Day 1132: Forgiveness for mistakes - Acts 13 vs 1 - 13

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3-4 And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

5-7 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper. They travelled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, a man of intelligence, summoned Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

9-11 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord? Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. 13 After setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. Acts 13:1-13 Berean Study Bible

Today we get a glimpse into the life of the early Church. Apart from the other gifts of the Spirit, such as serving, encouraging, giving and showing mercy, (Romans 12:7-8), there were also prophets and teachers. And they also gave themselves to fasting alongside their worship. Many a Church today could take a leaf from their book! They certainly had clearer directions from the Holy Spirit who called Barnabas and Saul to be missionaries. And so they went to Cyprus. Not to holiday, but to spread the word of Jesus.

Cyprus was an island, some 140 miles by 40 miles, in the Mediterranean sea, and was given the name Kypros by the Greeks, which meant 'land of Cypress trees'. And from Acts 4:36 we know it was the original home of Barnabas. We're not told much of the results of their labours, but Luke does highlight an incident that took place when they reached Paphos.

We may remember that when the gospel came to Samaria, a sorcerer professed conversion, but later asked Peter to sell him the power to pass on the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. And Peter had sternly rebuked him and told him he was still “poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.” (Acts 8:23) Now we see that as the gospel spread, it was opposed by another man who practised sorcery. Let Christians have nothing to do with sorcery, and the dark things of Satan. And so, for a time, Saul, now called Paul, lets the man be overcome by the darkness he had been spreading through his false prophecies.

But the proconsul, a man of intelligence, wanted to hear the word of God, and was converted. Writing to the Corinthians Paul said; “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'” The gospel is indeed widely receievd by ordinary people, but it doesn't mean that intelligent people cannot become Christians too.

Sadly, after sailing from Paphos to Perga, John left the mission and returned to Jerusalem. It was an act that later separated Barnabas and Paul. But, in God's grace, it was not the last we hear of John, whose other name was Mark. Oh the wonder of God's grace that forgives even our mistakes and our failures.