Acts 13:4b tells us that Barnabas and Paul “went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus.” This was the start of Paul’s first ministry journey, which ended in 14:27.
Acts 13:5a says, “Having come to Salamis, they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.” Barnabas and Paul did not go to attend the Jewish synagogue gathering, but to take advantage of their gathering to announce the word of God, just as the Lord did in His ministry on earth (Matt. 4:23; Luke 4:16). As in Acts 13:14, their purpose in going to the synagogue was to grasp the opportunity to preach the gospel.
We have seen that the word “synagogue” is an anglicized form of the Greek word sunagoge. This Greek word is composed of sun, together, and ago, to bring. Hence, it denotes a collecting, gathering, congregation, assembly. By transition it came to mean the place of gathering. It is used in the New Testament to denote the congregation (Acts 13:43; 9:2; Luke 12:11) and the congregating place (Luke 7:5) of the Jews, where they sought the knowledge of God by studying the holy Scriptures (Luke 4:16-17; Acts 13:14-15).
According to 13:5b, Barnabas and Paul had John as their attendant. This is actually a defect in the pattern caused by the lack of experience. Barnabas and Paul should not have brought John with them. Eventually he left them and returned to Jerusalem (v. 13). The reason for John’s leaving may have been his inability to bear the hardships of the journey.
When Barnabas and Paul were about to go on their second journey, “Barnabas intended to take John, who is called Mark, along with them also” (15:37). However, “Paul did not consider it suitable to take with them this one who withdrew from them in Pamphylia and did not go with them to the work” (v. 38). As we shall see, there was a sharp contention between Barnabas and Paul concerning this. Because John was Barnabas’ cousin, he wanted to bring him along with them, but Paul did not agree. The point we would make here is that the problem began with the mistake in taking Mark along with them the first time.
Those who serve the Lord full time should be careful in bringing someone else along with them. Not everyone is able to endure all the hardships of serving full time. If you lightly take someone along with you, there may be trouble. The mistake made by Barnabas and Paul in taking Mark with them on their first journey eventually led to the separation between Paul and Barnabas. It was a serious matter for them to make such a mistake.
Acts 13:6 and 7 say, “And having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain man, a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called Barnabas and Saul to him and sought to hear the word of God.” This proconsul was the governor of a local government in the Roman Empire.
Verse 8 continues, “But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” This is the objective faith, referring to the contents of the gospel in which the believers in Christ believed.
Acts 13:9 goes on to say, “But Saul, who is also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him.” The change of name may indicate the change in life. In any case, from this point on Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, took the lead in the apostolic ministry all the way. The filling with the Holy Spirit here is the outward filling for power, as in 2:4; 4:8, 31; and 9:17.
According to 13:10, Paul said to Elymas the magician, “O son of the Devil, full of all deceit and all villainy, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” The straight way is the way of truth and the way of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:2,15,21).
Acts 13:11 and 12 conclude, “And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And instantly a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what took place, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” Elymas the magician was punished and put to shame. Then the Lord showed His straight way to the proconsul, and the proconsul believed and was saved. As a result, a testimony was raised up in that locality.