Act 13:9 | KingComments | STEP | We do not hear of any reaction to the proclamation of God’s Word in Salamis. A possible reason could be the influence of the activities of a demonic man, who is even a Jew. This man was especially active in Paphos. There Barnabas and Saul ran into him, after they went through the whole island. He listened to the name Bar-Jesus, which means ‘son of Jesus’. The Holy Spirit shows us in this man someone who in name is closely related to Jesus, but in fact stands at an enormous distance from the Lord Jesus. He does not proclaim the true Word of God, but is a falsifier of God’s Word. Elymas is in the service of the proconsul Sergius Paulus who represents the Roman authority on Cyprus. The proconsul is ignorant of the true God, but he is also a man of intelligence or a wise man. This is evidenced by a sincere longing for something that can fill the emptiness he feels at the inanity of pagan ceremonies and their abominable immorality. In the false prophet and magician, the Jew Elymas, we see the representative of enmity against Christendom. Again and again we will see how the Jews outside the land of Israel reject the Word and at the same time want to prevent it from being spoken to the nations ( ). In Elymas we see that demonic powers and forces are involved. This is also how Paul exposes him. This is the moment when Luke changes his name and calls Saul Paul from now on. In the midst of Judaism, Luke has always called him by his Hebrew name. Saul means ‘the requested’ or ‘the coveted’. In that name we listen to the great plans his parents seem to have had with him. Maybe they gave him that name out of admiration for King Saul. King Saul literally stood head and shoulders above everyone else; from their son Saul they must have expected him to stand above everyone else in a religious sense. That is what happened ( ). But from now on he will be called Paul. Now that his service among nations has started, Luke will continue to call him by his pagan name. This happens for the first time in Paul’s confrontation with the false prophet, in which he proves where his power lies, namely not in himself, but in the Holy Spirit. Instead of being the greatest of all, he has learned that true power can only be found in being the smallest of all ( ). Paul means ‘the little one’. Humility is a prerequisite for world evangelization. Then also someone is in the right mind to be able to act strongly against the opposition the gospel experiences. Paul finds this power in the Holy Spirit with Whom he is filled. The fulfillment with the Holy Spirit points to an instantaneous fulfillment for that moment. At the moment of fulfillment, the Holy Spirit gives special power for what needs to be said. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul speaks powerfully to this false prophet who manifests himself so clearly as an opponent of the gospel. With the indignant exclamation “you who” Paul addresses this man directly and then unmasks him fully as a man “full of all deceit and fraud”. Nothing good is present in this man. He is rightly a “son of the devil” and an “enemy of all righteousness”. He has the devil as his father and expresses himself as one who abhors all righteousness. A person is only called son of the devil if he shows persistent and deliberate opposition ( ; ). In his depravity, he also presents the right ways of the Lord ( ) in a twisted way. However, he is seen through (cf. ). With apostolic authority, Paul passes judgment on this son of the devil and makes him blind by letting the hand of the Lord be upon him. For the second time there is talk of “the hand of the Lord”, here in judgment. The first time is in Acts 11, there in blessing ( ). Paul also sets a limit to blindness, for it will be “for a time”. In this temporary blindness, Elymas is a picture of the unbelieving Jewish people on whom there is a covering in the present time. That veil will also be removed in time, i.e. from a faithful remnant. It is a temporary covering ( ). The unbelieving Jews have been smitten with blindness because they envy the proclamation of the gospel to the nations ( ). As a result, for many centuries Judaism has been looking for people who can take them by the hand to guide them. They depend on the favor of the nations they seek each time. Another consequence of the blindness of the Jews is that the gospel went to the Gentiles ( ). We also see this in the history of Elymas. After he had been smitten with blindness, God opens the door of the heart of the pagan Sergius Paulus for faith. The proconsul was not so much impressed by what happened, but by the teaching of the Lord. Not a work of power, but the Word is the basis of conversion.

