The irresistible Gospel

We are constantly being called to go out and share the Gospel. It’s God’s power and plan to bring humankind to repentance and to faith and relationship with Him. There is spirtual and physical opposition to this which can become frightening and demoralising. Faith in God and His irresistable power, delivered through the Gospel of Jesus, overcomes this opposition and brings astonishement, love, joy and peace to those who God is calling.

Scripture

Acts 13:4-12 ESV  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.  [5]  When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.  [6]  When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.  [7]  He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.  [8]  But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.  [9]  But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him  [10]  and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?  [11]  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.  [12]  Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Bible Study Questions

Sent out on God’s mission

God’s plan for the Church to extend to the ends of the earth moves into the next phase. This is the first missionary trip which ends with their return to Antioch at the end of chapter 14. The mission brings the Gospel to the gentiles, but Paul always starts with the Jews. The pattern of rejection by the majority of the Jews before the gentiles repent and believe continues throughout Acts. God is faithful to His promises and continually offers salvation to the Jews, even though only a few respond. What does this constant blessing to the Jews while the focus is on the gentiles tell us about God?

Acts 13:4-12 ESV  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. [5]  When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.  

Acts 13:2 ESV  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:46-48 ESV  And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.  [47]  For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”  [48]  And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Encountering opposition

The ministry team leaves the capital Paphos to last. This leaves time for the news of their message to reach there before they arrive. There is an important convert waiting in Paphos but before the meet him, they meet spiritual opposition in the person of a Jewish false prophet. Opposition often arrives just when our work for Christ gains momentum. What is this objective of false prophets?

Acts 13:6 ESV When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.  

Matthew 24:11-14 ESV  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  [12]  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  [13]  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  [14]  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2 Timothy 3:8-9 ESV  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.  [9]  But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

Drawn by God to seek the Word

Elymas had strategically attached himself to the leader of the whole Island of Cyprus. This gave him power and probably wealth but this strategic placement also reveals the spiritual plan to subvert the preaching of the Gospel. While evil spiritual forces were at work, what do we see about how God is at work? Why is Sergius Paulus “seeking” to hear the Word of God?

Acts 13:7 ESV He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.  

John 6:44-45 ESV  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.  [45]  It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

Blinded by the god of this world

Elymas does what his god wants and has possibly empowered him to do. While he may have been acting to preserve his influence and income, his real purpose is to turn Sergius from the faith. What influences have you encountered that have tried to turn you or others that you know from faith in Jesus Christ?

Acts 13:8 ESV  But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ESV  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  [4]  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  [5]  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  [6]  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Greater is the Holy Spirit

We see a clear contrast between how Paul is filled and how Elymas is filled, and we can now see more clearly the spiritual nature of this confrontation. Who does Elymas work for, and what is the result of his affiliation and association with them? In contrast, who is guiding and empowering Paul? How will this confrontation always end up?

Acts 13:9-10 ESV  But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him  [10]  and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?  

1 John 4:4-6 ESV  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  [5]  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  [6]  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

The guide is now blind and seeking

Sergius was looking for the truth. Elymas has been lying to him and leading him astray. God alone has the power to show us the truth and rescue us from the lies. Here he physically blinds the deceiver in order to give real sight, which is a knowledge of the One True God. How does Paul know about gaining true sight from a time of physical blindness?

Acts 13:11 ESV And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

Acts 9:11-16 ESV  And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,  [12]  and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”  [13]  But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.  [14]  And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”  [15]  But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.  [16]  For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

The seeker now sees the light

Sergius Paulus is powerfully convinced of the truth and comes to find what he has been searching for. Elymas’ blindness gives Segius sight, but the text records that he is not so much astonished by the miracle but more by something else, what is he astonished at?

Acts 13:12 ESV Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.