The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 13
Vs. 1-12
There were a number of leaders now of the believers.
At the church in Antioch, there was Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”) Lucas who was from Cyrene, Manaen who was the childhood friend of King Herod Antipas,
and Saul (Paul).
One day when these men were worshipping the Lord and fasting (going without eating for a time so they could pray), The Holy Spirit spoke to them. The Holy Spirit told them to say a special prayer over Saul and Barnabas to dedicate them to separate them for a special work for God.
They were to put their hands on them and pray for them and send them on a trip to tell others about Jesus. John Mark went with them.
Saul and Barnabas went down to the port of Seleucia and sailed for the island of Cyprus. Cyprus is off the edge of Syria and Israel.
In the town of Salamis on Cyprus they went to the Jewish churches to preach about God’s word and about Jesus. They told how Jesus was the promised Messiah that the Old Testament said would come.
They went from town to town on Cyprus. They came to the town of Paphos. There they met a man who was a sorcerer. He called himself, Bar-Jesus.
A sorcerer is a person who is like a witch or a witch doctor. They believe in spirits who give them power to do amazing things. They believe they can heal people and make strange amazing things to happen. They put curses on people and can make them sick or die.
People who live in countries who have witch doctors know that these people have great power by spirits.
As Christians, we believe that the spirits they believe in and pray to are evil spirits. Satan does have power. He can do powerful things. He does not have as much power as God. Satan’s power is limited. He can only do as much as God lets him.
As Christians we should understand that Satan can make things happen. We should not be so fearful that we worry and tremble and put back. God will protect us and God has more power than Satan. But we need to be in prayer for protection from Satan.
If we would be in an place where Satan and his evil spirits are very strong at work—–we need to understand that power. We need to “cover” ourselves in prayer and calling on Jesus to protect us, give us wisdom, and give us power.
Barnabas and Saul met this man. He was a man who could pray to evil spirits to get them to do powerful things.
This man had become close friends with the governor of the town. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to come and tell him about God’s word and Jesus.
But this sorcerer, Elymas, tried to get the governor not to listen to Saul and Barnabas. He did not want the governor to learn about God and Jesus.
Saul, also known as Paul, spoke to Elymas. He looked at him and told him that he was full of Satan. They he was full of tricks and evil. They he was the enemy of everything good and right. Saul told him, Now the Hand of God is going to punish you. You will become blind.
As soon as Paul said it, the man became blind. The man started asking for someone to take his hand and lead him. The governor saw what happened. He believed Paul and Barnabas and what they said about God and Jesus. He became a believer.
Vs. 13-43
Paul and Barnabas left that town and went to another place. John Mark has decided to leave them and go back to Jerusalem.
We do not know why John Mark left. Later on we read that Paul was very disappointed in John’s leaving. Later when John Mark wants to join them again and go on a trip with them— Paul does not want to have him come. Barnabas wants to give John Mark another chance, so Barnabas takes John Mark and goes to one place, and Paul takes another man, Silas, and goes to another place.
Paul and Barnabas are in another city called Antioch Of Pisidia. They are in a Jewish church reading from the Old Testament. The leaders ask them to explain to them more about Jesus being the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.
So Paul begins telling the history of the people of Israel. Paul talked a long time. The leaders asked him to come back the next day and talk some more.
Vs.44
When Paul and Barnabas came back to speak to them almost everyone in town came to hear them. Some of the Jewish church leaders because jealous. They did not like it that these preachers of Jesus had so many people coming to hear them.
So these leaders began to said bad things about Paul and Barnabas. They began to say that the things these men were preaching were not true.
Vs. 46
Paul and Barnabas showed much courage. They told the leaders that it was the right thing for Paul to preach to the Jews first. But if the Jews did not want to hear what he was saying then Paul and Barnabas would go to the non-Jews of the town and preach to them.
The non-Jewish people, Gentiles, were happy to hear what Paul was saying. Many of them began to believe on Jesus.
Vs. 50
But the Jewish leaders got the leaders of the city and important women to speak against Paul. They began to make much trouble for Paul and Barnabas. They made Paul and Barnabas leave their city.
Vs. 51
So Paul and Barnabas did what Jesus had told them to do if the people did not want to listen “they shook off the dust off their feet” and left the town.
(The roads were dirt roads. In that hot dry country everything was dusty. Walking made your feet dusty. To “shake off the dust” was like shaking off that town. We would probably “dust off our hands” saying we are done with this.)
Vs. 52 The disciples (believers) were full of joy and they were full of the Holy Spirit.