So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
Parallel Translations
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So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
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And they after they were sent of the holy goost came vnto Seleutia and from thence they sayled to Cyprus.
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And they, after they were sent foorth of the holy Ghost, came downe vnto Seleucia, and from thence they sayled to Cyprus.
Cross-references (5)
Passages linked to Acts 13:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 4:36 Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,
- Acts 13:2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
- Acts 11:19 They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
- Acts 20:23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.
- Acts 27:4 Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 4. Being sent out by the Holy Ghost. There…
4. Being sent out by the Holy Ghost. There is no mention made here of the election made by the Church, because it was altogether a divine calling; the Church did only receive those who were offered them by the hand of God. He saith, that they came first to Seleucia, which was a city of Syria. There was, indeed, a country of the same name; but it is more likely that Luke speaketh of the city, which was not far from Cyprus by sea.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Paul and his companions do at the first bring…
Paul and his companions do at the first bring Cyprus to the subjection and obedience of Christ.
Seleucia was a city of Cilicia, so called of Seleucus one of Alexander’s successors.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy…
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Ver. 4. Sailed to Cyprus] This island was anciently for its wealth called Macaria, that is, The Blessed. The people therein generally lived so at ease and pleasure, that thereof the island was dedicated to Venus, who was at Paphos especially worshipped, and much filthiness committed; yet thither are these apostles directed by the Holy Ghost, and a great man (with many others) converted to the faith. The Romans were invited by the wealth of the place to overrun it, Ita ut ius eius insulae avarius magis quam iustius simus assequuti, saith Sextus Rufus. But Christ (of his free grace) without any such motive, seized upon it by his gospel, and gathered a Church in it.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Seleucia; a sea town of Cilicia, nigh unto Antioch,…
Seleucia; a sea town of Cilicia, nigh unto Antioch, and over against Cyprus, built by Seleucus, and was a town of some note, but mentioned here only as in their passage to Cyprus.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain Observe here, 1. The apostles Barnabas and Saul having…
Observe here, 1. The apostles Barnabas and Saul having received their commission, set forth for their work to which they were designed; and their first journey was from Antioch to Cyprus, an island of the Gentiles, lewd and wicked; where Venus was worshipped: And much filthiness was committed by them in that abominable Pagan worship. Yet the free grace fo God cast a look of pity and love upon sinful Cyprus: The Holy Ghost directs these apostles thither, to reclaim them from sin, and reduce them to the obedience of the gospel.
Observe, 2. That though Saul and Barnabas were sent forth to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, yet they made the first tender of it to the Jews wherever they came; accordingly here in Cyprus, there being a great number of Jews, the apostles went into the Synagogues, and preached to them.
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Christ was the minister of circumcision, who was himself "sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" and accordingly sent his apostles out first, to feed and gather those poor scattered sheep; these were accounted the children of the house, and the Gentiles reckoned as dogs; but when those wanton and full-fed children began to waste their meat, and cast it under their table, then did the Gentile dogs gather up their leavings; Act 13:46. "It was necessary," both by virtue of Christ’s command and example also, "that the word of God should be first spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."
Observe, 3. What an early opposition the devil made against the apostles in their preaching the gospel to the Gentiles; he feared the battering down the walls of his kingdom, and therefore stirs up his instrument Elymas the sorcerer to withstand them, and particularly to endeavour to divert Sergius Paulus, who governed that island, from the faith.
Where note, The character given of this vile man by the apostle, "Oh full of all subtilty and mischief: a child of the devil, an enemy of all righteousness:"
Intimating, 1. That to be subtle to do mischief, is the genius or disposition of the devil’s children.
2. That to be an opposer of good is to be conformable to the devil: It is the height of wickedness, not only to do evil, but to oppose good; to be an enemy to, and opposer of goodness, is the very character of Satan and his children. So much as any man opposes goodness, so much he has of the devil’s disposition in him: "thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness."
Observe, 4. The judgment inflicted by God on this wicked instrument of the devil, and the suitableness of the judgment inflictd on the sin committed; he wickedly shut the eyes of his understanding against the light of the gospel, and God deprives him of his bodily sight.
Thus the wisdom of God doth oft-times so suit his judgment to the sins committed, that a person may even read his sin in his punishment: Yet how did God temper mercy with the judgment, inflicting blindness upon this vile wretch only for a season? Even the very judgments of God are medicinal and in mercy: When God punishes, it is with a design not to ruin, but reform.
Observe lastly, What success St. Paul’s ministry together with the sight of this miracle, had upon Sergius Paulus the governor; he was thereby converted to the fatih: "When he saw what was done, he believed; being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." The word never works more kindly, than when it is received with admiration, where it does not produce faith: Many marvelled who never believed; but this governor was astonished, and believed also.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain In these verses we have,
In these verses we have,
I. A general account of the coming of Barnabas and Saul to the famous island of Cyprus; and perhaps thitherward they steered their course because Barnabas was a native of that country (Act 4:36), and he was willing they should have the first-fruits of his labours, pursuant to his new commission. Observe, 1. Their being sent forth by the Holy Ghost was the great thing that encouraged them in this undertaking, Act 13:4. If the Holy Ghost send them forth, he will go along with them, strengthen them, carry them on in their work, and give them success; and then they fear no colours, but can cheerfully venture upon a stormy sea from Antioch, which was now to them a quiet harbour. 2. They came to Seleucia, the sea-port town opposite to Cyprus, thence crossed the sea to Cyprus, and in that island the first city they came to was Salamis, a city on the east side of the island (Act 13:5); and, when they had sown good seed there, thence they went onward through the isle (Act 13:6) till they came to Paphos, which lay on the western coast. 3. They preached the word of God wherever they came, in the synagogues of the Jews; so far were they from excluding them that they gave them the preference, and so left those among them who believed not inexcusable; they would have gathered them, but they would not. They did not act clandestinely, nor preach the Messiah to others unknown to them, but laid their doctrine open to the censure of the rulers of their synagogues, who might, if they had any thing to say, object against it. Nor would they have acted separately, but in concert with them, if they had not driven them out from them, and from their synagogues. 4. They had John for their minister; not their servant in common things, but their assistant in the things of God, either to prepare their way in places where they designed to come or to carry on their work in places where they had begun it, or to converse familiarly with those to whom they preached publicly, and explain things to them; and such a one might be many ways of use to them, especially in a strange country.
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II. A particular account of their encounter with Elymas the sorcerer, whom they met with at Paphos, where the governor resided; a place famous for a temple built to Venus there, thence called Paphian Venus; and therefore there was more than ordinary need that the Son of God should there be manifested to destroy the works of the devil.
1. There the deputy, a Gentile, Sergius Paulus by name, encouraged the apostles, and was willing to hear their message. He was governor of the country, under the Roman emperor; proconsul or propraetor, such a one as we should call lord lieutenant of the island. He had the character of a prudent man, an intelligent, considerate man, that was ruled by reason, not passion nor prejudice, which appeared by this, that, having a character of Barnabas and Saul, he sent for them, and desired to hear the word of God. Note, When that which we hear has a tendency to lead us to God, it is prudence to desire to hear more of it. Those are wise people, however they may be ranked among the foolish of this world, who are inquisitive after the mind and will of God. Though he was a great man, and a man in authority, and the preachers of the gospel were men that made no figure, yet, if they have a message from God, let him know what it is, and, if it appear to be so, he is ready to receive it.
2. There Elymas, a Jew, a sorcerer, opposed them, and did all he could to obstruct their progress. This justified the apostles in turning to the Gentiles, that this Jew was so malignant against them.
(1.) This Elymas was a pretender to the gift of prophecy, a sorcerer, a false-prophet - one that would be taken for a divine, because he was skilled in the arts of divination; he was a conjurer, and took on him to tell people their fortune, and to discover things lost, and probably was in league with the devil for this purpose; his name was Barjesus - the son of Joshua; it signifies the son of salvation; but the Syriac calls him, Bar-shoma - the son of pride; filius inflationis - the son of inflation.
(2.) He was hanging on at court, was with the deputy of the country. It does not appear that the deputy called for him, as he did for Barnabas and Saul; but he thrust himself upon him, aiming, no doubt, to make a hand of him, and get money by him.
(3.) He made it his business to withstand Barnabas and Saul, as the magicians of Egypt, in Pharaoh's court, withstood Moses and Aaron, Ti2 3:8. He set up himself to be a messenger from heaven, and denied that they were. And thus he sought to turn away the deputy from the faith (Act 13:8), to keep him from receiving the gospel, which he saw him inclined to do. Note, Satan is in a special manner busy with great men and men of power, to keep them from being religious; because he knows that their example, whether good or bad, will have an influence upon many. And those who are in any way instrumental to prejudice people against the truths and ways of Christ are doing the devil's work.
(4.) Saul (who is here for the first time called Paul) fell upon him for this with a holy indignation. Saul, who is also called Paul, Act 13:9. Saul was his name as he was a Hebrew, and of the tribe of Benjamin; Paul was his name as he was a citizen of Rome. Hitherto we have had him mostly conversant among the Jews, and therefore called by his Jewish name; but now, when he is sent forth among the Gentiles, he is called by his Roman name, to put somewhat of a reputation upon him in the Roman cities, Paulus being a very common name among them. But some think he was never called Paul till now that he was instrumental in the conversion of Sergius Paulus to the faith of Christ, and that he took the name Paulus as a memorial of this victory obtained by the gospel of Christ, as among the Romans he that had conquered a country took his denomination from it, as Germanicus, Britannicus, Africanus; or rather, Sergius Paulus himself gave him the name Paulus in token of his favour and respect to him, as Vespasian gave his name Flavius to Josephus the Jew. Now of Paul it is said,
[1.] That he was filled with the Holy Ghost upon this occasion, filled with a holy zeal against a professed enemy of Christ, which was one of the graces of the Holy Ghost - a spirit of burning; filled with power to denounce the wrath of God against him, which was one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost - a spirit of judgment. He felt a more than ordinary fervour in his mind, as the prophet did when he was full of power by the Spirit of the Lord (Mic 3:8), and another prophet when his face was made harder than flint (Eze 3:9), and another when his mouth was made like a sharp sword, Isa 49:2. What Paul said did not come from any personal resentment, but from the strong impressions which the Holy Ghost made upon his spirit.
[2.] He set his eyes upon him, to face him down, and to show a holy boldness, in opposition to his wicked impudence. He set his eyes upon him, as an indication that the eye of the heart-searching God was upon him, and saw through and through him; nay, that the face of the Lord was against him, Psa 34:16. He fixed his eyes upon him, to see if he could discern in his countenance any marks of remorse for what he had done; for, if he could have discerned the least sign of this, it would have prevented the ensuing doom.
