Big Ideas

1. Prayer and fasting
In this text, the Holy Spirit calls out Paul and Barnabas for a particular missionary venture. This call, however, came in the context of worship, devotion, prayer, and fasting. As the Church pursued God through worship and devotion, God spoke to the Church. How did the Holy Spirit speak to the Church? Well, we don’t exactly know. But we do know that this encounter occurred in the context of worship. As we meet God in worship, he directs our steps.

2. A real and present darkness
In our last text, we were confronted with angels who are sent by God to help his people. In this text, we see that there are also very real dark realities at work in this world seeking to deceive people. Elymas was a Jewish magician and false prophet. He was an evil man and an enemy of God who sought to distract others from the truth of God. Paul called him a “son of the devil” (Acts 13:10). Christians need to understand that these enemies exist and that there are dark spiritual realities behind these people who seek to undermine the truth and work of God.

3. Jesus wins
Elymas sought to distract and deceive the proconsul, that he might eternally suffer. But Jesus saved the proconsul. Ironically, Elymas, a man who claimed to be able to see, was stricken with blindness, while the proconsul was given sight to see the truth and glory of God in Christ. Jesus always wins.

Study Questions

1. The Church encountered God in the context of worship, prayer, and fasting. How are you doing in personal spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, and fasting?

2. Have you ever personally encountered a uniquely evil person like Elymas who intentionally sought to distract and deceive people? How did you respond?

3. Sergius Paulus was the proconsul of Cyprus. He served in an official political office much like that of a governor. Paul taught him the Gospel and Sergius became a Christian. How might this text challenge the assumptions we make regarding the separation of Church and state?