‏ Acts 13:9

Elymas and Sergius Paulus

We do not hear of any reaction to the proclamation of God’s Word in Salamis. A possible reason could be the influence of the activities of a demonic man, who is even a Jew. This man was especially active in Paphos. There Barnabas and Saul ran into him, after they went through the whole island. He listened to the name Bar-Jesus, which means ‘son of Jesus’. The Holy Spirit shows us in this man someone who in name is closely related to Jesus, but in fact stands at an enormous distance from the Lord Jesus. He does not proclaim the true Word of God, but is a falsifier of God’s Word.

Elymas is in the service of the proconsul Sergius Paulus who represents the Roman authority on Cyprus. The proconsul is ignorant of the true God, but he is also a man of intelligence or a wise man. This is evidenced by a sincere longing for something that can fill the emptiness he feels at the inanity of pagan ceremonies and their abominable immorality.

In the false prophet and magician, the Jew Elymas, we see the representative of enmity against Christendom. Again and again we will see how the Jews outside the land of Israel reject the Word and at the same time want to prevent it from being spoken to the nations (Acts 13:45). In Elymas we see that demonic powers and forces are involved. This is also how Paul exposes him.

This is the moment when Luke changes his name and calls Saul Paul from now on. In the midst of Judaism, Luke has always called him by his Hebrew name. Saul means ‘the requested’ or ‘the coveted’. In that name we listen to the great plans his parents seem to have had with him. Maybe they gave him that name out of admiration for King Saul. King Saul literally stood head and shoulders above everyone else; from their son Saul they must have expected him to stand above everyone else in a religious sense. That is what happened (Gal 1:14). But from now on he will be called Paul. Now that his service among nations has started, Luke will continue to call him by his pagan name.

This happens for the first time in Paul’s confrontation with the false prophet, in which he proves where his power lies, namely not in himself, but in the Holy Spirit. Instead of being the greatest of all, he has learned that true power can only be found in being the smallest of all (Lk 22:26-27). Paul means ‘the little one’.

Humility is a prerequisite for world evangelization. Then also someone is in the right mind to be able to act strongly against the opposition the gospel experiences. Paul finds this power in the Holy Spirit with Whom he is filled. The fulfillment with the Holy Spirit points to an instantaneous fulfillment for that moment. At the moment of fulfillment, the Holy Spirit gives special power for what needs to be said.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul speaks powerfully to this false prophet who manifests himself so clearly as an opponent of the gospel. With the indignant exclamation “you who” Paul addresses this man directly and then unmasks him fully as a man “full of all deceit and fraud”. Nothing good is present in this man.

He is rightly a “son of the devil” and an “enemy of all righteousness”. He has the devil as his father and expresses himself as one who abhors all righteousness. A person is only called son of the devil if he shows persistent and deliberate opposition (Jn 8:44; 1Jn 3:10). In his depravity, he also presents the right ways of the Lord (Hos 14:9) in a twisted way. However, he is seen through (cf. Pro 10:9b).

With apostolic authority, Paul passes judgment on this son of the devil and makes him blind by letting the hand of the Lord be upon him. For the second time there is talk of “the hand of the Lord”, here in judgment. The first time is in Acts 11, there in blessing (Acts 11:21). Paul also sets a limit to blindness, for it will be “for a time”.

In this temporary blindness, Elymas is a picture of the unbelieving Jewish people on whom there is a covering in the present time. That veil will also be removed in time, i.e. from a faithful remnant. It is a temporary covering (Rom 11:25). The unbelieving Jews have been smitten with blindness because they envy the proclamation of the gospel to the nations (1Thes 2:16). As a result, for many centuries Judaism has been looking for people who can take them by the hand to guide them. They depend on the favor of the nations they seek each time.

Another consequence of the blindness of the Jews is that the gospel went to the Gentiles (Rom 11:11 ; 15). We also see this in the history of Elymas. After he had been smitten with blindness, God opens the door of the heart of the pagan Sergius Paulus for faith. The proconsul was not so much impressed by what happened, but by the teaching of the Lord. Not a work of power, but the Word is the basis of conversion.