[3.] He gave him his true character, not in passion, but by the Holy Ghost, who knows men better than they know themselves, Act 13:10. He describes him to be, First, An agent for hell; and such there have been upon this earth (the seat of the war between the seed of the woman and of the serpent) ever since Cain who was of that wicked one, an incarnate devil, slew his brother, for no other reason than because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous. This Elymas, though called Bar-jesus - a son of Jesus, was really a child of the devil, bore his image, did his lusts, and served his interests, Joh 8:44. In two things he resembled the devil as a child does his father - 1. In craftiness. The serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field (Gen 3:1), and Elymas, though void of all wisdom, was full of all subtlety, expert in all the arts of deceiving men and imposing upon them. 2. In malice. He was full of all mischief - a spiteful ill-conditioned man, and a sworn implacable enemy to God and goodness. Note, A fulness of subtlety and mischief together make a man indeed a child of the devil. Secondly, An adversary to heaven. If he be a child of the devil, it follows of course that he is an enemy to all righteousness, for the devil is so. Note, Those that are enemies to the doctrine of Christ are enemies to all righteousness, for in it all righteousness is summed up and fulfilled.
[4.] He charged upon him his present crime, and expostulated with him upon it: "Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord, to misrepresent them, to put false colours upon them, and so to discourage people from entering into them, and walking in them?" Note, First, The ways of the Lord are right: they are all so, they are perfectly so. The ways of the Lord Jesus are right, the only right ways to heaven and happiness. Secondly, There are those who pervert these right ways, who not only wander out of these ways themselves (as Elihu's penitent, who owns, I have perverted that which was right and it profited me not), but mislead others, and suggest to them unjust prejudices against these ways: as if the doctrine of Christ were uncertain and precarious, the laws of Christ unreasonable and impractical, and the service of Christ unpleasant and unprofitable, which is an unjust perverting of the right ways of the Lord, and making them seem crooked ways. Thirdly, Those who pervert the right ways of the Lord are commonly so hardened in it that, though the equity of those ways be set before them by the most powerful and commanding evidence, yet they will not cease to do it. Etsi suaseris, non persuaseris - You may advise, but you will never persuade; they will have it their own way; they have loved strangers, and after them they will go.
[5.] He denounced the judgment of God upon him, in a present blindness (Act 13:11): "And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, a righteous hand. God is now about to lay hands on thee, and make thee his prisoner, for thou art taken in arms against him; thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." This was designed both for the proof of his crime, as it was a miracle wrought to confirm the right ways of the Lord, and consequently to show the wickedness of him who would not cease to pervert them, as also for the punishment of his crime. It was a suitable punishment; he shut his eyes, the eyes of his mind, against the light of the gospel, and therefore justly were the eyes of his body shut against the light of the sun; he sought to blind the deputy (as an agent for the god of this world, who blindeth the minds of those that believe not, lest the light of the gospel should shine unto them, Co2 4:4), and therefore is himself struck blind. Yet it was a moderate punishment: he was only struck blind, when he might most justly have been struck dead; and it was only for a season; if he will repent, and give glory to God, by making confession, his sight shall be restored; nay, it should seem, though he do not, yet his sight shall be restored, to try if he will be led to repentance either by the judgments of God or by his mercies.
[6.] This judgment was immediately executed: There fell on him a mist and a darkness, as on the Sodomites when they persecuted Elisha. This silenced him presently, filled him with confusion, and was an effectual confutation of all he said against the doctrine of Christ. Let not him any more pretend to be a guide to the deputy's conscience who is himself struck blind. It was also an earnest to him of a much sorer punishment if he repent not; for he is one of those wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, Jde 1:13. Elymas did himself proclaim the truth of the miracle, when he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand; and where now is all his skill in sorcery, upon which he had so much valued himself, when he can neither find his way nor find a friend that will be so kind as to lead him!
3. Notwithstanding all the endeavours of Elymas to turn away the deputy from the faith, he was brought to believe, and this miracle, wrought upon the magician himself (like the boils of Egypt, which were upon the magicians, so that they could not stand before Moses, Exo 9:11), contributed to it. The deputy was a very sensible man, and observed something uncommon, and which intimated its divine original, (1.) In Paul's preaching: he was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord, the Lord Christ - the doctrine that is from him, the discoveries he has made of the Father - the doctrine that is concerning him, his person, natures, offices, undertaking. Note, The doctrine of Christ has a great deal in it that is astonishing; and the more we know of it the more reason we shall see to wonder and stand amazed at it. (2.) In this miracle: When he saw what was done, and how much Paul's power transcended that of the magician, and how plainly Elymas was baffled and confounded, he believed. It is not said that he was baptized, and so made a complete convert, but it is probable that he was. Paul would not do his business by the halves; as for God, his work is perfect. When he became a Christian, he neither laid down his government, nor was turned out of it, but we may suppose, as a Christian magistrate, by his influence helped very much to propagate Christianity in that island. The tradition of the Romish church, which has taken care to find bishoprics for all the eminent converts we read of in the Acts, has made this Sergius Paulus bishop of Narbon in France, left there by Paul in his journey to Spain.
III. Their departure from the island of Cyprus. It is probable that they did a great deal more there than is recorded, where an account is given only of that which was extraordinary - the conversion of the deputy. When they had done what they had to do, 1. They quitted the country, and went to Perga. Those that went were Paul and his company, which, it is probable, was increased in Cyprus, many being desirous to accompany him. Anachthentes hoi peri ton Paulon - Those that were about Paul loosed from Paphos, which supposes that he went too; but such an affection had his new friends for him that they were always about him, and by their good will would be never from him. 2. Then John Mark quitted them, and returned to Jerusalem, without the consent of Paul and Barnabas; either he did not like the work, or he wanted to go and see his mother. It was his fault, and we shall hear of it again.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain So they being sent forth of the Holy Ghost,....…
So they being sent forth of the Holy Ghost,.... This is said, lest it should be thought they were sent by men; it was the Holy Ghost that moved the prophets at Antioch to separate them from them, and to send them away; and who inclined their minds to go, and directed them what course to steer: and accordingly they
departed to Seleucia; which was a city of Syria, called by Pliny, Seleucia Pieria (d); it had its name from Seleucus Nicanor, king of Egypt, who was the builder of it: it was not far from Antioch, it is said to be twenty four miles from it; it is the first city of Syria from Cilicia, and was situated at the mouth of the river Orontes; wherefore Saul and Barnabas made no stay here; and it seems that their coming hither was only in order to take shipping for the island of Cyprus; for Seleucia was upon the sea coast, as appears from:
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"King Ptolemee therefore, having gotten the dominion of the cities by the sea unto Seleucia upon the sea coast, imagined wicked counsels against Alexander.'' (1 Maccabees 11:8)
and was the proper place to set sail from to Cyprus. So we read of Apollonius Tyaneus and his companions (e), that
"they went down to the sea by Seleucia, where having got a ship, "they sailed to Cyprus:" and so it follows here,''
and from thence they sailed to Cyprus; an island in the Mediterranean sea, the native country of Barnabas, Act 4:36 See Gill on Act 4:36.
(d) L. 5. c. 12, 21. (e) Philostrat. Vita Apollon. l. 3. c. 16.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost]…
Verse 4. Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost] By his influence, authority, and under his continual direction. Without the first, they were not qualified to go; without the second, they had no authority to go; and without the third, they could not know where to go.
Departed, unto Seleucia] This is generally understood to be Seleucia of Pieria, the first city on the coast of Syria, coming from Cilicia; near the place where the river Orontes pours itself into the sea.
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They sailed to Cyprus.] A well known island in the Mediterranean Sea. See Clarke on Ac 4:36.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Act 13:4-5. So they being sent forth by the…
Act 13:4-5. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost — By his immediate direction. This seems to be added to signify, that though they were solemnly recommended to God by the prayers of their brethren, their authority was not derived from them, but from the Holy Spirit himself. Departed unto Seleucia — A considerable port on the Mediterranean sea; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus — The island so infamous for the worship of Venus, who was supposed to hold her peculiar residence there, and therefore was commonly called the Cyprian goddess. When they were at Salamis — Situated on the eastern part of the island, and consequently was nearest to the place from whence they came; they preached the word in the synagogues of the Jews — For there were great numbers of that people in Cyprus. They had also John for their minister — Who willingly waited on them, not pretending to a character by any means equal to theirs.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost - Having…
Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost - Having been called to this world by the Holy Spirit, and being under his direction.
Departed unto Seleucia - This city was situated at the mouth of the river Orontes, where it fails into the Mediterranean. Antioch was connected with the sea by the Orontes River. Strabo says that in his time they sailed up the river in one day. The distance from Antioch to Seleucia by water is about 41 miles, while the journey by land is only 16 12 miles (Life and Epistles of Paul, vol. 1, p. 185. “Seleucia united the two characters of a fortress and a seaport. It was situated on a rocky eminence, which is the southern extremity of an elevated range of hills projecting from Mount Aranus. From the southeast, where the ruins of the Antioch gate are still conspicuous, the ground rose toward the northeast into high and craggy summits; and round the greater part of the circumference of 4 miles the city was protected by its natural position. The harbor and mercantile suburb were on level ground toward the west; but here, as on the only weak point at Gibraltar, strong artificial defenses had made compensation for the weakness of nature. Seleucus, who had named his metropolis in his father’s honor (p. 122), gave his own name to this maritime fortress; and here, around his tomb, his successors contended for the key of Syria. ‘Seleucia by the sea’ was a place of great importance under the Seleucidae and the Ptolemies, and so it remained under the sway of the Romans. In consequence of its bold resistance to Tigranes when he was in possession of all the neighboring country, Pompey gave it the privileges of a ‘free city;’ and a contemporary of Paul speaks of it as having those privileges still.
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Here, in the midst of unsympathizing sailors, the two missionary apostles, with their younger companion, stepped on board the vessel which was to convey them to Salamis. As they cleared the port, the whole sweep of the bay of Antioch opened on their left - the low ground by the mouth of the Orontes; the wild and woody country beyond it; and then the peak of Mount Casius, rising symmetrically from the very edge of the sea to a height of 5000 feet. On the right, in the southwest horizon, if the day was clear, they saw the island of Cyprus from the first. The current sets northerly and northeast between the island and the Syrian coast. But with a fair wind, a few hours would enable them to run down from Seleucia to Salamis, and the land would rapidly rise in forms well known and familiar to Barnabas and Mark” (Life and Epistles of Paul, vol. 1, pp. 135, 138).
