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Elymas – Acts 13
Elymas – Acts 13
The Proconsul was an ‘intelligent man’ (Acts 13:7 NASB95). He sought ‘counsel’ and even recognized that such counsel included the idea of wisdom from ‘the gods’.
Enter Elymas. There will always be someone who will take advantage of opportunities, particularly opportunities that connect one to those in ‘power’ and ‘authority’. What we learn about this man.
His Hebrew name – ‘Bar-Jesus’. Bar = ‘son of’. This basically functioned as a last name identifier. ‘Jesus’ was in fact a rather common name, much like it is used in Spanish speaking cultures today. Yet, in the 1st century Jewish world it has its roots in ‘Joshua’ – Jehovah Saves.
He was Jewish – as indicated both by Luke’s description and his name. Many Jewish people were Jewish by ethnicity and were not faithful children of Abraham. As Paul later wrote, ‘not all of Israel are OF Israel.” (Romans 9:6).
He was a prophet – a self-proclaimed prophet. He claimed to be able to reveal the will of God (or perhaps the gods?).
He was a ‘magician’. This is the same word for ‘magi’ back in Matthew 2. Here is fits the definition of Strong: “1c a false prophet and sorcerer.” How does one pawn himself off as a spokesman for God (or the gods)? How do you ‘authenticate’ yourself? A ‘Sign’, but in this case the signs were FAKE. This reminds us of the earlier ‘magician’ in Acts 8. He could perform ‘tricks’ but could NOT produce an actual miraculous event, AND he immediately knew the difference! Neither could this magician!
He was called ‘Elymas’ – which was a translation of his Hebrew name. The Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon stated: 1 the Arabic name of the Jewish magnus or sorcerer Barjesus, Act 13:6. Additional Information: Elymas = “a wise man”.
He opposed Paul, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Truth will find resistance! We saw this in the parable of the sower in Luke 8. Thus, it often takes more than a ‘first hearing’ for people to come to faith in Jesus and the gospel message.
In such opposition, he is said to be “full of all deceit and fraud, a son of the devil, an enemy of all righteousness, and one who does not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord.” (vs. 10). WOW! But notice, this was an inspired declaration, the result of Paul being ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’.
He was then struck blind for a time! We don’t know if such changed the mind of Elymas about Jesus, God, Paul, and the gospel, BUT it did have such an effect upon the proconsul Sergius Paulus – for he ‘believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord” (vs. 12).
We thus see the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus to the apostles (including Paul now – a chosen instrument of Jesus), They not only had their message REVEALED to them by the Holy Spirit, such message was ‘confirmed’ as the very word of God by the miraculous signs that were worked in connection with such men.
THEN, Paul moves on. Our information concerning these two men ends. Did the proconsul remain a faithful disciple? Did Elymas continue to oppose the gospel? While we do NOT know about them, the real question is how does this testimony of what happened affect YOU?
Hugh DeLong
