WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

ACTS 13:1-13

NASB

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

13:9 [a]Or having just been filled 

NLT

1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”[*]), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas[*]), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. 5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.

6 Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means 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.

9 Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.

12 When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

13 Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.

[13:1a] Greek who was called Niger.   [13:1b] Greek Herod the tetrarch.  

Maintaining a balance between optimism and realism can be difficult anywhere, but especially in ministry. Idealism can’t survive long in a world characterized by hardship, difficulty, and disappointment —not unless we live in denial, anyway. But even though we should forever remove from our minds the notion that once a person becomes a Christian hard times are over, we can’t afford to live by Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Christians —especially those in vocational Christian service —must maintain what might be called a healthy idealism.

Unhealthy idealism is what you commonly see in brides and grooms prior to the wedding day. They marry with great, high, beautiful, idealistic hopes about marriage, their mates, and the home, only to melt down at the first significant challenge. Men who plan to take large families on camping trips tend to be idealistic in an unhealthy way. Fresh-faced university graduates who descend the platform with degree in hand and a chest full of ambition often enter the workforce with unhealthy idealism, only to crash and burn after the first few rejections.

Healthy idealism, on the other hand, expects to achieve its goals even as it anticipates difficulties, challenges, and setbacks. This is not a Pollyanna kind of dreamy optimism; this is a confidence in the power and sovereignty of God to overcome anything. Jesus promised that His followers’ path to glory would be strewn with heartache, suffering, persecution, and injustice; consequently, healthy idealism interprets difficulty as confirmation that the current path leads to victory. As the venerable F. B. Meyer wrote,

Think it not strange, child of God, concerning the fiery trial that tries thee, as though some strange thing had happened. Rejoice! For it is a sure sign that thou art on the right track. If in an unknown country, I am informed that I must pass through a valley where the sun is hidden, or over a stony bit of road, to reach my abiding-place —when I come to it, each moment of shadow or jolt of the carriage tells me that I am on the right road. So when a child of God passes through affliction he is not surprised.[116]

The Lord did not promise to keep us from suffering (John 16:33); He promised to sustain us through suffering (Rom. 8:28-39), so that every experience will become God’s means of creating in us a greater capacity for joy with each passing day. If you haven’t discovered the Lord’s supernatural use for suffering, you will continue to struggle with disillusionment, perhaps wondering who’s at fault, you or God.

When Saul, Barnabas, and their team set out from Antioch, they had little idea of what they would confront. They knew only that they had been set apart for this work by the Holy Spirit. So, everyone departed home with a generous portion of optimism; the first leg of their journey, however, would reveal to everyone which kind of optimism each man possessed.

— 13:1-3 —

Luke begins this section of the narrative by calling attention to the leaders in the church of Antioch. Though great congregations can accomplish great things for the Lord, they need godly leaders to bring them together and to focus their efforts. Luke names five who were “prophets and teachers” (13:1) —two different gifts, two distinct offices working in harmony together to bring the word of God to the people and then to instruct them in how to apply it. God calls prophets to a ministry of “forth-telling,” which in the first century, before the New Testament Scriptures were written and circulated, included “foretelling” —providing new divine revelation that includes predictions of the future (11:28). God calls teachers to help individuals turn truth into action.

SYRIAN ANTIOCH

ACTS 13:1

Syrian Antioch (not to be confused with Pisidian Antioch) was the third largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, with close to one million residents at its peak. Seleucus I Nicator established the city around 300 BC to serve as the western capital of the Seleucid Empire.[117] To attract colonists, Seleucid generals granted land, titles, and citizenship to compensate Jewish mercenaries. By the time of Paul and Barnabas, Antioch had become a significant center of Jewish worship and culture.[118] As a result, the very large community of Jews attracted numerous Gentile converts to Judaism (known as proselytes), including Nicolas (6:5).

After the Romans conquered the region, Caesars Augustus and Tiberius invested in the city, with the help of Herod the Great, to make it the capital of the newly created province of Syria. Like Tarsus, it became an intersection of Eastern and Western civilization, but more in terms of commerce than education.[119] Unfortunately, the city also became a sometimes-turbulent intersection of good and bad influences. High art existed alongside brutal athletic games; monotheistic Judaism competed with numerous mystery religions. Worship of the Hebrew God attracted stable residents, while tourists came for orgiastic rites in the nearby attractive suburb of Daphne, the seat of a temple of Apollo.[120]

In this compost-like blend of East and West, good and bad, morality and depravity, the gospel germinated, took root, and flourished like a rose in a garbage dump. As the nation of Israel abdicated its privileged role in the divine plan, Syrian Antioch replaced Jerusalem as the center of church activity. It was from Antioch, not Jerusalem, that God raised up missionaries to push the boundaries of His kingdom westward across the Roman Empire.