They sailed to Cyprus - An island in the Mediterranean, not far from Seleucia. See the notes on Act 4:36.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain CHAPTER Act_13:4-12
B.—THEIR JOURNEY TO CYPRUS. THE RESULTS OF THEIR LABORS IN THIS ISLAND
CHAPTER Act_13:4-12
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4So they3 , being [After they had now been] sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto [they went down to] Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5And when they were [they arrived] at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also [but they also had] John to their minister [as assistant]. 6And when they had gone [But when they travelled] through the [whole]4 isle unto [as far as] Paphos, they found a certain [a man5 who was a] sorcerer, a [and] false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: 7Which [Who] was with the deputy of the country [with the proconsul], Sergius Paulus, a prudent [an intelligent] man; who called [man. He sent] for Barnabas and Saul, and desired [requested] to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation [interpreted]) withstood them, seeking to turn away [pervert] the deputy [ proconsul] from the faith. 9Then [But] Saul, (who also is called Paul,) [being] filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him [intently looked at him], 10And said, O full [O thou, who art full] of all subtilty [deceit] and all mischief, thou [om. thou] child of the devil, thou [devil, and] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to per .vert the right [straight] ways of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon [comes over] thee, and thou shalt [wilt] be blind, not seeing [and not see] the sun for a season [until a certain time]. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a [om. a] darkness; and he went about seeking some to [seeking persons who might] lead him by the hand. 12Then the deputy [proconsul], when he saw what was done [had occurred], believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Act_13:4-8. a. Luke does not specially state the reasons which induced the two missionaries to select the island of Cyprus as their place of destination, and then proceed to two provinces of Asia Minor, Pamphylia and Pisidia, rather than to any other places. They were, doubtless, influenced by circumstances, and were governed by the principle, that that which lay nearest at hand, first of all claimed their attention. Now Cyprus was not only, in a geographical point of view, in their vicinity, but also awakened their interest, inasmuch as it was the native country of Barnabas (Act_4:36); and it is, besides, possible, that an opportunity for proceeding to that island rather than to any other point, was the first which presented itself. [“Moreover, the Jews were numerous in Salamis. By sailing to that city, they were following the track of the synagogues.” (Con. and Hows., Life of St. Paul, I. 145, London. 1854.)—Tr.]. Their way conducted them from Antioch, down the river Orontes to Seleucia, a sea-port about 15 miles distant from the mouth of the river. [“Strabo (Act_16:2) makes the distance from Antioch to Seleucia 120 stadia” C. and H. loc. cit. p. 147. n. 1.—Tr.]. From this point they sailed to the island, on the eastern shore of which lay Salamis, a sea-port which possessed a spacious harbor. Here the two messengers of the Gospel disembarked; a third person accompanied them, who occupied a subordinate position (ὑπηρέτης), namely, John, whose surname was Mark, and whom they had brought with them to Antioch from Jerusalem, (Act_12:12; Act_12:25). [“He came as their assistant, affording aid to the apostles in the discharge of their official duties, by various external services, attending to commissions, etc., probably also by baptizing; (Act_10:48; 1Co_1:14.” (Meyer).—Tr.]). After leaving Salamis, they travelled through the whole island, Act_13:6, which is of considerable size [about 70 leagues in length from East to West; its greatest breadth from North to South, Isaiah 30 leagues.—Tr.], and, at that period, contained a number of populous and wealthy cities. They ultimately paused in Paphos (Nea Paphos), a sea-port at the west end of the island, [“not more than 100 miles from Salamis.” (Conyb. and H. loc. cit.).—Tr.], which was at that time the residence of the Roman Proconsul. It was at this point that they afterwards departed from the island, Act_13:13. [See below, Homil. etc. on Act_13:6.—Tr.]
b. Luke describes merely three features which marked the labors of Barnabas and Saul on the island: (a) the preaching of the Gospel in the Jewish synagogues; (b) the collision with the sorcerer Bar-jesus; (c) the conversion of the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus.—He states in a very summary manner, Act_13:5, that they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. Where? We may naturally suppose that Salamis itself is meant, but we cannot restrict the application of the language to this city exclusively; even if it was of considerable extent, it can scarcely have contained more than one synagogue. Moreover, as Barnabas himself was a Cyprian Israelite by birth, it is natural to believe that he, together with Paul, preached the Gospel of the Messiah and Redeemer who had appeared, first of all, to the children of Israel, who were very numerous in the island.—The collision with the sorcerer Bar-jesus occurred in Paphos, Act_13:6 ff. [This name is an Aramaic form, meaning the Son of (Jesus) Joshua; comp. Barabbas, Bartholomew, Barjonas, Bartimeus, etc. (Alex.).—The different forms which this name assumes in the (manuscripts), fathers, and versions, originated in the reverence which was entertained for the name Jesus; hence, even Barjeu, Barsuma, (Bar-jehu), etc. occur. (Meyer).—Tr.]. This man, as it appears from Act_13:8, appropriated to himself the title of Elymas, an Arabic word, from the same root as the Turkish title Ulema [which signifies learned men, and is applied to “the college or corporation composed of the three classes of the Turkish hierarchy, etc.” (Brande’s Dict. ad verb.)]; he thus styled himself the “wise man” or sage, that is, an Oriental Magian. [“While the verbal root, in Arabic means to know, the corresponding root in Hebrew means to hide, both which ideas (occult science) are included in the term by which Luke here explains it, Magus.” (Alex.).—Tr.]. The true character of this man is described by the term in Act_13:6, false prophet. He had gained influence over the Proconsul, and was near his person, Act_13:7. When the latter invited Barnabas and Saul, for the purpose of hearing them, this man was apprehensive of losing the confidence of the Roman officer, and denied the truth of their words, attempting at the same time to confuse (διαστρέψαι) Sergius Paulus, and withdraw him from the faith. [“From the faith, may either mean from the Christian faith, the new religion, which these strangers preached; or, from the act of faith, i.e., believing the new doctrine thus made known to him.” (Alex.).—Tr.]. Then Saul was filled with the Holy Ghost, that is, the Holy Ghost enabled him at once to understand the true character of the man before him, and discover the hidden thoughts of his soul. He was thus filled with a holy zeal, which manifested itself, first, in a penetrating look (ἀτενίσας είς αν̓τόν), and then in terms of stern rebuke. His language, primarily, unveils the true spiritual state of the man (Ὦ…δικαιοσύνης); the latter was full of deceit and of frivolous or wanton sentiments of every kind, and an enemy of all righteousness, that is, of all that is right and acceptable in the eyes of God, a child of the devil. (The appellation νἱὲ διαβόλον is the antithesis to his name Bar-jesus, implying that the sentiments which predominated in his soul, had been engendered by the arch-enemy of all that is divine and good). The language of Saul, further, rebukes the sorcerer’s resistance to God, of which his present conduct made him guilty (ον̓ παύσῃ—εύθείας); the ways of God are straight, leading directly to salvation, but he attempts to cross them or change their course, so that the Proconsul might not believe the word of God, and not reach the point to which they conducted, that is, salvation. Saul, lastly, announces, Act_13:11, that the divine punishment of temporary blindness shall be inflicted on Elymas. (Χεὶρ κυρίου is here the chastising power of God). Saul declares that he shall be blind only for a certain period, and not permanently. His words were at once fulfilled; the vision of the man was immediately obscured, and he was soon involved in total darkness.
c. The conversion of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus. Barnabas and Saul met this man in Paphos. [“From the time when Augustus united the world under his own power, the provinces were divided into two different classes,” the senatorial, governed by Proconsuls (which the Greeks translated by ἀνθύ́πατος, the word occurring in Act_13:7), and the imperial provinces, governed by Proprætors or Legati. Subordinate districts of the former, were under the authority of Procurators. See a full statement of the whole subject in Conyb. and H.: Life, etc. of St. Paul, I. 153–157. Lond. 1854; the appropriate passages of Dio Cassius (who lived at the beginning of the third century, was twice Roman Consul, and wrote a History of the Romans) are there given in the original, and a wood-cut is furnished representing a coin which distinctly exhibits a Proconsul of Cyprus, of the reign of Claudius, during which Paul made this visit to the island.—Tr.]. Cyprus had belonged to the imperial provinces for a certain period during the reign of Augustus, and its affairs were administered by a Prætor; but Augustus subsequently restored it to the people (Strabo, XVII. 810; Dio Cass. L. 3. 12), and it was afterwards governed by Proconsuls, like all the other senatorial provinces. Hence the incidental remark of Luke that an ἀνθύπατος was the chief ruler of the island, precisely agrees with other historical accounts, and is sustained by coins still remaining, which belong to the reign of Claudius. It had long been assumed, before the authorities just mentioned were properly considered, that Luke had employed the title of Proconsul erroneously, or had not been precisely acquainted with its true meaning; see Hackett: Comment. 209. [Second edition. 1863.].—The classic writers do not mention Sergius Paulus, who was the Proconsul at that time, but he is here described as ἀνὴρ συνετός; this term may have been strictly applicable to him, even if he listened for some time to the words of the Jewish sorcerer. [“For many years before this time, and many years after, impostors from the East, pretending to magical powers, had great influence over the Roman mind…Unbelief, when it has become conscious of its weakness, is often glad to give its hand to superstition. The faith of educated Romans was utterly gone.” (Conyb. and H. loc. cit. p. 157.—Tr.]. The proconsul, indeed, evinced that he possessed an intelligent mind, by voluntarily seeking an acquaintance with Barnabas and Saul. He was ultimately conducted to the true faith, partly by having himself witnessed the direct divine punishment inflicted on Elymas, Act_13:12, and partly by the deep impression made on him by the doctrine of Christ, which filled him with wonder. [Miraculo acuebatur attentio ad doctrinam. (Bengel)].
Act_13:9-12. Then Saul … Paul.—The name Paul, in addition to that of Saul, occurs for the first time in Act_13:9, and the latter is not again introduced. While the apostle constantly receives the Hebrew name Saul [signifying asked for, or, desired], from Act_7:58 to Act_13:7, he, as constantly, from this point of time, receives the Roman name of Paul. We cannot, with Heinrichs, regard this circumstance as merely accidental; he supposes that when Luke mentioned Sergius Paulus, it occurred to him that Saul likewise bore the name of Paul. The change in the name, is, on the contrary, made intentionally by the historian, who was here reflecting on the relation of a cause to its effect. But interpreters differ widely in their views respecting the cause, the effect of which was this permanent change of the name. The following opinion was originally adopted at a very early period, and has, quite recently, been re-adopted:—Luke introduces the name precisely at this point because the apostle received his name of Paul in consequence of the present occurrence, as a memorial of the conversion of Sergius Paulus. This was the opinion of Jerome: “[Ut enim Scipio, subjecta Africa, Africani sibi nomen assumpsit … ita et Saulus] a primo ecclesiæ spolio, proconsule Sergio Paulo, victoriæ suæ tropœa retulit, erexitque vexillum, ut Paulus diceretur e Saulo. (De viris ill. 5). The same view is expressed by Laur. Valla; Bengel; Olsh.; Meyer; Baumg., and Ewald. They assume either that the apostle, from this period, applied the name to himself (Jerome), or that other Christians had given it to him in memory of this remarkable conversion of his “first-fruit.” (Meyer).—If such, however, had been the case, we might have reasonably expected that Luke would have given an intimation to that effect, at least, by a single word. But in place of adopting this course, he does not even mention the name in immediate connection with the conversion of the Proconsul; he rather connects it with the rebuke which was addressed to the sorcerer. And, further, Luke mentions the fact in intimate connection with a circumstance which does not usually receive due attention, viz. that a new era, as it were, begins with the precedence which the apostle henceforth takes of Barnabas. For Luke had hitherto (the last time in Act_13:7) exhibited the latter as the chief personage; but now it is Saul, and not Barnabas, who takes the lead alike in words and in acts; see also Act_13:16 ff. So, too, in Act_13:13, the whole company of travellers is named after Paul as the chief personage (οἱ περὶ ΙΙαῦλον), and, afterwards, the regular order of the names is: “Paul and Barnabas” (Act_13:46; Act_13:50. etc.), and it is merely an exceptional case [Act_15:12] when this order is subsequently reversed. Hence it appears that the name of Paul (like the effect and its cause) is connected with the independent personal action and the prominence that are henceforth observable in the case of this apostle. Nor can it be regarded as an unmeaning and accidental circumstance that at the very moment when Luke first of all mentions the new name, he remarks that Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost. Hence, at this critical moment, an internal progress and a decisive elevation of Paul’s whole character were effected by the Holy Ghost. It was by virtue of this influence that Paul came forward and commenced an independent course of action, taking precedence of Barnabas, who had, in this case, refrained from personal interference. It is in connection with this circumstance, and not precisely with the conversion of the Proconsul that Luke henceforth employs that name which was the only one which the apostle of the Gentiles applied to himself [and by which he is designated in 2Pe_3:15.—Tr.].—It is, at the same time, true, that these considerations do not enable us to decide at what time, and from what source, the apostle received his Roman name. It is possible that, as a Roman citizen [ch. Act_22:27-28], he received it at his birth, but, during the Pharisaic period of his life, and even during the first years which followed his conversion, employed the Hebrew name Saul alone; when he afterwards commenced his career as the apostle of the Gentiles, he may have preferred the Roman name of Paul.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
The resistance of the apostle Paul to the sorcerer Bar-jesus proceeded from the fulness of the Holy Ghost.
