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Acts 13:4-12  PAUL AND BARNABAS AT CYPRUS

Introduction:

	In our previous text the Holy Spirit instructed the church at Antioch of 
Syria to send out Barnabas and Saul of Tarsus to do mission work among the 
Gentiles.  In our text today we have the record of their stay on the Island of 
Cyprus.  This is their first effort in doing mission work.  In this passage of 
Scripture we find many things that are of importance to the work of God’s people 
today.  

I.  Their departure from Antioch

	V. 4, “So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost...”  Luke says that 
they were sent forth by the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.  This statement is not 
intended to deny what was said earlier in verses 2 and 3.  In verse 2 the Holy 
Spirit told the church at Antioch to send them out.  In verse 3 it is said that 
the church at Antioch did as the Holy Spirit had instructed and sent them out.  
So Barnabas and Saul were church sent missionaries, but at the same time they 
were Holy Spirit sent missionaries because the church to sent them out by the 
authority and leadership of the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit calls a man 
to do mission work and when a New Testament church is led by the Holy Spirit of 
God to send that man out to do mission work then in effect, he is sent out by 
the Holy Spirit to do the work.   
	(V. 4), “...departed unto Seleucia...”  Barnabas and Saul left the city of 
Antioch and went to the city of Seleucia.  Seleucia was the closest seaport city 
to Antioch.  If they attempted to do any preaching at Seleucia there is no 
mention of it by Luke.  It appears that they merely went there and caught a ship 
to the Island of Cyprus.  I think that we can safely assume that since the 
church at Antioch sent them out that the church at Antioch furnished them with 
funds sufficient to pay their fare on the ship and enough money to furnish them 
with room and board for a while.      
	(V. 4), “...and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”  From Seleucia they 
sailed to the Island of Cyprus.  Luke doe not tell us how they reached the 
decision to go to this particular island, but we can be sure that the Holy 
Spirit was leading them to this place and that they were submissive to the 
leadership of the Spirit in making this decision.  
	We should seek to follow their example in our own lives.  We are not all 
called of God to go out to distant places and do mission work, but we are all 
called of God to serve Him and to witness for Him and we are all faced with many 
important decisions in our own lives.  We should seek the leadership of the Holy 
Spirit in making those decisions and we should seek to follow His leadership.  
Let me cite you to a few examples:  One who is considering marriage is facing a 
very important decision. He or she should seek the leadership of the Lord in 
choosing a mate.  Making the right decision can make a big difference in our 
life.  
	One who plans to attend a collage or university needs to seek the aid of 
the Holy Spirit in making the decision where to attend and what line of study 
and work to pursue. One needs to seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit what 
city to move to and what job offer to accept.  One needs to seek the leadership 
of the Holy Spirit in making the decision which church to attend.  All of these 
are major decisions and following the leadership of the Holy Spirit can make a 
huge difference in life.  
	The Island of Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea.  It is 
about 148 miles long and ranges in width from 5 to 50 miles wide.  It had once 
belonged to Greece, but by the time Barnabas and Saul arrived it had become a 
province of Rome.  It had a mixed population made up chiefly of Greeks, Romans, 
Turks, Egyptians and Jews.  It was the Jewish people living there who would give 
them their first opportunity to preach the gospel.  
	It is worthy of note that Barnabas had been born on this island and in all 
probability had relatives and other acquaintances who still lived on the island.  
Luke does not mention it, but in all probability Barnabas and Saul made contact 
with at least some of those relatives and acquaintances.  This, too, presents a 
good lesson for us.  In seeking to witness for the Lord and to enlist people to 
come to our church here at Pleasant Hill a good place to start is by making 
contact with relatives and acquaintances.  

