Join us as our Family Minister Jeff Philips brings us God’s message for the church.

Acts 13:1-12 (HCSB)

In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

² As they were ministering to^a] the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” ³ Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

The Mission to Cyprus

⁴ Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear God’s message. ⁸ But Elymas the sorcerer (this is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

⁹ Then Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at the sorcerer ¹⁰ and said, “You son of the Devil, full of all deceit and all fraud, enemy of all righteousness! Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ Now, look! The Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Suddenly a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹² Then the proconsul, seeing what happened, believed and was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.