a. His ability to glance into the deepest recesses of the soul of that man, was a gift of the the Spirit of God. As he had never, previously, seen the latter, how could he, after a brief interview, have thoroughly comprehended his character, without being divinely enlightened? The charges which he advanced, were well founded. If the man had been a pagan magian, his spiritual state and his guilt could not have been exhibited in the dark colors which the apostle employed. But the greater the amount of knowledge was, which the sorcerer, as an Israelite, could have acquired of the true God and his ways, of his counsel and his commands, the more decidedly he must have become an enemy of the kingdom of God, when he exhibited such cunning and sophistry in obstructing the ways of God.
b. Further, the Spirit of God and Christ reveals Himself in the announcement by the apostle of the divine punishment. We do not here discern the spirit of an Elijah, who calls down fire from heaven, and slays the prophets of Baal, nor that carnal zeal which so easily mingles with a righteous indignation. The course adopted by the apostle exhibits moderation, and a tendency to pity and to spare. He announces to the misguided man, that he would become blind, but that he would remain in that condition only during a certain period, and not until his death. Thus he indirectly speaks of a termination of the punishment, provided that the offender should cease to resist the will of God (comp. οὐ παύσῃ, etc. Act_13:10). This is the spirit of Christ, who “is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luk_9:56).
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Act_13:4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.—The statement that they had received a divine mission, is repeated in this form, as the fact itself explains the divine guidance, the blessed results, and the miraculous deeds which are subsequently described. (Ap. Past.).—Departed unto Seleucia … sailed to Cyprus.—All the steps of the true servants of God are not only remarkable, but are also attended by the divine blessing. The eyes of God watch over them and direct their course when they proceed from one place to another. It is not the celebrity of the spots which they visited, but their own character as faithful and obedient servants, who had obeyed the call of God, yielded to the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and finished their work in uprightness, which insures the honorable and enduring remembrance of their deeds. The divine blessing attends the labors of faithful servants of Christ, even when they are merely sojourners in any place, or, possibly, deliver only an occasional sermon on the road. So, too, Jesus always left a rich blessing behind, whenever he travelled, and, indeed, on every occasion. (Ap. Past.).
Act_13:5. They preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.—For, was not salvation of the Jews? [Joh_4:22]. The public synagogues furnished the most favorable opportunities for delivering addresses. It is important that we should enter every door which may be opened to us, and work while it is day. (Rieger).
Act_13:6. The isle, unto Paphos.—Paphos was noted for the wantonness and vice which attended the worship of Venus. [“Paphos was, indeed, a sanctuary of Greek religion: on this shore the fabled goddess (the Paphian Venus) first landed, when she rose from the sea (Tac. Hist. II. 2, 3).—The polluted worship was originally introduced from Assyria or Phœnicia, etc.” (Conyb. and H. I. 168.—Tr.]. It was precisely into such a stronghold of Satan [Rev_2:13] that the messengers of Christ at the very beginning effected an entrance. The prince of this world attempts, indeed, to offer resistance, and, in the person of the sorcerer, Bar-jesus, utters the language of reproach and defiance: “I was here before you!” (Rieger).
Act_13:7. Which [who] was with … Sergius Paulus, a prudent [an intelligent] man.—Prudence and godliness most happily accord with one another. The truth of God set forth in the Gospel, asks for the investigation of those who are wise. (Rieger).—The desire to become acquainted with God’s word, is a mark of an intelligent mind. (Starke).—Sergius was a man of understanding, and, nevertheless, allowed himself to be influenced by the sorceries of Bar-jesus: not only are the eyes of reason already weak, but the enchantments of impostors really consist in the success with which they also blind the eyes of reason. We accordingly perceive that many powerful minds are enslaved by a love of darkness. (Ap. Past.).
Act_13:8. Seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.—Men who occupy high positions, are always attended by persons who desire to turn them aside from the path of duty and suggest evil designs; they are not always warned and protected by apostles; comp. 1Sa_10:1-8. (Quesnel).
Act_13:9. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.—He who is a Paul, that is, feeble and mean [Lat.] in his own eyes, is a Saul, that is, desired and beloved [see above Exeg. Act_13:9-12] by others. Pro_29:23. (Starke).—As military leaders derive honorable titles from the places in which they gained victories, so Saul obtained the name which he bore as an apostle, from the first victory which he gained for Christ. He himself took the more pleasure in this change of his name, as Paul signifies little, mean; Eph_3:8; 2Co_12:9. [See Hom, and Pr. on Act_19:21.—Tr.]. His Hebrew name was the same as that of the king of his own tribe, who was taller than any of the people [1Sa_9:2; 1Sa_10:23]: and as the latter persecuted David, the man after the Lord’s own heart [1Sa_13:14], so Saul, who surpassed all others in Pharisaic dignity [Gal_1:14], persecuted Jesus, the Son of David. He now writes the epitaph of the Saul who once was: “Paul—I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Gal_2:20. (Besser).—We hear no loud and noisy reproaches, such as a hot temper utters. Even when a teacher’s office and conscience require him to employ the language of rebuke, he should carefully consider whether he is in the right frame of mind, and can speak and act in the presence of God out of the fulness of the Holy Ghost. (Ap. Past.).
Act_13:10. And said, O full of all subtilty … child of the devil, etc.—Paul inflicts one blow after the other, tears the mask from the deceiver’s face, and exposes to him the true state of his heart: “child of the devil,” the opposite of his name, “Bar” (son of) “Jesus;” “full of subtilty and mischief,” the opposite of “Elymas” (a sage); “enemy of all righteousness”—“perverting the ways of God”—the opposite of the title which he assumed, i.e., a prophet of God (Act_13:6), a title belonging to him alone who teaches the true way of salvation. (Williger).
Act_13:11. The hand of the Lord is upon thee.—It came upon him, not as in the case of the true servants of God, in order to enlighten and strengthen, but to blind and paralyze him. Nevertheless, the punishment was intended to be only temporary, since it was, in an evangelical sense, designed to be a chastisement unto righteousness, and not unto condemnation and reprobation.—The punishment was, I. Suited to the offender—he who blinded others, is struck blind himself; II. Adapted to impress and convince the spectators; III. Designed, with all its severity, to lead to the reformation of the offender, by Paul’s indirect reference to divine mercy [“for a season”]. Paul himself had been blind for a season, when he was converted, and his own experience had taught him that this darkness was exceedingly salutary, since it enabled the sufferer to collect his thoughts and examine his spiritual state. (From Ap. Past.).
Act_13:12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed.—The fall of one leads to the rising again [Luk_2:34] of another. (Starke).—The judgment which overtook Elymas, delivered Sergius from his corrupt influence, but, strictly speaking, it was the doctrine of the Lord which supplied the seed and root of his faith. (Rieger).—The soul of the meanest slave in Paphos was not less precious, it is true, than that of the ruler of the country; still, it was an important circumstance in the eyes of the apostle, that the first fruit of those who were called by his preaching, was one of those few “noble” ones (1Co_1:26), who obeyed the call of God. He had been commissioned to bear the name of Jesus Christ before kings (Act_9:15), and Sergius Paulus was the representative of kingly power in that country. (Besser).
(On Act_13:4-12). The first missionary ship: I. The fearless crew—the great apostle Paul, the noble Barnabas, the youthful Mark; II. The favorable wind—the east wind filled the sails; and the Holy Ghost, the teachers; III. The blessed anchorage—the celebrated island of Cyprus, with its natural beauties, and its moral deformity; IV. The first prizes—the defeated sorcerer, and the converted ruler.—The first missionary report, the type of all that have succeeded it: it is an image of the missionary work in general; I. Of its manifold ways; (a) external—Seleucia and Cyprus, the land and the sea; (b) internal—Jews and pagans; II. Of its painful struggles (a) with pagan vices—the worship of Venus in Paphos; (b) with pagan superstition—the sorcerer Elymas; III. Of its glorious victories; (a) the powers of darkness are overthrown (Elymas;) (b) souls are won (Sergius Paulus).—Paul in Paphos, or, The preaching of the cross, revealed in its all-conquering power: I. It subdues the sensual desires of the world (in the voluptuous groves of roses and myrtles dedicated to Aphrodite, the apostle erects the cross of Christ as an emblem of repentance and the mortification of the flesh); II. It defeats the spurious wisdom of the world (the delusions of the sorcerer Elymas vanish before the light of evangelical grace and truth); III. It prevails over the weapons of the world (the Roman Proconsul surrenders as a captive to the word of God).—The heavenly light of the Gospel, dispersing the magical delusions of the world: I. The magic of worldly lust (Cyprus with its vineyards and altars of Venus): II. The magic of worldly wisdom (Elymas with his frauds); III. The magic of worldly power (Sergius Paulus, the Roman Proconsul).—Sergius Paulus, the first trophy of the great apostle of the Gentiles: I. He was taken from the midst of the enemies (a Roman, a man invested with power, a man of a cultivated mind); II. He was wrested from the hands of an artful adversary (Elymas, the representative of science falsely so called) [1Ti_6:20]; III. The victory conferred permanent honor on the apostle (a badge of honor attached to the name of Paul, which he ever afterwards bore, whether first assumed on this occasion, or now first deserved).—The Gospel, a savour of life unto life for some (Sergius Paulus); a savour of death unto death for others (Elymas) [2Co_2:16].—In what manner does a genuine servant of Christ rebuke sin? I. Not with carnal impetuosity, but in the fulness of the Holy Ghost, (Act_13:9); II. Not with carnal weapons, but with the sword of the word [Eph_6:17], which pierces [Heb_4:12] the evil heart (Act_13:10), and announces God’s judgment (Act_13:11); III. Not with a view to consign to death and damnation, but in order to warn, and to save the souls of men. (Act_13:11).—[The various forms of sin which Paul encountered in the island Cyprus: I. Worldliness (Sergius Paulus); II. Gross vice (the worship of Venus); III. Superstition (Elymas); IV. Infidelity (unbelieving Jews, Act_13:9).—Tr.].
Footnotes:
[3]Act_13:4. οὗτοι [of text. rec., from E—gr., G, H,] is more fully supported than αὐτοί. [The latter is found in A. B. Cod. Sin., etc., and is adopted by Lach. Tisch. and Alf.—Tr.]