II.  Their stay at Salamis

	V. 5, “And when they were at Salamis...”  Salamis was the chief seaport of 
the island.  It was located on the south-eastern side of Cyprus and was, 
therefore, the closest seaport as they approached the island by ship.  It is 
logical that this would be their first stop.  
	(V. 5), “...they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the 
Jews...”  You will note that the word, synagogues, is a plural word.  This 
indicates that there was a large number of Jews in this city because they had 
more than one Jewish synagogue within the city.  Being Jewish, themselves, they 
attended services in those synagogues and were given opportunity to speak.  Luke 
says that they preached the gospel there.  
	They were evidently not the first Jewish Christians to preach the gospel 
in the synagogues of that city.  Back in Acts 11:19 we were told that when the 
Christians at Jerusalem had been scattered from the persecution that arose about 
the time that Stephen was stoned some of the Christians went as far as the 
Island of Cypress and preached the gospel, but they preached it only to the 
Jews.  Since Salamis was the first seaport city they would come to, it was most 
likely in this very city that those Christians had preached the gospel to Jews 
and it was most likely in these very synagogues where they had preached the 
gospel.  
	It must have been very impressive to the Jews in those synagogues that 
Saul of Tarsus, the very man who had stirred up the persecution against 
Christians in Jerusalem, was now visiting their synagogues preaching the gospel 
message which he had so bitterly opposed earlier.  It is also worthy of note 
that the Jews in those synagogues had not already become so opposed to the 
Christian message that they refused to allow Barnabus and Saul to speak.  They 
apparently welcomed them and listened to their message with respect and with 
some measure of interest.  In all probability some of the Christians who had 
already preached the gospel there were still in those synagogues or at least 
some who were converted to Christianity under their witness were still there.  
If so, they would help to give Barnabas and Saul a big welcome in those 
synagogues.  
	We cannot say with certainty whether there were converts at Salamis under 
the preaching of Barnabas and Saul.  We do have evidence that their welcome was 
at least very cordial and, in view of the earlier preaching of the gospel in 
Cyprus, they probably received a very warm welcome by the Christians who were 
already there.  Yet since Luke says nothing about anyone being saved under their 
ministry at this place, we cannot say with certainty about converts.  The safest 
assumption that we can make is that their visit gave great encouragement to 
those Christians who apparently were already there.  
	(V. 5), “...and they had also John as their minister.”  The John who is 
spoken of here is John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas.  Luke told us back in Acts 
12:25 that Barnabas and Saul had brought John Mark with them from Jerusalem to 
Antioch.  Now we learn that they also brought him with them on this missionary 
journey.  The church at Antioch had not been instructed by the Holy Spirit to 
separate John Mark and send him with Barnabas and Saul.  And there is no 
indication here that he was considered as one of the missionaries.  But he was 
in their group as a missionary helper.  Luke tells us that he was brought with 
them as their attendant.  He was assigned the task of making arrangements for a 
place to stay, for food to eat and for whatever else their material needs might 
be.  By having John Mark to take care of these material things, they could 
devote their time to the study and to the presentation of the word of God.  We 
do not know if there were others in their group, but we do know now that there 
were at least three in their group.  

