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The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 12:20-13:12 God’s judgment on Herod 12.20. Now Herod was having an angry quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they joined together and presented themselves before him. And after convincing Blastus, the king's personal assistant, to help them, they asked for peace, because their country's food supply was provided by the king's country. Herod was already ripe for God’s judgment to come upon him. He had already killed James the brother of John and had also imprisoned Peter with the intention of having him put to death but the Lord delivered him. For some reason Herod had fallen out with the people of Tyre and Sidon cities that were dependent upon food being supplied to them from Herod’s domain. They did not dare to approach Herod directly so they befriended Blastus the king’s personal assistant to help them to make friends with. 12.21- 22. On a day determined in advance, Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the judgment seat, and made a speech to them But the crowd began to shout, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" A day was arranged for the reunion to take place with all pomp and ceremony and Herod appeared before the people in full regalia sitting upon his throne. At the end of his speech that would have been a flattering one, the people applauded him with their shouts of acclamation that he spoke as a god. 12.23. Immediately an angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. Up to this point Herod was the centre of attention then God moved. It is to be noted that Herod was well versed in the scriptures and the religious traditions of Israel. He knew there was no other God but the LORD (YAHWEH). In his position of authority and his apparent ability in being able to speak he should have stopped the people and gave the glory to God but his pride and arrogance got the better of him. His cup was now full so the angel of the Lord struck him in judgment and on the very throne that he sat he died. 12.24. But the word of God kept on increasing and multiplying. Herod had done all that he could to stop the Gospel message going forth but he failed to do so as will be the case for everyone to attempts to do the same. The Word of God began to spread rapidly and there were many new believers.
Saul and Barnabas Called 12.25. So Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had completed their mission, bringing along with them John Mark. Saul and Barnabas had completed their errand of mercy in taking relief to the believers in Jerusalem (Acts 11: 27-30) and so returned to Antioch taking John Mark with them whose mother house the church had gathered to pray for Peter (Acts 12:12). 13.1 - 2. Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Barnabas and Saul are listed among the prophets and teachers that were in the church at Antioch. As they were worshipping and fasting the Holy Spirit revealed that he had called Barnabas and Saul to do a special work and that they were to set them apart to do this. (Note: that the Holy Spirit made this known when they were in fellowship together and not just to Barnabas and Saul.) 13.3. Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off. They did not hastily help them to pack their bags and send them on their way but continued to wait upon the Lord in prayer and fasting for this matter. After this they prayed for Saul and Barnabas laid hands on them and sent them on their first missionary journey. Their calling came to them in the local church and they were sent out by the local church and received the blessing and prayer backing of the local church.
Opportunity and Opposition 13.4. So Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. (Now they also had John as their assistant.) Being led by the Holy Spirit they set sail from the port of Seleucia for Cyprus, Barnabas’ home land (Acts 4:36). They wasted no time arriving at the port of Salamis they went to the synagogues and preached the gospel message John Mark helping them. 13.6 - 7. When they had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. They travelled overland until they reached the capital Paphos which was known for the worship of Venus the goddess of love and all the immorality connected to it. Here they encountered opposition in the form of a sorcerer/wizard known as Bar-Jesus or Elymas - an Arabic word meaning the skilful one. The Roman governor of the island was Sergius Paulus and although an intelligent man he was bound by superstition and employed Elymas as his personal soothsaying/fortune teller. Hearing of Saul’s and Barnabas’ arrival he desired to hear the word of God and gave them an opportunity to bear witness to him of Christ. 13.8. But the magician Elymas (for that is the way his name is translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. However, Elymas fearing of losing a follower his job and all the benefits attached to it opposed all that Saul and Barnabas were saying; he could see that Sergius Paulus was responding to the Gospel message.
13.9 - 10. But Saul (also known as Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him and said, "You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness — will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? Up to this time Paul has been called Saul, from this moment on he is only referred to as Paul (Saul his Hebrew name Paul his Greek name). Being filled with the Holy Spirit he fixed his eyes intently upon Elymas and exposed him for what he was a deceiver, a fake, an enemy of righteousness in fact a son of the devil always seeking to pervert and plot against the saving purposes of the Lord. 13.11. Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!" Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. Because of his wicked opposition to the word of God and his seeking to turn others away the hand of the Lord moved against him in judgment. The man who was in spiritual darkness was struck physically blind immediately nor permanently but for a time. He who had led others into darkness and bondage now had to be led by others. 13.12. Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. The moving of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God upon his heart and conscience and the demonstration of the Divine power which he saw confirming it brought Sergius Paulus to the point of excepting Jesus Christ as his Saviour. © Derek Williams 2014 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org