[4]Act_13:6. a. ὅλην before τὴν νῆσ. is wanting in text. rec. [and G. H.]; but is very decidedly sustained [by A. B. C. D. E., Cod. Sin. Vulg. fathers,]; it may have seemed [to some copyists] to be superfluous [“ὅλην and ἅχρι Πάφ. being supposed to be inconsistent.” (Alf.). It is inserted by recent editors generally.—Tr.]
[5]Act_13:6. b. ἄνδρα before τινα, also seemed to be superfluous, and has, therefore, been omitted in text. rec., in accordance with some manuscripts [G. H.]. It is, however, so well supported, that it must be regarded as genuine. [Found in A. B. C. D. E. Cod. Sin.; Syr. Vulg. etc., and inserted by recent editors generally, except Scholz.—Tr.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain ARRIVING IN CYPRUS THEY PREACH IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF…
ARRIVING IN CYPRUS THEY PREACH IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF SALAMIS--AT PAPHOS, ELYMAS IS STRUCK BLIND, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE ISLAND IS CONVERTED. (Act 13:4-12)
departed unto Seleucia--the seaport of Antioch, from which it lay nearly due west fifteen miles, and five from the Mediterranean shore, on the river Orontes.
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thence sailed to Cyprus--whose high mountain summits are easily seen in clear weather from the coast [COLONEL CHESNEY in HOWSON]. "Four reasons may have induced them to turn in first to this island: (1) Its nearness to the mainland; (2) It was the native place of Barnabas, and since the time when Andrew found his brother Simon, and brought him to Jesus, and "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," family ties had not been without effect on the progress of the Gospel. (3) It could not be unnatural to suppose that the truth would be welcomed in Cyprus when brought by Barnabas and his kinsman Mark, to their own connections or friends. The Jews were numerous in Salamis. By sailing to that city, they were following the track of the synagogues; and though their mission was chiefly to the Gentiles, their surest course for reaching them was through the proselytes and Hellenizing Jews. (4) Some of the Cypriotes were already Christians. Indeed, no one place out of Palestine, except Antioch, had been so honorably associated with the work of successful evangelization" [HOWSON].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 2. Barnabas and Paul in Cyprus—Elymas the Sorcerer, Act_13:4-12.
2. Barnabas and Paul in Cyprus—Elymas the Sorcerer, Act_13:4-12.
4. So… departed… to—The words indicate that the same Spirit that sent, directed their course. Crossing the Orontes, they probably took the south of that river, and proceeded sixteen miles to Seleucia, the seaport of Antioch. The city itself was situated on a high eminence, and the port below. From Seleucia, in a clear day, the isle of Cyprus was dimly visible a hundred miles west.
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Cyprus—This island lies in shape like a tadpole, with his long tail stretching toward (Issus) the Syrian Gates. In it Barnabas and Saul would find a base of Oriental population with a large infusion of Jews, overlaid with a Greek civilization, and overruled by Roman power. The synagogues furnished the apostles the means of bringing the Gospel before them. Looked upon alike by Antioch and Tarsus, Cyprus formed with the two a triangle; and as the home of Barnabas, was an obvious field for both missionaries.
Salamis—The nearest city in their approach to the island after a few hours’ sail.
Preached—With what success the missionaries were favoured in this, their first effort, we are not informed; but it seems neither to have detained nor discouraged them; for they took the high straight road for Paphos, the capital, at the southwestern end of the island.
John—John Mark, author of the second Gospel. (See note on Act_5:15.)
Minister—The original Greek word etymologically signifies an under-rower; hence a subordinate of any kind. As a junior, he doubtless performed many of the inferior duties of travel; and as Paul, like Jesus, seldom baptized, the minister generally performed that function. (1Co_1:14-17.)
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. sent forth by the Holy Ghost] A repetition…
4. sent forth by the Holy Ghost] A repetition which marks the solemn character which St Luke and also his informant attached to this new form of the Christian work.
unto Seleucia] which was the seaport of Antioch at the mouth of the Orontes. See Dictionary of the Bible.
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and from thence they sailed to Cyprus] Probably, if not specially directed, the missionary Apostles were induced to take this route because Cyprus was the birthplace of one of them, and there were in the island already many Jews resident, and also some Cypriote Christians (Act_11:20), who perhaps had been in Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost among the various nationalities then assembled, and who had, when driven away by persecution, turned their steps homeward and preached Jesus to their fellow-countrymen (Act_11:19).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.—The words…
(4) Being sent forth by the Holy Ghost.—The words may be only a summing up of the result of the previous facts, but looking to Act_16:6-7, it seems more probable that they refer to a fresh revelation, following on what we should call the “ordination” or “consecration” of the Apostles, and guiding them as to the direction of their journey.
Departed unto Seleucia.—The town was situated at the mouth of the Orontes, about sixteen miles from Antioch, and served as the port for that city. It had been built by, and named after, Seleucus Nicator.
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Thence they sailed to Cyprus.—The population of the island was largely Greek, and the name of the chief town at the east end recalled the history or the legend of a colony under Teucer, the son of Telamon, from the Salamis of the Saronic gulf. It owned Aphrodite, or Venus, as its tutelary goddess, Paphos being the chief centre of her worship, which there, as elsewhere, was conspicuous for the licentiousness of the harlot-priestesses of her temple. The copper-mines (the metal Cuprum took its name from the island), and its nearness to Syria, had probably attracted a considerable Jewish population, among whom the gospel had been preached by the Evangelistœ of Act_11:19. An interesting inscription—the date of which is, however, uncertain, and may be of the second or third century after Christ—given in M. de Cesnola’s Cyprus (p. 422), as found at Golgoi in that island, shows a yearning after something higher than the polytheism of Greece:—
THOU, THE ONE GOD,
THE GREATEST, THE MOST GLORIOUS NAME,
HELP US ALL, WE BESEECH THEE.
At the foot of the inscription there is the name HELIOS, the Sun, and we may probably see in it a trace of that adoption of the worship of Mithras, or the sun, as the visible symbol of Deity, which, first becoming known to the Romans in the time of Pompeius, led to the general reception of the Dies Solis (= Sunday) as the first day of the Roman week, and which, even in the case of Constantine, mingled with the earlier stages of his progress towards the faith of Christ. (See Note on Act_17:23.) The narrative that follows implies that the prudence or discernment which distinguished the proconsul may well have shown itself in such a recognition of the unity of the Godhead; and it is worthy of note that M. de Cesnola (Cyprus, p. 425) discovered at Soli, in the same island, another inscription, bearing the name of Paulus the Proconsul, who may, perhaps, be identified with the Sergius Paulus of this narrative.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Went down to for departed unto, A.V. (kathlqon). Seleucia…
Went down to for departed unto, A.V. (kathlqon). Seleucia was the sea-port of Antioch, about sixteen miles from it, and five miles north of the mouth of the Orontes. It was a free city by a grant from Pompey. It is now in ruins, but "the masonry of the once magnificent port of Seleucia is in so good a state that" it might be repaired and cleared out "for about (Colonel Chesney, quoted in Lewin, 1. p. 119). They sailed to Cyprus. Barnabas, no doubt, took the lead, and was naturally drawn to his native island of Cyprus within a hundred miles of Seleucia, and, on a clear day, visible from it. The number of Jews in the island, and the partial evangelization of it which had already taken place, (Act_11:19, Act_11:20) and which promised them assistance and support, no doubt further influenced them. John Mark went with them, as we learn from the fifth and thirteenth verses, and possibly other brethren as deacons and ministers (see next note). They sailed straight to Salamis, "a convenient and capacious harbor," in the center of the eastern end of the island, and the principal or one of the principal towns. It had a large population of Jews. It was destroyed in the reign of Trajan, in consequence of a terrible insurrection of the Jews, in which they massacred 240, 000 of the Gentile population. No Jew was ever after allowed to land in Cyprus.
Vers. 4-13. Forwardness and frailty.
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The two leading points in this passage are the forwardness of Bar-jesus and the frailty of Mark. But there are other incidental lessons which spring up by the way. We may learn as we pass:
1. That good work for others comes home with a blessing before long. Some of the scattered Christians were men of Cyprus, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks"; (Act_11:20) and here are men from the Church which the Cypriots helped to form coming to evangelize Cyprus (ver. 4). Give, and it shall be given unto you.
2. That the success of any great work is not to be measured by the fruit of the first endeavor. We read that "when they were at Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues" (ver. 5); but we do not read of any conversion, to the faith. It is fair to infer that their earliest attempt was, if not disappointing, far from a marked success; but they were not daunted thereby.
3. That it is well worth while for youthful aspiration to attend on mature and established piety. "They had also John to their minister" (ver. 5). Mark may have been little more than the courier of the apostles, but it was no mean service he was rendering the Church and the world if he did his duty thus.
4. That when religion is cast out superstition is sure to enter. Where God is unhonored the people will resort to the "sorcerer" (ver. 6), the soothsayer, the spiritualist, etc.
I THAT MAN MAY DEPART SO FAR FROM RECTITUDE AS TO DELIBERATELY FALSIFY THE TRUTH OF GOD. (Vers. 5-8.) "Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" Here was a man who, for the purpose of retaining a lucrative position, was determinately opposing the truth. Many have been his predecessors and many his successors, who have not scrupled to "fight against God," to act in such a way that they have made what they knew to be right seem to be wrong, what they knew to be wholesome and helpful seem to be injurious; they have twisted round and perverted the right line of heavenly wisdom; they have not only "called good evil and evil good," but striven, for some base motive, to make it seem thus in the eyes of men, resolutely and wantonly deceiving them.
II THAT THE TIME COMES FOR BURNING INDIGNATION AND STRONG INVECTIVE, "O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness!" (ver. 10). It is not often allowable for men to speak thus to one another. As a rule, we must follow the example of the archangel, and instead of "bringing a railing accusation, say, The Lord rebuke thee." But there are occasions when we do well to be angry, when we should rather sin by not being righteously angry than by even passionate indignation. When men are palpably ruining others in order to fill their own treasury, undoubtedly keeping others out of the kingdom in order to secure their own base objects, it is not only permissible but laudable to let our holy indignation boil over in scathing condemnation and rebuke.
III THAT JUDGMENT HAS ITS PART TO PLAY IN THE DIVINE ECONOMY. (Ver. 11.) It was, of course, only in virtue of the inspiration under which he was acting (see ver. 1) that Paul pronounced this judgment on Elymas. It was a very unusual occurrence. Our Lord himself never, so far as we know, used his almighty power to punish a human being; with the exception of the banning of the fig tree, all his works were those of beneficence. Yet we need to remember that judgment is a part of his whole system. He does condemn and smite. The storm uproots the tree; the locusts lay bare the fruitful field; disease paralyzes the human form; death does its closing work; spiritual blindness darkens the mind and spiritual hardness encrusts the soul, at his holy and awful bidding. The pleasant theories of the universe, which leave judgment out of the account, are fair enough to look at, but they are not true; they arc false to the facts of the case as these meet us in many forms and in every sphere of human life.