These five prophets and teachers ministered faithfully in Antioch (13:1):

Outbound, Paul traveled from Antioch to Seleucia, to Salamis, to Paphos, to Perga, to Pisidian Antioch, to Iconium, to Lystra, to Derbe. Inbound, he traveled from Derbe, to Lystra, to Iconium, to Pisidian Antioch, to Attalia, to Antioch.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey. Paul’s journey began in Antioch, where he and Barnabas set off for the island of Cyprus. They traveled around Galatia through Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. From Derbe, they retraced their steps back to Antioch.

This diverse-yet-unified group of Christian leaders entered a season of fasting. During this time, they received instructions from the Lord to embark on an exciting new ministry (13:2). The Holy Spirit was specific enough to call Barnabas and Saul, but the task would be disclosed later. Not unlike the Lord’s call of Abram, “Go forth from your country . . . to the land which I will show you” (Gen. 12:1), He gave the men enough information to take the first step. After they responded in obedience, God would reveal the information they needed next in due time.

The elders of this church “laid their hands” on the two men (Acts 13:3), like the Jerusalem church had laid hands on the seven (6:1-6). Through the “laying on of hands,” the leaders said, in effect, “We endorse you and authorize you to carry out this mission on our behalf; we go with you in spirit as we pray for you here at home.”

— 13:4-5 —

Luke deliberately ties the action of the church in the laying-on-of-hands ceremony to the commissioning of the Holy Spirit. They are, in fact, complementary acts; one goes with the other.

Saul and Barnabas traveled 14 miles down the Orontes River to catch a ship from Seleucia to Cyprus (13:4). Barnabas undoubtedly knew his island homeland like the back of his hand. Lush with crops and rich with minerals and precious metals, this became a favorite stopover for merchant ships sailing the Mediterranean Sea. Situated just 60 miles off the Syrian coast, it became a refuge for Jews hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The Apocrypha notes settlements there during the Maccabean Revolt (1 Macc. 15:23), and when Caesar granted copper mines to Herod the Great, more people undoubtedly sought work there.[121] So, it comes as no surprise that several synagogues dotted the island. During the persecution that followed the martyrdom of Stephen, some Christians took refuge on Cyprus (Acts 11:19).

Barnabas and Saul didn’t travel alone; they brought with them an unknown number of assistants. As a kind of “by the way” comment, Luke states that the group included John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10) and the son of Mary, in whose home the congregation in Jerusalem gathered to pray for Peter (Acts 12:12).

— 13:6-8 —

The team traveled from Salamis, a significant harbor city on the eastern end of the island, to Paphos on the western end, a journey of about 90 miles, encouraging congregations of believers and preaching in synagogues along the way. Paphos first became famous when mythology set the city as the first home of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, after she was born from sea foam.[122] When the Romans annexed Cyprus in 58 BC and later made the island its own province, Paphos became the seat of the military government.[123] At the time of this visit by Saul and Barnabas, a proconsul by the name of Sergius Paulus governed (13:7).

PAUL’S TRAVELING COMPANIONS

ACTS 13:1

Paul rarely traveled or ministered alone. In fact, he almost always traveled with a fellow minister and a number of helpers, younger men we might today call interns. He did this for two important reasons. First, no one traveled between cities alone. Highway robberies were so common that even small groups of travelers would delay their itineraries to join larger caravans, which provided the greatest safety against bandits. Second, Paul —like all teachers of his era —selected and trained disciples to perpetuate his evangelistic and teaching ministry.

Luke’s narrative style in Acts doesn’t make the presence of fellow travelers obvious; he typically mentions specific names only when the narrative makes them necessary. For example, in 15:40, he begins his account of Paul’s second missionary journey by stating that “Paul chose Silas and left.” Then, because the narrative focuses on Paul, Luke refers to him in the third person singular as though he were alone. “And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (15:41, emphasis mine). Luke does not mention Silas again until the two men are arrested in Philippi (16:19), even though Silas undoubtedly remained with Paul throughout the journey. The same is true of Timothy, who joined Paul in Galatia on his second journey but rarely appears in the narrative thereafter.

Most curious of all is the fact that Titus appears nowhere in Acts, even though this Gentile Christian appears to have been an aide to Paul from the very beginning. After Paul and Barnabas returned from the first missionary journey, they traveled to the Jerusalem Council with “some others” (15:2), a delegation that included both circumcised and uncircumcised believers. When describing the Jerusalem Council to the Galatians, Paul specifically mentioned Titus (Gal. 2:1, 3), strongly suggesting they knew him, perhaps as an unnamed helper on that expedition. This disciple also served as an envoy to Corinth during Paul’s second journey. He most likely left from Ephesus (2 Cor. 12:18) when he went to reconnect with Paul somewhere in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13). Why Luke never mentions Titus remains a mystery.

