OPPOSITION AT PAPHOS
Acts 13:6-12
My brothers and sisters life is full of opposition. Even in the smallest of things such as playing your favorite game or choosing a place of worship there will always be someone who will oppose you. Even in nature we find something called law of gravity that prevents us from floating away, it is the opposition of gravitational pull against weightlessness. If you put your hand out the window of your car while it is in motion, you will discover the law of resistence, and in this text we see the law of human nature, the good verses the bad. As assured as you are living, there is hardly a day that goes by that someone will not oppose something we say or do. Just this week I was opposed by someone because of my thoughts on the way the media influences people to believe that everything they say is true, in particular I was referring to the Barry Bonds accusations. The point I would like to make is that you will be opposed in one way or another. In our last lesson, we covered Barnabas and Saul, being set apart for missionary work. I can imagine some in the group who probably thought that they were as qualified for the mission as those who were chosen, but it was the Holy Spirit that chose Barnabas and Saul to do the work. We noted how the church, including the prophets and the teachers of the Way were ministering to the Lord through their worship and fasting. They were desiring to hear from the Lord concerning their next ministry action. As they were in worship the Holy Spirit spoke and told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for a work that he had called them for. So after fasting and praying once again they laid their hands on them and the Holy Spirit led them in their missionary work to Seleucia, then to Cyprus. Now the isle of Cyprus was the home land of Barnabas who lived in the city of Salamis. And it was in Salamis that they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. In reading verse five it caused me to wonder if the Gospel was accepted there or not because the text didn’t share the results of the preaching experience.
In this lesson while still on the island of Cyprus, they moved from Salamis to the city of Paphos. It is in this lesson that we will witness the first bit of opposition that these men of God would face as missionaries and that opposition will come from a man who was a sorcerer, a false prophet, and a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus.
So, let’s investigate the opposition that these Spirit led men of God will face in this text.
First of all we see . . .
1. TWO WORTHY OPPONENTS(Vv.6&7)
“And when they had gone through the isle unto Pathos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7. Who was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.”
The first thing we should note in the text is two worthy opponents. Their names were Bar-Jesus and Sergius Paulus, one a Jew, the other working toward his Roman citizenship. First let’s deal with Bar-Jesus. His character was nothing like his name. He was a sorcerer and a false prophet. The first three letters were Syrian which meant “son,” It came from his father whose name was Jesus or Joshua. In this country we use a suffix “Jr or the III.” In the text they used the prefix “Bar.” It simply meant the son of Jesus or Joshua. Without reservation we should note that the name Jesus was a common name during that time and he was not a relative of our blessed Savior. The text described him as a sorcerer, false prophet, and a Jew. Now although he was Jewish, he did things that a devout Jew dared not do and that was to deal in the black art of sorcery. But as we look at this text we see that Bar-Jesus was an attendant of one named Sergius Paulus who was the proconsul or governor of the country that was appointed by the emperor. It was Paulus who desired to hear the word of God. Now the text described him as a prudent man, and the word prudent here in the text meant “intelligent or wise.” He was the country’ resident philosopher, and had a yearning to know things and his intent to hear the gospel coming from Saul and Barnabas was at first to gain knowledge of what he deemed as truth more so than to gain eternal life. Together they had their own motives. Bar-Jesus as a sorcerer and false prophet had the motive to influence and to deceive Sergius Paulus to think that he had the gift of prophecy. And Sergius Paulus’ motive was to be knowledgeable of all things so that it would aid him in impressing those that were in the halls of knowledge.
Secondly we see . . .
2. WHO STOOD BETWEEN THE SEEKER AND THOSE WHO WERE SOUGHT (V.8)
“But Elymus, the sorcerer (for so his name by interpretation), withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.”
Elymus or Bar-Jesus as he is also known is one that is found standing between Sergius Paulus and the men of God he had sought. Elymus had heard what had happened in Antioch and throughout the region. He had also heard and possibly witnessed what could happen when a person hears the word of God. So it was his intent to stand in the way of Sergius Paulus and the men of God. He knew that you just didn’t hear the powerful word of God and continue the way you were, he suspected that upon hearing the word, your life would be renewed. In fact he heard and probably experienced seeing men’ lives changed simply by hearing the Gospel. So, as the text directs us to notice, he withstood Barnabas and Saul, hoping to turn away the deputy from what could potentially happen. I like how the N. L.T. read. It said; “But Elymus the sorcerer (as his name mean in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.”
Elymus by being a Jew had heard the stories about Jesus and how he spoke against the traditions of the Jewish religion, so he had drawn his conclusion that Jesus was not the Son of God but one who spoke blasphemous word about being the Messiah. So he tried to urge Sergius Paulus not to pay attention to what they were saying.
Throughout the week we experience people just like Elymus. They will ask you, Why you believe? Or if God is so omnipotent, Why is there so much suffering in the world? Or even ask you, What is the purpose of going to Church? They ask you these questions not because they want to know the answers but because they want to stand in the way of you having a richer relationship with the Lord.
So, Elymus knew that the deputy Sergius Paulus life would change if he payed attention to this dynamic duo.
Finally we see . . .
3. THE RIGHTEOUS OVERCOMING THE UNRIGHTEOUS (Vv.9-11)
“Then Saul (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, 10. And said, O full of all deceit and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by hand.”
Finally we see the Holy Spirit standing up in Paul. Elymus’ had stood in the way long enough. In this text we will see the power of God over powering the will of evil men. The text said that Paul “fixed his eyes on him.” In other words Paul had taken all he cares to take from Elymus. And what followed lets us know that he was a man that was not to be fooled with. In this instance Paul reminds me of Popeye the sailor. Whenever Bluto would interfere with the relationship between Popeye and his girl Olive, in fact he would give Popeye a serious beat down. But Popeye would finally say in his beat down state, “I’ve taken all I can stand and I canst take no more.” Paul had taken all he could take, and he looked him in the eye and spoke the convicting truth to Elymus. He called it like it really was, he didn’t call him out of his name, he simply identified who Elymus really was. And that was not all he did he spoke blindness into Elymus life for interfering with God’s program. I tell you evil will never outlast righteousness. Some might appear to be doing right but if they stand in the way in what the Lord wants done, righteousness will always stand as the victor.
CONCLUSION
Well I want you to know before I take my seat. Paul had spoken a powerful verdict to Elymus’ life and the text said that Elymus went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. I tell you, no one can stop what God has in store for you. A popular song says, “What God has for me, it is for me” and God had something for Serigus Paulus that he himself did not ask for, all he wanted was to hear Paul’s version of the truth, and ended up believing in the Gospel of truth. But it took Paul taking all he cared to take from Elymus to get him there.
Getting back to the illustration of Popeye the Sailor. After Popeye would say, “I’ve taken all that I can stand and I canst stands no more.” He would reach down into his shirt and pull out some spinach from which his power comes and when he pulls his spinach out, Popeye’s victory song starts to play and he would emerge victorious over Bluto.
That is what Paul did, after taking all he cared to take from Elymus he reached for what was in him and got some Holy Ghost power and his victory song started (There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb) and Paul emerged victorious over Elymus. That is what we have to do in dealing with the enemy. We have to first say like Popeye, “I’ve taken all I can stand, and I canst stand no more.” Then reach for who empowers you. Then sing our victory song (I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from Glory, How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning, Then I repented of my sins and won the victory)
You do know who empowers don’t you.
Some calls Him the Rose of Sharon,
Some calls Him our bright and morning star,
But I like to call Him JESUS!
And if you are having Elymus problems just reach for whose is in you. Because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