IV THAT THE BEST HUMAN SURROUNDINGS WILL NOT ENSURE SPIRITUAL STEADFASTNESS. (Ver. 13.) We might have thought that the presence of such men as Barnabas and Saul would have ensured the stability of John Mark; but it did not. Though under the influence of one man whose unswerving devotedness to Christ has never been surpassed, he yielded to his inclination to return home rather than brave the hazards and endure the privations of missionary work in Asia Minor. Nothing will secure our spiritual steadfastness but the indwelling of Divine power. We must abide in Christ that he may abide in us by his Spirit. It is only when we are "strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man," when we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might," that we are really safe and secure. "When I am weak, then am I strong. C.
Vers. 4-12. The mission in Cyprus.
I THE FALSE PROPHET. Bar-jesus may stand as the type of one class of foes with whom Christianity has to contend. He is described as a "mage" and a "false prophet." It appears that he gave himself the title of Elymas (to which word the modern Turkish ulema corresponds) man" par excellence. The essence of the magic calling is the pretension to override the laws of nature and providence in obedience to the wishes and fantasies and caprices of the individual. It would make imagination and feeling the test of truth and right, rather than the fixed truth and Word of God. The spirit of this false prophet is seen in his attaching himself to the proconsul, as the parasite attaches itself to the sound life, and in the endeavor to divert him from Christianity. Here is a test of the false spirit in the teacher. If we really love the truth and possess it, we have no desire to divert the course of argument from other minds. The more light and discussion, the better for the truth. Suspect the man who tries to silence another by clamor or prejudice the ear of the audience against him.
II THE TRUE APOSTLE. Paul had been "sent by the Holy Spirit," and now he is filled by the "Holy Spirit." This gives him boldness and directness in dealing with the impostor.
1. There are times when denunciation may be used by the servant of Christ; for there are times when evil, stripped of its disguises, is manifest, and no terms can be held with it. And the denunciation of the apostle points to the secret root of evil in the false prophet"s life, and which poisons all his teaching. There is craft, guile, the design to deceive Others for private ends. Then there is a certain lightness and recklessness of conduct connected with this, denoted by a peculiar Greek word (radiourgia). The false teacher will respect no truth and no sanctity which stands in the way of his objects and ends. Such a man may well be called a "child of the devil." The idea of the devil is that of an accuser or slanderer; and the false prophet will stick at no lies to serve his ends. He is the foe of all that is good, and must he; for the good and right, resting on the principle of truth, is deadly opposed to him, the living lie. He is the perverter of the Lord"s straight ways. While the servants of God proclaim, in the words of the ancient prophet, the leveling of inequalities and the making of the crooked straight, the object of the deceiver is to twist the straight into crookedness, and bring back old chaos and disorder. Such are the arrows of denunciation launched at his head; such, in brief words, are the traits of the deceiver, drawn by the firm hand of the apostle.
2. The occasional revelation of Divine judgment against the ungodly. Such acts as that of Paul, in virtue of a Divine authority, in their occasional character, reveal a general principle of judgment. "The hand of the Lord is upon thee," not to strengthen and to illuminate, but to weaken and to deprive of light. The unused or misused sense decays. "From him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath." If we use not our intelligence in the cause of truth, we cannot expect to retain it in its clearness. And if our conscience is not guided by love, it will become darkened. And if the light within becomes darkness, how great is that darkness i At the same time, mercy mingles with judgment. It is for a season only, that the opportunity for reformation and repentance may be given, and blessed the suspensions of activities which we have misused, if, in the enforced silence and privation, we are led to reflection and back to God.
III CONVERSION FOLLOWS THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRUTH. The fall of error means the establishment of a conviction in the mind. The overthrow of a lie delights the spirit, which is made for truth.
Falsehood tempts and enthralls when it appeals to cur passions; let the falsehood be exposed, and spiritual emancipation follows. Fear and astonishment are often the means God employs to break up the fatal slumbers of the soul. They are like volcanic forces, which prepare for the working of the genial forces of nature. Every conversion implies in the subject of it the knowledge of the superiority of truth over falsehood, the presence of the soul at a moral victory. Truth in conquering us, sets us free. J.
HOMILIES BY R.A. REDFORD
Vers. 4-12. The gospel in Cyprus.
Break in the narrative, the second portion, referring to the missionary labors of St. Paul, reminding us that the chief purpose of the book is to describe the growth of the Church, not directly its constitution or doctrines or discipline. Notice
I THE TENTATIVE CHARACTER of this first missionary journey, which embraced Cyprus, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, and so back through Attalia to Antioch. The Church at Antioch kept in view, and the report of the work brought back to it. This showed that the double aspect of the work was remembered its bearing on the world and its bearing on the Church itself. All aggressive efforts should be thus held closely to the vital center of fellowship. Paul and his companions did not aim at preaching themselves, but Christ. So diffusion is strength, not weakness.
II The faithful observance of the Lord"s rule, TO THE JEW FIRST. Thus the mission of God"s ancient people still recognized. The unity of truth. The continuity of grace. "Salvation is of the Jews.
III THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF CYPRUS A TYPE OF THAT OF THE WORLD. Corrupt synagogues, side by side with heathen ignorance and superstition. Bar-jesus, or Elymas, between the Gentiles and Christ; false prophecy hiding the true. So in Europe during the Middle Ages. The infidelity which broke out in the French Revolution the natural product of a monstrous travesty of Christianity. Yet there is hope in "the men of understanding" to whom the gospel can appeal.
IV MIRACULOUS MANIFESTATION brought in to break the spell of falsehood. Paul"s first miracle. He wrought it when under the special influence of the Holy Ghost. No vindictive feeling in the apostle, but a simple obedience to the voice of the Spirit. The miracle was one of mercy, both as regards Sergius Paulus and the heathen population generally. Nothing would more open the way of the gospel. People that were accustomed to magic could be easily impressed by such a sign, especially as it fell on the sorcerer. May it not be that some such influences are to be watched against in modern society? Those in high station often listen to spiritualists, thinking to aid their own weakness by such means. Yet the wonders of the gospel far greater than all the deceits of false prophets. We may safely employ the feeling of astonishment, if only we sanctify it by the preaching of the Word. R.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 4. So they … departed unto Seleucia. This was…
4. So they … departed unto Seleucia. This was the seaport of Antioch, at the mouth of the Orontes, about sixteen miles distant in a direct course. At that period it was crowded with shipping. The massive walls of its harbors are still seen, though the city is a ruin. They sailed to Cyprus. The large island which could be seen in clear air from the coast of Asia. It was chosen as the first field, probably because it was the old home of Barnabas (4:36). It had a large Jewish population.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Act_13:4. Seleucia.—“Civitas potens, sæpta muris neque in barbarum corrupta…
CRITICAL REMARKS
Act_13:4. Seleucia.—“Civitas potens, sæpta muris neque in barbarum corrupta sed conditoris Seleucia retinens” (Tac, An., vi. 42). The port of Antioch, three miles west of the city and two hours’ journey from the month of the Orontes, was founded almost contemporaneously with Antioch, B.C. 300, by King Seleucus I. (Nicanor). The harbour is mentioned according to Luke’s custom, Act_14:25; Act_16:11; Act_18:18 (Ramsay).
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Act_13:5. Minister.—Attendant, or assistant; in what capacity is not told.
Act_13:6. The best MSS. read the whole island. They probably made “a complete tour of the Jewish communities in the island, preaching in each synagogue” (Ramsay).
Act_13:7. The deputy of the country should be proconsul, ἀνθύπατος. Long supposed that Luke had here erred in designating the governor of Cyprus proconsul, but now recognised that Luke is correct (see explanation in “Homiletical Analysis”). Bar-jesus = son of Jesus, or = Barjesuvan, son of readiness (Klostermann, Ramsay who for Elymas would read Ἕτοιμος).
Act_13:8. Elymas.—Arabic for “wise” (like Turkish Ulemah), and interpreted by Luke as equivalent to sorcerer or magician. Note.—The above story of Elymas is supposed (Baur, Zeller, Holtzmann, and others) to have been influenced by the parallel narrations about Simon Magus (Act_8:20-24) and Ananias and Sappbira (Act_5:1-10); but see “Hints” on Act_13:8.
Act_13:9. Saul, who also is called Paul.—That from this point onward in the narrative the apostle ceases to be designated Saul, and is always called Paul, has been explained by the hypothesis that the apostle, either from Sergius Paulus, or his friends, received, or himself adopted, the Roman title Paul in commemoration of the proconsul’s conversion (Jerome, Augustine, Bengel, Olshausen, Meyer, Ewald); but against this stand these considerations:
1. That Luke introduces the change of name before the conversion is recorded.
2. That while customary for a pupil to adopt the name of a teacher, it was not usual for a teacher to appropriate the name of a pupil.
3. That if Paul actually did assume the governor’s name, it might at least look as if he attached more importance to the conversion of a distinguished than to that of an obscure person. Wherefore the more probable theory is that the apostle originally had the two names—Saul among the Jews, and Paul among the Gentiles (compare John Mark, Joh_12:25; Jesus Justus, Col_4:11)—and that, as hitherto, while preaching to the Jews his Jewish name was used, so henceforth, when evangelizing among the Gentiles, his Gentile designation should be employed (Weizsäcker, Holtzmann, Wendt, Lechler, Hackett, Spence, Ramsay). The notion that Saul assumed the name Paul to express his personal humility is unlikely; the suggestion that Luke at this point began to use memoirs in which the apostle was called Paul (Alford) is little better. Still less correct is the hypothesis that Luke only invented the name from Paul’s connection with Sergius (Baur, Zeller, Hausrath). The derivation of the name Paul from the Hebrew פלא = mirabilis, wonderful, in allusion to the miracle wrought by the apostle (Otto, Zöckler), appears somewhat fanciful.
Act_13:12. Read the proconsul instead of the deputy as above. Believed.—Baur, entirely without reason, thinks the conversion of the proconsul has “only a very slight degree of probability.”
HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.—Act_13:4-12
Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus; or, the Commencement of the First Missionary Journey
I. The journey to Cyprus.—
1. By land to Seleucia. This town, sixteen miles distant from Antioch, to which it served as a seaport, stood upon the coast five miles north of the mouth of the Orontes. “Seleucia united the two characters of a fortress and a seaport. It was situated on a rocky eminence, which is the southern extremity of a range of hills projecting from Mount Amanus.… The harbour and mercantile suburb were on level ground towards the west,” and were protected by “strong artificial defences” (Conybeare and Howson, The Life and Epistles of Paul, 1:132). “In addition to splendid buildings and temples, the city possessed other advantages. The climate was excellent, and the soil around uncommonly fruitful. Its geographical position, before the gate of Antioch, between Cyprus, Cilicia, Syria, and Phœnicia, made it a seat of extraordinarily lively and profitable commerce” (Hertzberg in Riehm, art. “Seleucia”). “A village called Antakia and interesting ruins point out the ancient site” (Hackett).
2. By sea to Cyprus. Conybeare and Howson offer four reasons why the missionaries turned in the first instance towards this island. It was separated by no great distance from the mainland of Syria; a vessel sailing from Seleucia to Salamis was not difficult to procure, especially in the summer season; Cyprus was the native land of Barnabas, a consideration which would naturally weigh with the Son of Consolation (compare Joh_1:41-42; Joh_11:5); and some of the Cypriotes were already Christians (Act_11:20). As the Holy Spirit is not said to have prescribed the route, these suggestions may serve as an explanation of the missionaries’ movements, at least till better can be found.