Regardless, clues scattered throughout the New Testament reveal a growing entourage of disciples in addition to Timothy and Titus. The sudden appearance of Erastus of Corinth on Paul’s third journey (Acts 19:22) implies that he joined the apostle on his second journey and had been with him ever since. In that same passage, Gaius and Aristarchus also emerge from the narrative chorus to receive brief mention. The phrase “Paul’s traveling companions” (19:29) alludes to a group of men dedicated to serving as helpers. Apparently, Paul recruited these two while passing through Macedonia on his second journey and they had “ministered to him” ever since. Luke also names a sizable entourage returning with Paul to Jerusalem at the end of his third journey: “He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia” (20:4).

We don’t know when these other men joined Paul. He may have picked them up in their respective cities on his second and third journeys. We only know for certain they became his traveling companions before leaving Corinth, most likely recruited to help evangelize the western frontier as far as Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28) after visiting Jerusalem.

During Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, he would mention other men who had been his helpers for some time. These include Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25; Col. 4:12; Phlm. 1:23), John Mark (Col. 4:10), and Demas (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:10; Phlm. 1:24). Of course, Paul added Luke on his return from the third missionary journey, the physician who most likely remained at the apostle’s side until the end of his life in Rome roughly eight or nine years later (Acts 27:1–28:16; Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Phlm. 1:24).

A proconsul usually reported directly to those in the Senate, who endowed him with absolute military and judicial power over a province. Proconsuls usually served a limited term as part of their political climb up the ranks, the next level being consul.[124] In other words, Sergius Paulus was a high-ranking official in the Roman government.

While the proconsul was a “man of intelligence,” he nevertheless kept a Jewish magician as an advisor (13:7-8). Being a “magician” (magos [3097]) didn’t necessarily mean one dabbled in witchcraft or communicated with the dead. The Greek term magos is the same term Matthew uses of the men from the east (“magi”) who came to worship the infant Christ (Matt. 2:1-12) and referred to a class of Persian priests who made Babylon their center of learning. Their education blended legitimate science with pagan superstition, so as experts in astronomy, they practiced astrology. They were not unlike medieval alchemists.

Unlike Simon of Samaria, who “was practicing magic (mageuō [3096]) in the city and astonishing the people” (Acts 8:9), Bar-Jesus appears to have been a highly educated man as well as an expert in astrology, interpretation of dreams, and divination using the occult. But this is hardly better than Simon Magus of Samaria; indeed, Luke calls him a false prophet (pseudoprophētēs [5578]), one who claims to speak for God yet has no divine connection.

His name is a mixture of influences. Bar-Jesus (Bariēsous [919]) blends the Aramaic prefix bar [H1247], which means “son of,” and Iesus [2424], the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua [H3091]. The designation, Elymas (Elymas [1681]), appears to be an Arabic title meaning “sage” or “seer.” All of this suggests he was widely traveled, having devoted much of his life to the study of the occult.

The proconsul had summoned Saul and Barnabas to preach, undoubtedly knowing something about their message. Given the company he kept, he may have been what we today call a “seeker,” someone on a personal quest for spiritual truth. As the two men addressed the proconsul, however, Bar-Jesus argued against their teaching.

— 13:9-12 —

For the first time in this narrative, Luke calls Saul of Tarsus by the name we all know: Paul. The Greek name is Paulos [3972], a Roman surname that basically means “small.” From this point on, Luke uses the name Paul, suggesting that in this confrontation with personified evil, the apostle came into his own. The scene is a fitting metaphor for Paul’s ministry in the coming years: a Hebrew of Hebrews preaching the gospel to a quintessential Gentile, who desperately wanted to know divine truth —meanwhile, the voice of falsehood literally talking in his other ear.

Paul broke off the discussion to address the false prophet directly (13:10). The word translated “deceit” comes from a Greek term describing the work of a con artist, someone who takes advantage of others using underhanded schemes. The Greek word for “fraud” is actually less severe than the English term. In the words of one dictionary, the expression “suggests an easygoing approach to things in contrast to serious acceptance of responsibilities: ‘frivolity’ (the trickery of slaves is a common theme in Greek and Roman comedy).”[125] Taking all of these insults together, we see that Paul characterized the man as a villainous buffoon from a bad comedy. The charges “son of the devil” and “enemy of all righteousness,” however, are much more serious. Bar-Jesus could be translated “son of salvation,” so the epithet “son of the devil” is a deep, sarcastic dig at the man’s identity. In terms of character, the man was a pathetic caricature of a “son of salvation”; in terms of morality, none could have represented evil more thoroughly.

