Context
Barnabas was actually named Joseph but called after his gift of encouragement. He had embraced the born-again Saul and brought him to Antioch, a major Greek city which had responded well to the gospel. Saul and Barnabas travelled together from Antioch to Jerusalem on a mission to give aid to the Christians there during a famine that had been prophesied.
Peter had been arrested in Jerusalem but rescued by an angel from God. He went immediately from the prison to the house of John, also called Mark.
Observation
Structure
- 12:25 – Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch with Mark
- 13:1-3 – Barnabas and Saul set apart by God
- 13:4-5 – Arriving at Salamis
- 13:6-12 – Titles, names and deceit
12:25 – Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch with Mark
“…they return from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.” This single verse redirects our attention to the mission of Jesus Christ outside of Jerusalem. They began their mission in Antioch and so now they are returning to that city. They bring Mark along with them. The verse is very straightforward and serves to change scenes for us but also introduces a theme of name-changing. John is the English version of the Hebrew Johanan (with a soft J like Y) which means: ‘Yahweh has shown grace.’ Mark is a Latin name from Marcus. It was not uncommon for Jews to also adopt a Greek or Roman name.
13:1-3 – Barnabas and Saul set apart by God
“…prophets and teachers…” The former gift offers new information from the Lord while the latter expounds or instructs from what God has said. As noted in previous blogs, the gift of prophecy is prevalent in the New Testament times (as in the Old) but faded as the scriptures were written and available. We’re told here that there were ample people of God feeding and encouraging the church in Antioch. What follows is the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul to leave that church and spread the gospel abroad.
“worshiping the Lord and fasting…” It’s very encouraging to read that the Christians worshipped the Lord. Our primary goal as Christians is to worship the Lord. We do this out of joy and knowledge of who He is and who we are in Him. We worship by daily offering ourselves as a living sacrifice and we come together to lift one another’s eyes to the truth about Jesus who is our hope. Fasting is not part of our church vision or purpose or practice statements. It is best understood as setting a time aside to focus on prayer and meditation on the word of God. This can be accomplished by skipping meals or not eating for a time. It is not a time of rest but a time of concentration and devotion to God. Some might fast by abstaining from other things. The point here is that the believers were devoted to God and seeking his guidance. The notion of fasting ought not be overlooked by us today. It is commendable to take deliberate steps to focus on God.
“…they place their hands on them and sent them off.” This was a visible and unifying act, like communion or baptism or marriage, where the community showed their support, agreement and commendation to commit their brothers to the work of God. Rather than remaining in Antioch where the believers were growing and being fed, these two were set apart by the calling of God to travel and preach the gospel. It’s one thing to seek the Lord and go and follow, it’s quite another to do it in the company and unity of the church. Barnabas and Saul were not heading off to be lone rangers.
13:4-5 – Arriving at Salamis
“They proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.” Well, firstly, there were Jews living on the island of Salamis. This tells us that Jews were not stationed only in the promised land and seeking to inhabit there but were living abroad. This is due, in part, to the scattering of their nation over the previous 1000 years. The synagogue was a place of congregating for encouragement and learning from the scriptures – but not a place for sacrifice. It was not a temple. But Barnabas and Saul began their mission amongst people who already new Yahweh and were being introduced to Yahweh’s Messiah.
13:6-12 – Titles, names and deceit
“Bar-Jesus…Elymas…child of the devil.” The first name means son of Jesus or Joshua. He would not have been claiming descendancy from Jesus of Nazareth since Jesus was a common name. Although he was a Jewish prophet, he was a false prophet and a sorcerer or magician – not the sort that asks you to pick a card but the sort that conjures up help from the spiritual world. Luke tells us that the word Elymas means magician or sorcerer (v8) and this is how the man was often named. Saul names him a son of the devil. You have to see the contrast between “Bar-Jesus” and son of the devil! Saul rebukes the man for his entire life of deceit and trickery, perverting the ways of the Lord. He aligned himself with the people of God but was in every way a slave to satan.
“…Saul, who was also called Paul…” Again, the Hebrew name is replaced with a Greek one and the name ‘Saul’ is no longer used in the book of Acts except when retelling the Damascus road incident. Saul has begun a life-long ministry now to the Gentile world (which was Hellenistic).
“You are going to be blind for a time…” Paul curses Elymas with a similar curse he had received himself by Jesus. We are not told what became of Elymas after the darkness was lifted but perhaps he also turned to Christ. If he didn’t then he would remain blind even though he can see.
“The proconsul saw what had happened, he believed…” The proconsul was a Roman official placed in charge of a foreign city in the name of Rome. He had been interested in the Jewish ways and so had invited Elymas into his council. He didn’t hesitate to invite Paul and Barnabas to teach him the word of God either. It seems he was an intelligent man who wanted to seek the truth and, although satan had his ear for a while, the truth-seeking led him to Christ. And so, the gospel has reached foreign soil yet again but this time a high official in the Roman world has received Jesus as Lord.
Meaning
Names and titles are nothing. A child of satan can call himself anything he likes, he will still be a child of satan, full of deceit and corruption. A child of God’s can also change his name to better fit his audience, but he will remain a child of God who brings the word of God to people’s ears and hearts. I recall Paul’s commentary of his method for changing the things that don’t matter for the sake of what really matters…
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Co 9:19–23)
Application
- Those who are children of God will love the truth and the word of God while those who are children of the devil will thrive in deceit and corruption and will oppose the word of God. You won’t tell them by their names or what they wear but by how they respond to the word of God. Are you conscious of this? Some of the nicest people around will still show their true colours when confronted with Jesus and the word of God.
- Standing up for the word of God. In what ways do you think we can and should stand up for the word of God? Can you think of when and where and how this might happen?