A joke circulated around the seminary when I attended in the ’70s about someone whose “mama called and daddy sent” them into the ministry. That was not the case with Paul and Barnabas. They were called and sent by the Holy Spirit. Now, we see the direction the Holy Spirit led them.
“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” (Acts 13:4)
John Mark joined Paul and Barnabas, and the three made it a practice to preach in Jewish synagogues. At this time, most of their ministry was still focused on the Jewish people. The early church was seen as a sect of Judaism, not as something separate from the Jewish faith.
From the start of Jesus’s ministry, we have seen opposition to God’s purposes. Satan, corrupt officials, religious leaders, and now a magician tried to turn people away from God’s truth.
The magician seemed to have a role in Sergius Paulus’s administration. When the proconsul wanted to hear Saul and Barnabas, the magician opposed them and tried to turn him away from the faith.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul spoke directly to the magician. We need to examine his words one by one in today’s setting.
“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?” (Acts 13:10)
Son of the devil: Right after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit came upon Him, and God declared Him His beloved Son. Immediately after, Satan came to test Him. Satan and those who follow him try to deny Jesus the rightful place He should have in our lives.
Sometimes this denial is subtle. Other times, it is bold and obvious. No matter the approach, anything that denies who Jesus is and His role in our lives should be recognized as coming from the devil.
Enemy of all righteousness: A wise man once said, “If you did not meet the devil today, it may be because you are walking in the same direction.”
When we walk with Jesus, we can expect to face the enemy, who will try to turn us away. He opposes those who live a Jesus-centered life and tries to pull us off that path. He often uses people like this magician to do that in our lives.
Full of deceit and villainy: When we are tempted to lie or hear someone who does not abide by the truth, we do well to remember Jesus’ words.
“He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
If you watch television, you are probably counting down the days until the midterm elections are over and the political attack ads disappear from the airwaves. As we watch them, we should remember that people who lie about their opponents are copying the behavior of the evil one.
Christian candidates should be careful not to let political groups use lies to support their campaigns. You cannot defeat evil by using evil’s methods. The only way to win is by following Jesus and His teachings.
Making crooked the straight paths of the Lord: Rudy Ross often says the devil uses two truths and one lie to twist what God is doing.
We need to stay grounded in God’s Word and spend time in prayer to fight the false information spread by people like the man Paul and Barnabas met on their first missionary journey.
Judgment and Mercy
Paul, under the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke a command to the magician, and he was immediately affected.
“And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13:11)
In today’s YouTube video, Bruce Kirby shares something I had not considered before. This blindness was temporary. Perhaps he was blinded, like Paul had been, so God could graciously open his eyes. We do not know the rest of the story, but we can hope.
The powerful encounter Sergius Paulus witnessed was enough to lead him to turn to the Lord.
“When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.” (Acts 13:12)
The world is filled with bad leaders who are causing great harm to the public and to those around them. I challenge you to take this story of how God worked powerfully here and pray that these leaders will have an encounter with the Lord.
May they feel the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, see Jesus for who He is, come to Him, and follow His way of life. Please join me in praying this way.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 13:4-12 on YouTube today.
