governor of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, to protect him from evil spirits. Most leaders in those days kept magicians or soothsayers, who dealt in magic and spells, because they wanted to touch all of the bases in order to be sure that their authority was an authority that would last.
So, this magician Elymas was being paid by the governor, Paulus, and when he saw that he was listening to Barnabas and Paul, he could see his pot of gold slipping away, and this is what he did, “But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”
But Paul saw through his deceitful ways and knew that Elymas was nothing but a con man whose sole purpose was to line his pockets by cheating the Governor and so he confronted him in his trickery, we’re told, “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.”
Doesn’t that remind us of what happened to Paul on that Damascus Road? Like Elymas, Paul was trying to turn people away from coming to faith in Jesus Christ, only he was doing it by persecuting the believers, while Elymas was using magic. But Jesus appeared to Paul and struck him blind and forcing him to rely on his traveling companions to lead him by the hand into the city of Damascus. It was there, after fasting and praying for three days, that he repented of his ways and went on to be one of the strongest defenders of the early Christian church.
Now we’re not told any more about Elymas, the magician, whether he repented of his evil ways, or not, but Luke does tell us of the effect which Paul’s miracle had on the governor of Cyprus, he writes, “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” So, the Governor had been blinded by the deception of the magician but now, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, acting through Paul, he came to see. This Governor responded to the Gospel message. One man's eyes were closed; one man's eyes were opened.
And that’s something we must remember as we work to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ in today’s world, there’ll aways be roadblocks, there’ll always be those who oppose us. There have been people trying to keep the faith from growing since the very beginning of the Christian church, so why should we expect it to be any easier today? In fact, we’re told that in the Bible. Yet, the Holy Spirit acted through Paul because Elymas the magician was standing in the way of Sergius Paulus’ coming to faith. And that same Holy Spirit will act through us today as we continue the Lord’s Great Commission to be witnesses of Jesus to all the world.
And let’s not forget the love that Jesus has for us, as well. To the very end of his earthly life, he gave his love and prayers for us. These words, which he prayed to God the Father, on the night of the Last Supper, only hours before he would be hung on a cross by those who opposed him, are also meant for us today, “I am praying for them, I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.”
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, just as Paul opened the eyes of the man who could not see that you are the Lord of all, help us to open the eyes of those we meet in our day to day lives. Give us the courage to resist those who oppose us and the wisdom to bring others to come to accept your son, Jesus, as their Lord and Saviour. Amen