THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION 43

Paul's independent

with the

Acts 13 opens in a manner which indicates a new section. The scene is transferred from Jerusalem - indeed,

from the land of Israel altogether - and is laid in Syria:

`Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas ... and Saul. As

they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost (Spirit) said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the

work whereunto I have called them' (verses 1 & 2).

Their journey led through Seleucia and Cyprus; and having gone through the isle to Paphos, they found a certain

sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus. Up till this time the preaching of the Word in Cyprus

had been confined to the Jews living there (Acts 11:19). Some of those who were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, when

*

they were come to Antioch, spoke with the Grecians (the Greek-speaking Jews, not Gentiles, if we follow the

Received Text). Then comes the ministry of Barnabas and Saul, culminating at Paphos in the definite testimony to a

Gentile. We shall have to consider all this in greater fulness when reviewing the case of the Gentile in the history of

the Acts: we are here concerned with the typical character of Paul's first miracle.

This Jew was with the deputy of the island. The word `deputy' (anthupatos) is properly `proconsul'. In B.C. 27

the provinces of the Roman Empire were divided between the Emperor and the Senate; those which were

troublesome and needed the presence of an army were allotted to the Emperor, while those of a peaceful character

were assigned to the Senate. As may be supposed, there were changes from time to time, and such changes would

prove veritable pitfalls for the historian who wrote his history at a period remote from the time. Cyprus was at first

an Imperial Province, but before the time of the Acts, Cyprus had passed over to the Senate and was proconsular. A

coin struck in the reign of Claudius bears the inscription on the reverse, `Of the Cyprians, under Proctus, Proconsul'.

The name of Bar-Jesus, the sorcerer, is given as Elymas (13:8). The word in Arabic is Alimos, or Elim, and

means `a magician'. The Proconsul is said to have been `a prudent man'. Pliny the elder cites Sergius Paulus several

times as an authority in connection with natural history (Plin. Nat. His. Lib. i, ii and xviii). The Proconsul called for

Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the Word of God. With what glad hearts these devoted servants must have

received the request! The first Gentile convert under Peter's ministry sent for him; so the first Gentile convert under

Paul's ministry does likewise, emphasizing to the last detail the perfect and peculiar mould into which the Acts was

cast. The Jew, typical of the nation, withstood them, seeking to turn away the Proconsul from the faith. This was

the climax sin of the nation, as may be seen from 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 :

`... the Jews ... forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the

wrath is come upon them to the uttermost'.

Up until this time the order had always been Barnabas and Saul. From this time forward Saul becomes Paul, and

the order is reversed. Moved apparently by the sense of his divine mission, Paul steps forward here in the full blaze

of day as the apostle to the Gentiles. His anathema descends upon one of his own kin; his Hebrew name vanishes

from the page of Scripture. The Gentile is converted, and by one of those marvellous details of instruction and

providence the firstfruit of the apostle to the Gentiles has the same name as that assigned to Saul of Tarsus. Paul's

action and words were inspired of God:

`Then Saul (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost (holy spirit), set his eyes on him' (Acts 13:9).

Again another detail, wherein the intentional parallel between Peter and Paul is brought to light, is given. Peter in

his first miracle `fastening his eyes' (atenisas, Acts 3:4) upon the lame man, pronounced words of blessing; Paul in

his fist miracle `set his eyes' (atenisas, Acts 13:9) upon the sorcerer, and pronounced his doom. Compare the words

of Paul as recorded in this miracle with his teaching concerning Israel in his Epistles:

`And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season ...

then the deputy (Proconsul) ... believed' (Acts 13:11,12).

*

Greek-speaking Jews, Hellenists ;(Acts 6:1; 9:29).

Greeks õ Gentiles, Hellen ;(Acts 14:1, etc.).