Acts 13:1-12 Lesson 248

Acts 13:1-12
Lesson 248

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

While the first twelve chapters of Acts centered around Peter, Paul is the focal point of the final sixteen.

The First Missionary Journey begins (circa AD 46).
Just as Jesus said it would, the Gospel is introduced to the "uttermost part of the earth (1:8).

Also;
A false prophet is struck blind (13:8-11).

Paul's First and Second missionary journeys.

Who was -

Simeon Niger -
Simon was a Christian prophet and teacher at Antioch. His name indicates that he was born Jewish. He is only mentioned in this passage.

Lucius -
Lucius was another Christian prophet and teacher at Antioch. Paul called Lucius his "kinsman" (Romans 16:21). The name Lucius is Roman, but he was born a Jew in North Africa at Cyrene, the capital of Cyrenaica (in present-day Libya).

Manaen -
A prophet and teacher. We read in this passage that he was "brought up with Herod the tetrarch." Some Bible scholars believe they were close childhood friends, while others think they were step-brothers.

Bar-jesus -
Means "son of Jesus," but notice that Paul calls him the "child" of Satan (13:10). His Arabic name was Elymas (meaning wise). From the city of Paphos, Bar-Jesus was Governor Sergius Paulus' private sorcerer and knew he would be unemployed if Sergius became a Christian.

Sergius Paulus -
The Roman governor of Cyprus. Historians have described Sergius Paulus as well-educated.

Study Tip:

"Write down what you learn. Don't forget the things the Bible has to teach you!
Use a journal or notebook to keep track of the insights you pick up as you study."

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)

The Acts of the Apostles

The King James Bible

Acts 13:1-12
Paul's first missionary journey

1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.

10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Margin notes:

"Antioch." (13:1) - By now, Antioch has replaced Jerusalem as the center of Christianity.

"Cyrene." (13:1) - Cyrene was the capital of Cyrenaica (present-day Libya) in North Africa. Founded by the Greeks in 630 BC, the city boasted a large Jewish population. So many Cyrenian Jews migrated to Jerusalem, they built their own synagogue (Acts 6:9).  It was destroyed in the 4th century.

"Herod." (13:1) - Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.

"Tetrarch." (13:1) - A Roman appointed ruler.

"Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." (13:2) - "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul (Paul) to the work I've called them for." Jesus often chooses people to carry His message (Acts 9:15). In this case, Jesus sent Barnabas and Paul to spread the Gospel (Matthew 9:38).

"Laid their hands on them."(13:3) - To consecrate them.

"Seleucia." (13:4) - Antioch's seaport city located near the mouth of the Orontes River. We see here that Paul sailed from Seleucia on this, his first missionary journey. He probably returned to Antioch through Seleucia at the end of his missionary journey (Acts 14:26).  Seleucia was built by Seleucus Nicator, a prolific builder of cities, and still exists today as a small village named el'Kalusi.

"Cyprus." (13:4) - The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Located off the coast of Syria, Cyprus is 60 nautical miles from Seleucia. The island is 148 miles long and 60 miles wide. Famous as a source of copper, lumber, wine, and oil, the island enjoyed great commercial success.  Called Chittim in the Old Testament (Numbers 24:24; Isaiah 23:1), Cyprus was the birthplace of Barnabas (4:36).

"Salamis." (13:5) - The largest city in Cyprus, located on the southeast coast of the island. Since this verse reads "synagogues" in the plural, we assume that Salamis had a sizeable Jewish population.

"They had also John to their minister." (13:5) - Means, "They also had John as their assistant."

"Paphos." (13:6) - The capital of Cyprus located on the west coast of the Island. Paul and his group have worked their way across the entire island.

"A certain sorcerer." (13:6) - Sorcery was commonly practiced in Biblical days (Acts 8:9).

"A false prophet." (13:6) - A person who pretends to be divinely inspired.

"Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,)" (13:9) - From this point on, Saul will be called Paul. Also notice, when Paul and Barnabas are mentioned, Paul will now be named first. He has become the leader.

"Set his eyes on him." (13:9) - Paul stared at the sorcerer. We saw Peter do the identical thing in verse 3:4 (lesson 223).

"Full of all subtilty." (13:10) - "Full of treachery."

"Not seeing the sun for a season." (13:11) - The sorcerer was temporarily blinded.

"Astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." (13:12) - "Amazed at the Lord's teachings."

New Living Translation

Acts 13:1-12
Barnabas and Saul Are Commissioned

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, "Dedicate 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.

Paul's First Missionary Journey

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.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why fast? (13:2)

"If we could attain righteousness by keeping the Mosaic Law, then there was no need for Jesus to die on the cross." Harold Ihlefeldt (1920-1971

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. The Bible doesn't give a precise reason for fasting, but we see people, including Jesus, fast throughout the Scriptures. In Jesus' day, mourners would fast. Then and now, fasting shows self-sacrifice, humility and a commitment to God. It helps us put spiritual priorities over worldly objectives. Nowhere in the New Testament are we instructed to fast, but many believers feel fasting intensifies their spiritual consciousness and reminds them of their total dependence on God.

Application thought for the day:

Paul and Barnabas were instructed to preach the Gospel.
Ask God if He has a job for you.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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