III.  Their stay at Paphos

	V. 6, “And when they had gone through the isle unto Pathos...”  It appears 
that they did not stay long at Salamis.  There is no indication that they 
organized a church there.  Either they saw very little opportunity to start a 
church there, or perhaps there was already a church there established by the 
earlier Christians and they saw that their time would be better sent moving on 
where there was no church.  Either way, there can be little doubt that they 
followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit in moving on to the city of Paphos.  
	Paphos was a city on the western end of the Island of Cyprus.  They 
apparently traveled overland to Paphos.  If they had any lengthy stops and 
visited any other Jewish synagogues along the way Luke does not mention it.  I 
think it safe to say that they may have encountered some Jews along the way and 
that they took advantage of the opportunity to tell them that Jesus is the 
Christ whom the Jewish people had long looked for.  
	(V. 6), “...they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose 
name was Bar-jesus.”  Among the Jews at Paphos there was a man by the name of 
Bar-jesus.  The prefix “bar” means “son.”  The word, Jesus, is the Greek form of 
the Hebrew word, Joshua.  Thus, the name identified him as the son of a Jewish 
man named “Joshua.”  The parents of Bar-jesus had probably given him the Hebrew 
form of the name calling him “Bar-Joshua,” but the Gentiles used the Greek form 
and thus they called him “Bar-jesus.”  
	Bar-jesus proclaimed himself to be a prophet of God, but he was a false 
prophet.  He was sorcerer.  A sorcerer is a male witch.  This means that he 
practiced black magic.  He used magical formulas  or magical formulas which 
included drugs.  He depended upon demon spirits world of demons for guidance and 
help.  He depended on evil spirits which are subject to Satan, himself.  God had 
repeatedly warned the people of Israel not to get mixed up with witchcraft and 
sorcery.  He absolutely forbid them to practice it or to have dealings with 
those who do practice it.  Yet there in the city of Paphos was a Jew who had 
utterly disregarded God’s warnings and openly proclaimed himself to be a 
sorcerer,  and yet at the same time he claimed to be a prophet of God.  
	V. 7, “Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent 
man...”  Sergius Paulus is a Roman name.  He was the Roman deputy who was in 
charge of the entire Island of Cyprus.  Luke says that Sergius Paulus was a 
prudent man.  That is, he was a man who was noted for having good judgment.  Yet 
in spite of his reputation for having good judgment, Sergius Paulus had taken in 
Bar-jesus as a counselor and advisor.  This was most certainly not an act of 
good judgment.  It appears that he must have become disillusioned with the idol 
worship in which he had been brought up and he was in search for the truth about 
the spirit world.  Therefore, he was reaching out to Bar-jesus and looking to 
him for counsel and advice.  Yet apparently he was wise enough not to be 
gullible.  He would carefully weigh any advice from Bar-jesus before deciding to 
do whatever Bar-jesus would suggest that he do.     
 	(V. 7), “...who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word 
of God.”  When Sergius Paulus heard that Barnabas and Saul were in Paphos and 
when he learned that these men were Jews preaching about the God of Israel, he 
was prudent enough that he wanted to hear them so that he could learn more about 
the God of Israel.  He sent for them to come to his home or to his office and to 
tell him about their God.  He felt that somehow it would be to his advantage to 
learn more about the God of Israel.  He just did not know how right he was.  It 
is to the advantage of anyone to learn more about God.  
	At any rate Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the word of God.  How good it is 
when lost souls want to hear the word of God.  This must have been a great 
inspiration to Barnabas and Saul.   
	V. 8, “But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) 
withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.”  Bar-jesus was 
commonly called Elymas, which means “Sorcerer.”  So when Barnabas and Saul came 
and began to tell Sergius Paulus about God and about Jesus Christ, the Son of 
God, Bar-jesus interrupted and disputed what they were saying.  Since he claimed 
to be a prophet of the God of Israel, I do not understand that he denied that 
Jehovah God, the God of Israel, is a real God, although he may have denied that 
Jehovah God is the only God.  Being a servant of Satan through demon spirits, he 
most certainly would be opposed to almost anything which Barnabas and Saul might 
say about Jesus Christ.  He would deny that Jesus is the Christ.  He would deny 
that Jesus is the Son of God.  He would not deny that Jesus had been crucified, 
but he would deny that Jesus has risen from the grave and that He is the Savior 
of men.   He openly disputed with Barnabas and Saul and he sought to persuade 
the deputy that what these men were saying was not true.  Perhaps he was afraid 
that if Sergious Paulus believed Barnabas and Saul that he might chose Barnabas 
and Saul as his counselors and he would no longer be needed.   
	V. 9, “Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul)...” For the first time, 
Luke, the writer of this book refers to Saul of Tarsus as Paul.  Saul is a 
Hebrew name which means “Asked for.”  As a general rule, when a son was given 
this name it indicated that the parents had gone to God in prayer and asked God 
to give them a son.  Then when the son was given to them by the Lord, they gave 
him the name “Saul” indicating that he was an answer to prayer. Thus, the giving 
of a son the name “Saul” is a testimony that God hears and answers prayer.  Many 
of us here today could testify to the same thing.  We can testify that God hears 
and answers prayer.  He has answered many of our prayers.  He has answered many 
of my prayers and I am sure that you can testify that He has answered many of 
your prayers.  This should be an encouragement to all to do a lot more praying.  
	The name, Paul, was not a Hebrew name.  It was not given to him by Hebrew 
people.  That is, it was not given to him by Jews.  It was a Roman name and it 
must have been given to him by the Romans at Paphos, perhaps by Sergius Paulus, 
himself.  The word “Paul” means “little.”  It is somewhat equivalent to the 
nickname “Shorty.” This makes us to understand that Saul of Tarsus was a little 
man.  He was not a giant of a man physically, but he was a giant of a man 
spiritually.  He did a mighty work for God.  He should be an inspiration to all 
of us.  He lets us know that no matter how handicapped we may be, if we devote 
ourselves to the true worship and service of God then we can be used of God in a 
mighty way.  
	(V. 9), “...filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.”  Saul of 
Tarsus, who  from this point forward, will be called Paul set his eyes on Bar-
jesus, the sorcerer.  He did not just look at him.  He fixed his gaze on him.  
He stared at him.  
	V. 10-11, “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child 
of the devil, [thou] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert 
the right ways of the Lord?  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord [is] upon 
thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately 
there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead 
him by the hand.”  The little man, Paul, spoke some mighty big words.  He told 
Bar-jesus, the sorcerer, that false prophet, that man who had sold himself out 
to the Devil, that the hand of God was upon him to punish him for his evil 
deeds.  But there was more than punishment involved in the afflictions that 
would fall upon Bar-jesus.  God was showing to the Roman deputy, the highest 
official on the Island of Cyprus, that Bar-jesus was of the Devil and that 
Barnabas and Paul were of God.  They had spoken to him the truth of God about 
Jesus, the Christ of God, the crucified and yet risen Son of God.  Jesus is, in 
truth the Savior of men.  
	V. 12, “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being 
astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.”  We have no further record by Luke 
concerning the result of the labor of these two missionaries at Paphos, but we 
do know that they silenced the voice of a false prophet and shut off his 
influence with the deputy of Cyprus.  Furthermore, we have reason to believe 
that a church was organized there and that through the influence of Sergius 
Paulus, the chief Roman official of the whole island, that churches would spring 
up throughout the Island of Cyprus.  God used Barnabas and Paul to do a mighty 
work in Paphos and I am convinced, that through Sergius Paulus they started a 
mighty work throughout the whole island of Cyprus.   