Paul’s question, “Will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” draws from an old Hebrew expression to indicate a double meaning. The idea of making straight the way of the Lord recalls the exhortation of Isaiah to welcome the Messiah (Isa. 40:3; cf. Mal. 3:1). It was a cultural image the proconsul would have understood, though he would not likely have known the words of Isaiah. In ancient times, a city prepared for the arrival of a king or dignitary by upgrading the road leading into town. Obstacles and debris were cleared away, potholes filled in, landscaping completed. Whereas John the Baptizer had prophesied to prepare others for the arrival of the Messiah (Luke 3:4), Bar-Jesus created obstacles.

The expression also had a figurative element. The Hebrews often used “straight” and “crooked” to mean “righteous” and “unrighteous” or “moral” versus “immoral.” God had sent Paul and Barnabas to clear the way for Christ to save the Gentiles, yet this Jewish false prophet littered His path with deception and unrighteousness.

Having indicted Bar-Jesus, Paul pronounced God’s judgment upon him. The man who blinded others through his deceit became physically blind (Acts 13:11). This, believe it or not, was an act of grace on the part of the Lord on two counts. First, the false prophet deserved to die. As a Jew, he knew better. He had access to divine truth through the Scriptures, which he rejected in favor of pagan mysteries. Second, he was going blind only “for a time.” To confront the wayward Hebrew seer, God struck him with the same affliction that had seized Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Saul had become Paul. How would Bar-Jesus respond?

Whatever the false prophet’s response, Sergius Paulus believed! Seeing Bar-Jesus struck blind helped break the stalemate in his mind, and he embraced the gospel. Notably, he wasn’t “amazed” by the supernatural event as much as the teaching Paul and Barnabas brought (13:12). After this incident, we hear nothing more of the Roman official.

— 13:13 —

Paul and the team departed Paphos to continue their journey. They sailed north to the coastal region known as Pamphylia, a traditional haunt for pirates who preyed on merchant ships bound for Syria and Phoenicia.[126] Before Pompey finally established control in 67 BC, piracy had become something of a cottage industry in Perga, creating a melting pot of cultural misfits and scoundrels. Even though Pamphylia no longer represented a significant threat to safety on the waters, land travel was another matter. A rim of high mountains isolated the coastal plain of Pamphylia from the interior. The plan of Paul and Barnabas to reach Pisidian Antioch presented the danger of robbery or a severe accident in the craggy terrain.[127] In addition, the hot, humid climate in Pamphylia would have been miserable in early summer.

All that to say: The honeymoon was over! The team had enjoyed great success on Cyprus, the very pleasant island known intimately by Barnabas. The large Jewish population had offered plenty of hospitality along the journey, which concluded with the dramatic conversion of a high-ranking Gentile. From Perga onward, the going would get tough. For reasons Luke doesn’t reveal, John Mark abruptly abandoned the team and sailed for home (13:13). Perhaps the journey had proved too difficult or precarious. Maybe he dealt with some kind of illness or nursed an injury. Did he disagree with Paul’s ministry methods? Did he get homesick and long for Jerusalem? To attempt to answer the question of why John Mark left would be pure speculation. In any case, Luke doesn’t dwell on the matter. He merely includes Mark’s departure before describing the team’s ministry in Pisidian Antioch. Later in the narrative, John Mark’s decision will prove to be a pivotal event in the ministries of Paul and Barnabas (15:36-40).

APPLICATION: ACTS 13:1-13

The Tough Get Going

Pardon the cliché, but it’s true: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Not only is that classic halftime pep talk, it describes the reason some fail to survive ministry challenges while others thrive. Based on my observation of Paul’s ministry, coupled with my own experience over the past fifty years of pulpit ministry, here are two principles to apply.

First, there can be no accomplishment without determination. It’s a fact of life —and an even bigger fact of ministry. Standing between you and your objectives is a mountain range of obstacles, difficulties, dangers, and discouragement. Critics hide in the hollows of that treacherous land, waiting to steal your enthusiasm. Unhealthy idealism will set you up for utter disillusionment, which will make you believe that the reward isn’t worth the risk. Healthy idealism never loses sight of the objective, even as it accounts for inevitable difficulties. To the healthy idealist, the goal makes any amount of suffering worthwhile.

David Livingston, the quintessential healthy idealist, famously said, “I determined never to stop until I had come to the end and achieved my purpose.”[128]

Second, there is no burden too heavy for Christ to carry. That gives the Christian an edge that others can’t claim. We do not bear our burdens or face our trials or endure our suffering alone. We have the Spirit of God within and the supernatural power of God at work in all circumstances. If God has called you to cross the foreboding peaks of Pamphylia, the valleys of which churn with danger, don’t turn back. He doesn’t send you alone. On the eve of His own suffering, Jesus prayed for us, saying,

“Now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:13-21)