II. The work in Salamis.—
1. The city and its inhabitants. Situated near the modern town of Famagousta, the ancient city stood “on a bight of the coast to the north of the river Pediæus.” “A large city by the sea shore, a widespread plain with cornfields and orchards, and the blue distance of mountains beyond, composed the view on which the eyes of Barnabas and Saul rested when they came to anchor in the bay of Salamis” (Conybeare and Howson, 1:135). “When the apostles stepped ashore upon one of the ancient piers, of which the ruins are still visible, it was a busy and important place, and we cannot doubt that Barnabas would find many to greet him in his old home” (Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul, 1:347).
2. The synagogues and their worshippers. Since there were “synagogues,” the Jewish population must have been considerable; and one can easily understand how “the unparalleled productiveness of Cyprus, and its trade in fruit, wine, flax, and honey, would naturally attract them to the mercantile port” (Conybeare and Howson, 1:135). Hitherto it had been Saul’s custom to begin his work by visiting the synagogues; and from this practice, neither he nor Barnabas as yet departed.
3. The missionaries and their occupation. Whatever else they did, their time was mainly spent in preaching or proclaiming the word of God to their fellow-worshippers in these synagogues, who would of course be Jews with a mixture perhaps of heathen proselytes. (On synagogue worship, see Act_13:15.) What measure of success they obtained is not reported.
4. Their attendant and his duties. By name John Mark (see on Act_12:25); whether he assisted Barnabas and Saul in preaching and baptising, or confined his attention to secular matters, such as making arrangements for the travel, lodging, and sustenance of the company, cannot be determined. That John Mark is introduced in this “curiously incidental” way, was probably designed, in view of what was to happen in Pamphylia, to show that “he was not essential to the expedition, had not been selected by the Spirit, had not been formally delegated by the Church of Antioch, but was an extra hand taken by Barnabas and Saul on their own responsibility.”—Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, etc., p. 71.
III. The arrival at Paphos.—
1. The town. New Paphos, on the west coast of the island, a hundred miles from Salamis; then a bustling haven, the city of Aphrodite (Venus), whose infamous rites long continued to be celebrated in its temple, and the residence of the Roman proconsul; now a decayed and mouldering village, the modern Baffa.
2. The governor.
(1) His name—Sergius Paulus, of whom nothing more is known. Galen mentions a Sergius Paulus who flourished more than a century later, and was distinguished for philosophy; while Pliny (A.D. 90) names a Sergius Paulus as his chief authority for some facts in natural history which he relates, and in particular for two connected with Cyprus. “A Greek inscription of Soloi, on the north coast of Cyprus, is dated in the proconsulship of Paulus, who probably is the same governor that played a part in the strange and interesting scene to be described” (Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, p. 74).
(2) His character—“prudent,” or “a man of understanding.” One who intermeddled with all knowledge, a philosopher like his namesake above referred to. Out of this thirst for learning may have arisen his acquaintance with Bar-jesus; it was a better proof of the sincerity of his desire for enlightenment that he summoned Barnabas and Saul to his palace to hear from them the word of God.
(3) His office—“deputy of the country,” or rather, proconsul. That Sergius Paulus should have been so styled was formerly regarded as an error on the part of Luke, but is now proved to be in accordance with absolute historical accuracy (see “Critical Remarks”).
3. The sorcerer.
(1) His personal designation. Bar-jesus, the son of Jesus (see “Critical Remarks”).
(2) His professional title. A certain magician. He had assumed the appellation Elymas (from the same root as the Turkish Ulemah), meaning, “the wise man” or wizard.
(3) His correct description. A false prophet. “He was a fortune-teller, but his art was an imposition” (Hackett).
(4) His national derivation. A Jew. Hackett thinks he may have been born in Arabia or lived there for some time.
IV. The encounter with Bar-jesus.—
1. The conduct of the sorcerer. He “withstood Barnabas and Saul, seeking to turn away the deputy or proconsul from the faith.” A statement which shows—
(1) That the governor’s reception of the apostles took place not in private, but in public, at least to the extent of being in presence of the inmates of his household, including Elymas, who was apparently established in the service of Sergius.
(2) That the exposition of the gospel given by the apostles had made a manifest impression on the governor’s heart, which promised to result in his conversion.
(3) That the false prophet interposed with a view of preventing his master and patron from yielding to the eloquence of the missionaries. How Elymas sought to weaken the force of the apostles’ preaching and deaden its influence upon Sergius is not told, but it is probable “he spared neither argument nor insult in his endeavour to persuade Sergius of the absurdity of the new faith” (Farrar)—perhaps reviling Christ as a crucified malefactor, and denouncing Him as an enemy of Moses.
2. The action of Saul. Significant that not Barnabas but Saul steps into the arena against Elymas and for the rescue of Sergius—a heroic deed which, by its success, for ever established Saul’s precedence over Barnabas, and, as some conjecture, won for him his new and now world-renowned name of Paul (see, however, “Critical Remarks”).
(1) The secret impulse which pushed Saul into the foreground came from the Holy Ghost, who then presided and still presides in the Church, who then selected and still selects His agents, and who then directed as He still directs their steps. “Saul, filled with the Holy Ghost.”
(2) The searching glance with which Saul transfixed the wizard (compare Act_3:4) showed how completely the wizard’s character and motives were understood, and how indignantly the apostle’s soul flamed out against them. Saul’s eyes were illumined by the Spirit of the Lord, which searcheth all things (1Co_2:10). Ramsay finds in the power of the apostle’s eye an indirect proof that the apostle’s “stake in the flesh” was not “impaired vision” (Ibid., p. 97).
(3) The denunciation uttered by the apostle must have told the detected impostor that his career of wickedness was at an end. In three terrific ejaculations the apostle revealed to him his depraved character, telling him first that he was “full of all guilt and of all villainy,” deceit and rascality, cunning and criminality; next, that instead of being a Bar-jesus—i.e., a son of the salvation of Jehovah—he was a veritable son of the devil (compare Joh_8:44); and thirdly, that he was an enemy of all righteousness, thus making him “equal to the father of lies” (Stier), “pierced through with hatred against the good” (Besser). In a short, sharp question the apostle unfolded to him the wickedness of his present behaviour: “Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” “The ways of the Lord aim directly and rightly at the salvation of all men (Deu_32:4; Hos_14:9), and the two preachers of the gospel have just explained to the Romish governor these ways; … and Paul sees that the false prophet will not cease to crook the straight paths of the Lord and to turn them away from Sergius Paulus that he may not believe and become blessed” (Besser).
(4) The appalling judgment invoked upon the sorcerer—“Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee,” etc.—was a richly merited retribution for his heinous wickedness in having sought to prevent the salvation of a soul. Yet was it mingled with fourfold mercy. In the first place it was a bodily infliction, whereas it might have fallen on his soul, as with-Judas (Act_1:25). Secondly, it spared his life, whereas it might have cut him off, as it did Herod (Act_12:23). Thirdly, it was only blindness, whereas it might have been loss of reason, as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan_4:34). And fourthly, it might have been for the whole term of his natural life, whereas, as with Zacharias (Luk_1:20), it was only for a season.
3. The impression on Sergius.
(1) What he saw. The judgment taking instant effect. “Immediately there fell on Elymas a mist and a darkness,” etc.
(2) How he felt. He was astonished at such a display of spiritual power.
(3) What he did. “He believed.” “How far his belief was deep-seated or otherwise we have no evidence which would enable us to judge. But the silence of Luke would seem to indicate that he was not baptised, and we can hardly look upon him as a deep and lifelong convert, since otherwise we should, in the rarity of great men in the Christian community, have as certainly heard of him in their records, as we hear of the very few who at this period—like Flavius Clemens or Flavia Domitilla—joined the Church from the ranks of the noble or the mighty” (Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul, 1:355). With this pronouncement one may reasonably disagree. It is too much to expect that all great men who are converted should have their names and doings paraded in Church chronicles.
Learn.—
1. The highest sign of wisdom—desiring to hear the word of God.
2. The grossest act of wickedness—perverting the right ways of God, or opposing the salvation of others.
3. The sorest of all earthly calamities—the falling on one of God’s hand for judgment.
4. The noblest trophy of a preacher’s power—the conversion of a soul.
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Act_13:4-12. The First Missionary Ship.
I. Its bold crew.—
1. The great Paul.
2. The noble Barnabas.
3. The youthful Mark.
II. Its first wind.—
1. The east wind filling its sails.
2. The breath of the Holy Ghost inspiring its teachers.
III. Its favourable anchorage.—The renowned Cyprus with its natural beauties and sinful abominations.
IV. Its great prizes.—
1. The sorcerer vanquished.
2. The governor converted.—Gerok.
Act_13:6. The Story of Bar-Jesus.
I. His name—good.
II. His character—bad.
III. His profession—vile.
IV. His sin—great.
V. His punishment—severe.
Act_13:6-12. Elymas, Sergius, and Saul; or, Three Sorts of Wisdom.
I. Elymas, the representative of false wisdom, the subtilty inspired by the devil (Act_13:10).
II. Sergius, the representative of earthly wisdom, the wisdom which the world admires (Act_13:7).
III. Saul, the representative of true (as opposed to false) and celestial (as distinguished from earthly) wisdom, the wisdom which the Holy Ghost teaches (Act_13:9).
Act_13:7. Sergius Paulus.
I. A man of understanding, and yet the dupe of a sorcerer.
II. An anxious inquirer opposed by a pretended “wise one.”
III. An astonished spectator of a suddenly inflicted judgment.
IV. A promising convert, who accepts the teaching of the Lord.
Desiring to hear the Word of God. Might proceed out of—
I. Curiosity, as in the case of Herod and the Athenians.
II. Thirst for knowledge, as with Sergius Paulus.
III. Eagerness to believe, as was true of the Gentiles in Antioch.
IV. Determination to oppose, as with the unbelieving Jews.
Sergius Paulus, a Prudent Man.
I. The nature of true prudence.—It is not craft or cunning, it is not self-conceit or self-wisdom, it is not a cautious avoidance of the dangers that lie in the path of duty. It is the adaptation of our line of action to the proprieties of time, and place, and persons. It is practical wisdom.
II. The cases to which it applies.
1. To the preference of objects according to their comparative value.
2. To the due improvement of all opportunities of doing good and getting good.
3. To the foresight of all future events that may be anticipated.
4. To the control of the temper.
5. To the government of the tongue.
III. Its advantages.
1. It prevents many evils.
2. It sweetens all the charities of social life.
3. It increases the means of doing good.
(1) Cherish a deep sense of its inestimable value;
(2) Cultivate it by prayer, and an intimate acquaintance with the Bible.—G. Brooks.
Act_13:8 with Act_8:9. The Two Sorcerers; or, Simon Magus and Elymas Bar-jesus.
I. Compare.—In being—
1. Men.
2. Magicians.
3. Hearers of the gospel.
4. Guilty of heinous sin—the one seeking to purchase the gift of God with money, the other to hinder the work of God in others, doubtless for the sake of money.
