Paul and Barnabas on Cyprus

The Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Saul out. They went down to Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed God's word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their attendant.

They travelled through the island until they came to Paphos. There they found a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew named Bar Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding, who sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the sorcerer, which is the meaning of his name, opposed them. He tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit and fixed his eyes on Elymas.

Paul spoke sharply to him. He said Elymas was full of deceit and was perverting the right ways of the Lord. Then Paul announced that the hand of the Lord was on him, and that for a time he would be blind and unable to see the sun.

Immediately mist and darkness fell on Elymas, and he went about looking for someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed. He was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Which part stands out to you most: the opposition, Paul's boldness, or the proconsul's faith?