Success Pete Kersker - Jul 10, 2026 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God (Acts 13:6-7 NIV). Barnabas and Saul started in Antioch and travelled to the island of Cyprus: Barnabas' home. They started telling people about Jesus on the east end of the island, where there were many Jewish synagogues. They continued through the island to the west side, where the Roman leaders were headquartered. They told the Gentiles about Jesus there. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith (Acts 13:8 NIV). It's interesting to note that Barnabas and Saul encountered the greatest resistance from a "Jewish" person rather than a Roman Gentile. I put "Jewish" in quotes because Elymas (Bar-Jesus) was a sorcerer and a false prophet, which were both forbidden in Jewish Law. This didn't stop Barnabas and Saul from telling everyone about Jesus. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able 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 (Acts 13:9-11 NIV). The LORD continues a pattern here. Jewish people learn about and believe that Jesus is the Messiah through sermons from the Jewish Scriptures. The Gentiles, however, seem to respond more to miraculous signs. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord (Acts 13:12 NIV). Do you know people who need to hear the good news about Jesus? What do you think would help them hear, understand, and believe? What helped you respond to the call to become Christian?