5. Subjects of apostolic denunciation.
II. Contrast.—
1. The one (Simon Magus) an Oriental, the other (Elymas) a Jew.
2. The one a willing, the other an involuntary hearer of the gospel.
3. The one a baptised believer, the other a malignant opponent of the truth.
4. The one an adherent of Philip, the other an enemy of Saul.
5. The one simply denounced, the other signally punished. N.B.—These points of contrast sufficiently dispose of the allegation of the Tübingen critics that Paul’s contest with Elymas is simply an imitation, without any historical foundation, of Peter’s struggle with Simon Magus.
III. Suggest.—
1. That there is not much to choose between an insincere disciple and an open enemy of the truth.
2. That nothing short of genuine conversion will secure salvation.
3. That the punishments of sinners are always less than they deserve.
4. That it is dangerous to oppose or disbelieve the gospel.
The Sorcerer, the Proconsul, and the Apostle; or, a Triangular Contest.
I. Elymas and Sergius, the sorcerer and the proconsul, the pretended wise man and the earthly savant; or the deceiver and his dupe.
II. Sergius and Paul, the proconsul and the apostle, the vicegerent of Cæsar and the ambassador of Christ, the impersonation of human prudence and the bearer of heavenly wisdom; or the scholar and his teacher.
III. Paul and Elymas, the true prophet and the false, the servant of Jesus and the son of the devil; or the preacher of righteousness and his satanic opponent.
Act_13:10. Perverting the Right Ways of the Lord.
I. The ways of the Lord are right.—
1. The ways of the Lord Himself are right—always in accordance with holiness and truth (Hos_14:9).
2. The ways the Lord prescribes to men are right—always like His own, conformable to law and justice (Psa_19:8; Psa_119:75).
II. The right ways of the Lord may be perverted.—
1. Not God’s ways for Himself—which never can be other than pure and upright (Psa_145:17).
2. But God’s ways for man—which may be turned aside
(1) by false teaching (2Pe_2:1),
(2) by bad example (2Ti_3:5-6),
(3) by sinful temptation (2Pe_2:15).
III. To pervert the right ways of the Lord is offensive.—It is—
1. Presumptuous on the part of a creature.
2. Sinful, being contrary to Divine law.
3. Dangerous, as incurring the just judgment of God.
Act_13:11-12. The Judgment on Elymas and its Effect on Sergius a Type of the Double Work of Christianity.
I. It blinds those who (like Elymas think they) see (Joh_9:39).
II. It imparts sight to those who (like Sergius confess they) are blind (Joh_9:39).
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 4, 5. They go from Antioch to Seleucia, a…
4, 5. They go from Antioch to Seleucia, a large city on the river Orontes, down which they sail into the Mediterranean, landing at Salamis, the metropolis of Eastern Cyprus, the native city of Barnabas, who, as the elder minister, led the expedition, having his own country on his heart for the salvation of the Lord. Mark accompanies them, a boy preacher helping in the meetings. We find in the evangelistic tours they invariably went to places where there was a Jewish synagogue, which they first entered, and preached the gospel.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain 4, 5. We now follow Barnabas and Saul to…
4, 5. We now follow Barnabas and Saul to their new field of labor. Their departure from Antioch is thus announced by Luke: (4) " So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed into Cyprus. (5) And when they were in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues. And they had John as an assistant. " Seleucia was the seaport nearest to Antioch, distant some fifteen or eighteen miles, and near the mouth of the river Orontes, on the bank of which Antioch is situated. Embarking upon some trading vessel, they sailed to the port of Salamis, which is at the eastern end of the island of Cyprus.
In choosing this island as the first point in the wide world to which they directed their steps, they were, doubtless, guided not by the natural partiality which Barnabas may have felt for it as his native land, but by that fixed principle in the apostolic labors which taught them to cultivate first those fields which promised the most abundant harvest. The fact that this was the native island of Barnabas gave him hope of a more ready access to many old associates. Besides, the gospel had already been proclaimed here with some success among the Jews, and in the city of Salamis, as we learn from the text just quoted, there was more than one Jewish synagogue.
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What duties were performed by John, in his capacity as "an assistant," can not be specifically determined with certainty. The term assistant would indicate that he performed, under their direction, a part of the same labor in which they were themselves engaged. The fact, however, that Saul was not in the habit of immersing his own converts, but imposed this duty on his assistants, renders it highly probable that this was at least one of the duties performed by John.
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On the island of Cyprus:
On the island of Cyprus:
v. 4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
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v. 5. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had also John to their minister.
v. 6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus;
v. 7. which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the Word of God.
Barnabas and Saul, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, their visible separation had taken place before and in the name of the congregation, but they had been designated by a special revelation of the Spirit, and therefore the call proceeded from the Spirit and was merely transmitted through the congregation and its officers. With this certainty in mind, the missionaries of our days, having received the call of the Lord through the congregation or its representatives, may set out upon the work of their ministry just as cheerfully and confidently as the two men who left Antioch in Syria early in that eventful year of 46 A. D. Traveling first of all down to Seleucia, the port of Antioch, which was situated at the mouth of the Orontes, they embarked for the island of Cyprus. They crossed the arm of the Mediterranean Sea, a distance of some sixty miles, and landed at Salamis, a harbor on the southeastern coast. John Mark was with them as a servant, as a younger brother that might very well aid them in any clerical work, while having the benefit of their instruction. At Salamis the two missionaries made arrangements at once to proclaim the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. That was the rule which they observed: first the Jews, then the Greeks. In this way they journeyed slowly through the entire island, which at that time was thickly settled. It was a distance of some hundred miles to the western end of the island, to the capital, Paphos, where’, there was a famous shrine devoted to the heathen goddess Venus, and where, therefore, idolatry was practiced to a frightful extent. Here resided the proconsul of the island, Sergius Paulus by name, a prudent man, clear-sighted, possessed of a good measure of common sense. Note: The reliability of Luke as a historian has been vindicated against foolish attacks in regard to this passage. Cyprus had anciently been governed by a propraetor, but in 22 B. C. it had been transferred by Augustus to the senate, and therefore proconsul is the correct title. A peculiar character was attached to the household of the proconsul in the person of one Barjesus, a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet, a kind of court-sage, magician, and confessor. People of his kind were found in many of the courts in those days and often wielded great influence over their masters. But Sergius Paulus was evidently tired of the spiritual food which this Jewish magician was able to dispense, and the oracles and auguries, after all, did not satisfy one that wanted a sound basis for belief. So he sent for Barnabas and Saul and earnestly desired to hear the Word of God. It is probable that he plied them with questions concerning the Word and their service in its interest, and while he was by no means predisposed to the acceptance of the Gospel, he by no means ridiculed its preaching before examining its claims. If the people of our day and age that claim for themselves both a thorough education and a fair degree of common sense and open-mindedness would but follow the example of the Cyprian proconsul and make a frank examination of the merits of the Gospel, the chances are that their natural prejudice would quickly be removed.
The Trustworthiness of Luke as a Historian
The Bible and its contents are not in need of vindication. To us Christians the Bible in all its parts is the inspired Word of God, whose foolishness is wiser than men. In taking this standpoint, we do not throttle reason, well knowing that the doctrines of Scriptures are not, strictly speaking, against human reason, but simply above and beyond reason. In studying the Bible, therefore, we make use of our reason in a very decided fashion, but always so that we take it captive under the obedience of Christ. For this reason, also, we welcome all research in history and archeology which will throw additional light on Bible lands, Bible customs, Bible language, and all other questions pertaining to a better understanding of the Word of salvation. For this reason we feel a great deal of satisfaction in the fact that the trustworthiness of Luke as a historian, aside from the fact of inspiration, has been established most gloriously by recent investigations.
A number of years or decades ago, especially at the time when the rationalistic theological literature had reached the crest of its flood and its criticism was accepted by a large part of Christendom without question, there were several charges registered against Luke as a historian. It was stated that there were several mistakes in his account of the nativity of our Lord. It was said that Cyprus, in the days of the Apostle Paul, had been a praetorian, not a consular, province, and that therefore Sergius Paulus was incorrectly called proconsul. It was alleged that Luke’s geographical knowledge of Asia Minor must have been extremely hazy, to express it mildly, that he did not know into which province the various cities belonged, and that therefore his geographical notes were altogether unreliable. It was charged that his calling the city of Philippi a colony was an obvious mistake.
But in each single point the holy writer has been vindicated so completely that the opponents are forced to retire in utter dishonor. This is due to the untiring zeal and to the indefatigable exertions of a number of scholars, among whom were Duchesne and Collignon, Hamilton, Waddington, but, above all, Sterret in his book Epigraphical Journey in Asia Minor in 188 4, and Sir W. M. Ramsay, in his series of monographs, among which the Historical Geography of Asia Minor, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen, Pauline and Other Studies, Was Christ Born in Bethlehem, The Cities of St. Pau l, and The Bearing of Recent Research on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament should receive mention. The results of these researches have been ably summarized by Cobem, in his The New Archeological Discoveries
The fact that Sergius Paulus was, not propraetor, but proconsul of Cyprus, has been shown both directly and indirectly, as noted above. The fact that Paul had entered into the district of Lycaonia in going to Iconium, and that this city was incidentally, administratively considered, reckoned with the cities of South Galatia, has received confirmation which takes away all reasonable doubt. The fact that Philippi was a colony in the time of St. Paul has been demonstrated by the finding of a coin which stated this fact, in short, the very stones are crying out in vindication of the Scriptural account and of the truth of the Gospel-story, as any one may convince himself if he will go to the delightful trouble of consulting the books mentioned above. And each new discovery, bringing further witness of the truth of the Bible account, aids in stopping the mouths of the gainsayers, if not in convincing them of the truth of Scriptures, and thus the glory of the exalted Christ is further increased.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Here the words "they," "They," and "their" refer to Barnabas and Silas.
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So
This word marks an event that happened because of a previous event. In this case, the previous event is Barnabas and Saul being set apart by the Holy Spirit.
went down
The phrase "went down" is used here because Seleucia is lower in elevation than Antioch.
Seleucia
a city by the sea
city of Salamis
The city of Salamis was on Cyprus Island.
proclaimed the word of God
"Word of God" here is a synecdoche for "message of God." AT: "proclaimed the message of God" (See: Synecdoche)
synagogues of the Jews
Possible meanings are that 1) "there were multiple Jewish synagogues in the city of Salamis where Barnabas and Saul preached" or 2) "Barnabas and Saul started at the synagogue at Salamis and continued to preach in all the synagogues they found while they traveled around the Island of Cyprus."
They also had John Mark as their assistant
"John Mark went with them and was helping them"
assistant
"helper"
translationWords
Holy Spirit
Cyprus
preach
word of God
synagogue
John Mark
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 13:4 Barnabas and Saul’s first missionary journey was undertaken…
13:4 Barnabas and Saul’s first missionary journey was undertaken with a strong consciousness of the Holy Spirit as their guide. • Seleucia was Antioch’s ancient seaport, located about twelve miles (20 km) west of the city at the mouth of the Orontes River. • Their journey took them westward by sea to the island of Cyprus, which was Barnabas’s homeland (4:36).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.