Atos 13

Atos 13

Piper comments on the fact that this Roman ruler of Cyprus sought to hear the word of God writing "This is amazing. He is the ruler of all Cyprus. These missionaries are absolute nobodies in the Roman world. They have no human authority. They have no political standing. They have no world ecclesiastical body behind them. They are unknowns. But they are called by God, sent by God, and now it is God that, against all odds, has gotten them a hearing on their first mission with the governor of the whole island of Cyprus. It's like Cornelius all over again. A pagan who wants to hear the Word of God. And God—through worship and fasting—calls nobodies from Antioch to make the connection." (As an aside, the transcript is not verbatim and does not convey the passion Piper expresses in the audible proclamation (Listen at about 12 minutes in the audio = The Straight Paths of the Lord: Acts 13:1–12) Kent Hughes (and a number of other commentators) writes "Sir William Ramsay reports that inscriptions bearing Sergius Paulus’ name have been found on Cyprus confirming that he was a Christian and that his entire family became Christians." (Preaching the Word - Acts) Acts 13:8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. (NASB95) KJV Acts 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. for so his name is translated Acts 13:6; 9:36; John 1:41 was opposing them Exodus 7:11-13; 1 Kings 22:24; Jeremiah 28:1,10,11; 29:24-32; 2 Timothy 3:8; 4:14,15 Acts 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SATANIC OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL NOT A POSSIBILITY BUT A CERTAINTY It bears repeating Forewarned is forearmed! Expect it. Be prayerfully prepared as these missionaries were by being Word centered and Spirit driven. As someone has well said "When you open heaven you also open hell!" Jack Arnold - The church today is still in a battle for the minds and souls of men. The church has always faced, and will always face, Satanic opposition when the gospel is preached, for it is penetrating into Satan's kingdom of darkness. The enemies of the gospel try to keep the gospel away from people, and if they cannot keep it away, they try through ridicule and social pressure, to keep people from committing their lives to Christ. Satanic opposition is real, but God is greater than Satan and He will push back the forces of darkness. (The Blessings, Burdens and Blunders of Missionaries) But - An important term of contrast. What is Luke contrasting? In context it is the Word of God (Acts 13:7), the Gospel which is able to save the soul of Sergius and was proclaimed by Saul and Barnabas versus Elymas opposition to the Gospel and his attempts to dissuade Sergius Paulus. This is a classic battle of spiritual forces in the heavenlies. This is the classic clash of two kingdoms, and do not forget that it is a clash that repeats every time we share the Gospel! Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) - Elymas the magician (sorcerer, see magos). The name "magician" is somewhat misleading because this term does not refer to magicians as we normally think of today where magic is performed for entertainment. The magicians most Americans are familiar with are those that practice some form of illusion which has nothing to do with the supernatural world. As Wikipedia says this form of magic "is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by staged tricks or illusions of seemingly impossible feats using natural means." Wikipedia has a lengthy description of "supernatural magic" which would be closer to what Elymas the magician practiced. For example, Wikipedia says that especially during the Middle Ages "Christian authors categorised a diverse range of practices—such as enchantment, witchcraft, incantations, divination, necromancy, and astrology—under the label magic." In fact, Dr John MacArthur feels that Acts 13:8 gives us virtually a descriptive definition of the "occult." (Sermon) Translated (3177)(methermeneuo from meta = after, with + hermeneuo = translate, interpret) means literally to translate with and thus to translate from one language to another. The KJV translates it as "interpreted" (or "interpretation") which is accurate. Methermeneuo - 8x in 8v - Matt. 1:23; Mk. 5:41; Mk. 15:22; Mk. 15:34; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:41; Acts 4:36; Acts 13:8. No uses in the Septuagint. Was opposing them - "Opposing" is the first word in the Greek sentence which emphasizes the intensity of Elymas' opposition and the imperfect tense signifies that Elmas kept up his attempts to oppose Barnabas and Saul. Yes, he was "opposing" these two men, but in actuality he as Satan's messenger was opposing God's messengers, God's Word (Gospel) and ultimately God Himself! Guess who wins this spiritual battle? It is interesting that Luke used the same word (anthistemi) to describe trying to argue with Stephen, Luke recording "they were not able to resist (anthistemi) the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke." (Act 6:10NET+) The apostles had received the promise from their Lord before His crucifixion (and they