Acts 13 - What's In A Name?
1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 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.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Chapter 13 marks a pivotal shift in the book of Acts. Where the mission was centered in Jerusalem under the leadership of the apostle Peter, now it moves to Syrian Antioch and the leadership of Apostle Paul. Saul, was his Hebrew name reflecting he came from the lineage of King Saul, the first king of Israel. As Paul shifts his ministry to an Gentile audience, he uses his Roamn name, "Paul" or "Paulus". He was also a Roman citizen, and this name reminded people of that. This will be of great help to him at the end of Acts when he is brought to trial by the Roman magistrates.
As we move on from chapter 12, you will see even more of an emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Note the Holy Spirit said to the church leaders, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to."
How did the Holy Spirit speak to them? This could have come through the prophets previously mentioned. Prophets speak the Word of God, as it is given to them by the Holy Spirit. Or, the Holy Spirit could have impressed it on their hearts and minds. Of course, there is always the possibility it was the audible voice of the Holy Spirit, but the text doesn't seem to indicate that.
Regardless, the other church leaders were obedient to the message from the Holy Spirit. Note they fasted and prayed. Even though the Holy Spirit gave them this specific message, they still fasted and prayed to confirm the message. They didn't take anything for granted and knew Saul and Barnabas would need discernment and coverage. They also "laid hands on them", which we see throughout the book of Acts. This also symbolized the "laying on" of the Holy Spirit.
When we baptize, commission, or pray for someone, we lay hands on them to receive and be renewed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
On Cyprus
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
The Holy Spirit led them to Cyprus. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. a, situated at a major geopolitical crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa. Known for its 10,000-year history and beautiful beaches and glorious snow-capped mountains. Google AI
You will see over and over in the next chapters the missionary strategy of Paul and Barnabas. They start by preaching the Word of God in the Jewish synagogue. The passage also notes a young man named "Mark" who was traveling with them. This is John Mark who likely wrote the gospel of Mark.
When they came to Paphos, the proconsul by the name of Sergius Paulus sent for Paul and Barnabas because he wanted to hear the word of God. He was the highest ranking Roman official in the area, so it was a big deal for Paul and Barnabas to get an audience with him.
This city on the west coast of Cyprus was known for its immorality. Here Barnabas and Saul faced a combination of immorality and spiritual darkness that was common across the pagan world of the Roman Empire. - Enduring Word, David Guzik
“Paphos was infamous for its worship of Venus, the goddess of [sexual] love” (Barclay). “Athanasius styled its religion ‘the deification of lust.’ Neither men nor women could resort to the shrine of Venus without being defiled in mind and depraved in character.” (Spurgeon)
The spiritual darkness in Paphos was a training ground for people like Elymas, the Jewish sorcerrer. His name was also Bar-Jesus. Elymas meant "sorcerer" and "Bar-Jesus" meant "son of Joshua or son of Jesus." Once again his Jewish name pointed to his Jewish origin, and his Roman name pointed to what he did for a living. Though he was Jewish, instead of welcoming Paul and Barnabas in Jesus' name, he tried to stop them from sharing the gospel with Sergius Paulus.
Paul was having none of it and looked right at him, rebuked him, and called him a "child of the devil", who was full of kinds of deceit and trickery. The devil is also called the "deceiver" in the bible. While the man was spiritually blind before he encountered Paul, he became physically blind as Paul rebuked him and told him he would become blind. Immediately Elymas went blind and needed someone to take him by the hand.
Meanwhile when Sergius Paulus saw what happened, he came to faith in Jesus. Perhaps this is another reason Saul changed his name to Paul/Paulus, because of his encounter with the proconsul of Paphos.
Do you every get "leadings" or "promptings" from the Holy Spirit? How do these normally happen? How would you know if these are from the Holy Spirit, or somewhere else? Do you believe there are still people like Elymas out there today trying to deceive people and prevent them from hearing about Jesus?
I think the answer is yes. After Paul said in Ephesians 6:10-12
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Jesus protect us from the evil one and his schemes. Help us to be aware of the power of the Holy Spirit you have given us to fight our battles with the evil one. Help us not to be naive to his strategies which aim to shipwreck our faith and stop the spread of the gospel. Give us the courage to be like Paul and call out evil when we see it in Your name. Amen.
Do you have two names? One a given or formal name reflecting your family or another aspect of who you are? My given name "Michael" means "one who is like God". Of course, I fall way short of living up to this given name. I have been given other nicknames over the years, but I try to remember the name my parents gave me when I was baptized and became a child of God and was marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever.
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