IV.  Their example for us to follow

	Now let me ask you a question.  Do you think that God can do a mighty work 
through you?  Do you think that God through you can strengthen the work of this 
church here at Pleasant Hill?  Do you believe that God can use your influence to 
spread the gospel to people in far distant places?  To a large measure, He has 
already used this church to spread the gospel to many different cities and many, 
many people.  Through the work of parents, deacons, Sunday school teachers and 
many other people in this church, God has sent the gospel to distant lands.  
Through preachers who have surrendered to preach here at Pleasant Hill the 
gospel had been carried to distant lands.  Through children who never became 
preachers, but who grew up in this community and came to know Jesus Christ as 
Savior here at Pleasant Hill who have gone to distant cities to make good 
deacons, good Sunday School teachers, and good church members.  Through the work 
of this church the work of the Lord is being carried on in those distant places.
	Even right here in this community God can use you.  He can use you to do a 
great job of reaching people for Christ.  All that God asks is that you place 
yourself in His hands to be used of Him.  God really did the work there at 
Paphos, and it will be God who must do the work here if anything is to be 
accomplished.  But God did the work at Paphos through Barnabas and Paul, and if 
He will accomplish much here, He would use people like you through whom He will 
work.  
	
Conclusion:  

	Let Him have His way with you.  If you are lost, let Him has His way with 
you.  He will save you.  If you are saved, let Him have His way with you.  He 
will use you.