surely passed this encouraging, soul strengthening truth to other believers including Barnabas, Saul and Stephen) "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves, for (term of explanation) I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents (antikeimai) will be able (will absolutely not have the dunamai, the supernatural power) to resist (anthistemi) or refute (anteipon)." (Lk 21:14,15+) Bar-Jesus saw the missionaries as a threat to his prestige and livelihood. Opposing (436)(anthistemi from anti = against + histemi = to cause to stand) is literally to stand or set against. To set one's self against. Anthistemi means to arrange in battle against an opponent and thus pictures a face to face confrontation so to speak. It resist by actively opposing pressure. It was used to refer to an army arranging in battle against the enemy force and so to array against. Paul uses anthistemi in the context of spiritual warfare like a commanding general calling the saints at Ephesus "Therefore, take up (aorist imperative - Do it now! It is urgent!) the full armor of God, so that (PURPOSE) you will be able (supernaturally) to resist (anthistemi) in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." (Eph 6:13+) THOUGHT - It is well to remember the lesson of these verses. Leading someone to Christ is not merely an academic exercise, nor is it a matter of making a successful sales pitch. Rather, it involves all-out war against the forces of hell. Saul and Barnabas battled Bar-Jesus for the soul of Sergius Paulus. (MacArthur) Seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith - Seeking is in the imperfect tense means Elymas was making repeated attempts to turn Sergius away from the faith, "the Gospel of (his) salvation" (cf Eph 1:13+). Is this not what Jesus alluded to in His Parable of the Soils, where He taught that the seed (the Word of God, Lk 8:11+) that fell beside the road (Lk 8:5+) would be taken away from the hearer's heart by the devil, so that the individual might not believe and be saved. (Lk 8:12+). Here, Elymas, "the son of the devil" (Acts 13:10) is seeking to do his father's work in the heart of Sergius Paulus! Seeking (2212)(zeteo) implies giving attention and priority to pursuing after. This henchman of Satan was intentionally, deliberately seeking to disrupt the work of the Gospel in the heart of Sergius. Such is the continual activity of the Devil and his emissaries for as Peter warned the saints "Be of sober spirit (aorist imperative - It is urgent!), be on the alert (aorist imperative). Your adversary, the devil, prowls around (present tense = continually) like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8+) Polhill points out that "One should not be all together surprised that a Roman official could be hoodwinked by such a figure. Romans put great stock in powers of divination and even had their own sacred oracles. Charlatans like Bar-Jesus were usually smooth and highly knowledgeable, practicing a sort of pseudo-science. His Jewish credentials did not hurt him either. The Jews had a reputation among the Romans for their antiquity and depth of religious knowledge (New American Commentary - Acts). Turn...away (1294)(diastrepho from dia = separation, in two, throughout + strépho = turn, English = diastrophism = the process of deformation that produces in the earth’s crust its continents and ocean basins) is literally to twist throughout or to distort. To turn different ways. Diastrepho conveys the basic idea of twisting or bending out of shape and was used in secular Greek in this literal sense to describe a piece of pottery that a careless craftsman had misshaped or that had somehow become distorted before being fired in the oven. Diastrepho is used metaphorically in the NT meaning to pervert or to distort. The idea is to cause one to depart from an accepted standard of oral or spiritual values. Luke uses diastrepho in Acts 13:10 in Saul's accusation of Elymas asking "will you not cease to make crooked (diastrepho) the straight ways of the Lord?" Luke uses diastrepho for the third time in Acts in Acts 20:30 in Paul's parting warning to the elders at the Ephesian church that "from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse (diastrepho) things, to draw away (tear away, drag away into error) the disciples after them." The faith - Faith can describe either (1) a person's trust in something (subjective sense) or (2) that thing in which the person trusts (objective sense). In the present context, Luke is describing that which the proconsul would put his trust or faith in, and thus describes the Gospel which is parallel with the phrase the word of God in Acts 13:7, the word that the proconsul sought to hear. The faith (pistis) is a specific phrase (definite article "the" plus "faith") found some 38x in the NASB, some instances referring to saving faith in Christ exercised by an individual and necessary for salvation. Approximately one-half of the 38 occurrences of the specific phrase the faith refer not to the ACT of believing but rather to WHAT is believed, the latter being the usage that the present context favors.