Rev. A.M. Cattanach, M.A.
Second Series—X. The Isle that is called Cyprus
Our last study concluded with the thought-picture of two obscure and relatively unknown men, in the estimation of the world perhaps, Barnabas and Saul, setting sail from Antioch’s port for the island of Cyprus, carrying with them the message of the Everlasting Gospel of God’s sovereign grace to their fellow-sinners, as ambassadors for Christ. Humble disciples they might both be; yet both were true heralds of the Cross, and ambassadors of the King of Kings, and one, at least, was destined to become one of the greatest men that ever lived, even though he continued to regard himself, to the very end of his life, as the chief of sinners and less than the least of all saints. How little the men aboard that ship realised the importance of their voyage that day, from Seleucia to Cyprus, for the two strangers from Antioch, who had come aboard on the first stage of a journey that was to take one of them at least, all round the Roman world, and write a chapter in the history of the world that all must admit to be one of the most momentous for the destiny of mankind! Yet the Lord on high knew; perhaps the brethren who released them for that work knew in measure, while they themselves would probably never consider the true significance of it all, at the time. Just so, is it often in the history of the Church of Christ and of the individual believer. How much is often wrought by God, through human instrumentality, from small beginnings.
We have had a practical illustration and example of the teaching of the Redeemer in the Parable of the Grain of Mustard Seed. Here begins the evangelisation of the world—the carrying of the torch of the Gospel to all lands, the planting of the mustard seed; two men on board a ship for Cyprus.
“So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia: and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.” Acts XIII, 4.
Thus began what we conveniently call, Paul’s first missionary journey. The choice of Cyprus as the sphere of operations in the first stages of that famous journey, probably lay with Barnabas, for this was his native place. For Saul it might be in the nature of a new venture, yet he went out, we know, by Divine command and was led by Divine guidance; for Barnabas it was a journey taken at the same command, and following the same guidance, but for him it was not a venture into new country, but rather a return to his native isle in a different role from that in which he had left it. In both cases, these were men whose goings were determined from all eternity and of them we may truly say,
“A good man’s footsteps by the Lord
are ordered aright;
And in the way wherein he walks
he greatly doth delight.” Psalm XXXVII, 23.
May each of us desire this blessing for himself or for herself.
The work to which the two brethren were called was centred round two cities in the island—Salamis and Paphos. We shall look together at a few of the things that were done in each place, and seek to learn some lessons, appropriate for all ages.
(b) The solemn encounter at Paphos
(a) The work at Salamis—
We read in verse 5 of the thirteenth chapter of Acts, “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.
This, then was their work—in a sense, their life-work; preaching the word of God to their fellow sinners. It was for this reason that they had set foot on the island and it was to be for the self-same reason that they were to take their journey thereafter to each and every place they were to visit in the Providence of God. It was a noble work and work which, when done in the strength of the Lord, brought its own reward. There were many discouragements too; many disappointments; many fears and often much opposition. Yet, all told, it was work nobly done and would that many would follow in their steps today, in our own generation!
It is interesting to note in passing, that this verse speaks of them as preaching the word of God. The same work, above referred to, is described elsewhere in Scripture, and in the Acts in particular, in terms such as these: They preached Christ: They preached that Jesus is the Christ; preached Jesus; preached the Word; preaching the Kingdom; preaching the Lord Jesus, etc. All of these phrases convey the same general message, and bear the same general meaning, but each different one seems to suggest also a difference of emphasis or aspect, according to the context. The phrase, par excellence, which is used more than any, to convey the message across the centuries to us today, is, of course, ‘preach the Gospel.’ In this passage alone, it would appear, is the phrase used, ‘the word of God’—whether we attach any significance to this or not, it is indeed interesting to observe that when they were sent forth by the Holy Ghost, in the first city in which they stood up to declare the glad tidings of great joy to their fellows, it is said of them ‘they preached the word of God.’ There are two points worthy of note in the use of the phrase by the inspired historian:
(i) They preached
The Greek word used here is not the one which is most commonly used in the New Testament for ‘preaching,’ namely, that which is translated literally, ‘heralded,’ the root meaning of the verb being the word long associated with the announcement of important news in the King’s court or the market place, by means of a special messenger called a herald. In terms of the Gospel, when men went forth to preach the good news of the Kingdom, they went forth as heralds of the Cross. Saul and Barnabas here, however, are described in a different way as messengers or servants used to ‘spread abroad’ the good news from their Master—the root meaning of the verb used to describe their actions is that of a ‘messenger’ or ‘angel.’ They are God’s messenger to Cyprus—they are to declare abroad the wonders of His grace to fallen men—in a sense similar to that in which the good news was first communicated to the shepherds at the time of the Saviour’s birth, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke II, 10.
May those who follow in their steps be conscious always of the great honour bestowed upon unworthy men, that they should be entrusted with the great responsibility of being, not only heralds of the Cross, but also humble messengers of the great God, to declare abroad, among their fellows, the glories of the Divine Word.
(ii) They preached the Word of God
This is the truth which is pre-eminently revealed here—they preached the Word of God.
The Word of God as distinct from the word of man—as Paul was later to write to the Church at Thessalonica: “. . . ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God . . .” 2 Thess. II, 13. They arrived in Cyprus as the messengers of the Most High God, carrying with them a message based upon, and enshrined within, the Word of God, contained in the writings of Moses, the Psalms and the Prophets pre-eminently. It was out of these very Scriptures that they were to preach the Word of God—a Divine Word, an infallible Word, an Eternal Word. How good it would be for us all to value the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God indeed—God’s Word to sinful men; His words of grace and mercy to fallen sinners.
With such weapons in their armoury, Barnabas and Saul had no need to fear the outcome of their warfare—they were soon to be put to the test, a severe one indeed, on that very ground. Let us remember, then, that while it is good to know that men are sent forth to preach unto their fellow sinners the unsearchable riches of Christ, the glories of the Gospel of God’s grace, etc., it is pre-eminently wonderful to know that in it all and through it all, they preach the Word of God—the Living Word of the Living God! This is the Word that brings life from the dead to poor perishing sinners of Adam’s race.
We are also told here that they preached the Word of God “in the synagogues of the Jews.” Salamis was a large, busy and thriving seaport on the eastern side of the island, the commercial or Grecian capital of Cyprus. Large numbers of Jews of the Dispersion were congregated there, as in other places throughout the Empire, for commercial reasons. The size of the seaport, and the size of the Jewish community, are both confirmed for us in this statement in verse 5—’synagogues of the Jews.’ In many places one synagogue would suffice to accommodate the Jewish community—not so at Salamis. There were more than one. In other words, here was a great field—a field white unto harvest, and Barnabas and Saul enter in as labourers for the Lord. Strange to say, however, the Holy Ghost is silent on the measure of their success there. No further mention is made of the work—we are left to meditate and wonder.
Some have argued, from the silence, that their work ended with no success; this may or may not be a defensible argument. At any rate, the facts are not recorded and the day alone will decide. The next verse changes the scene from the eastern to the western end of the isle; how long they remained at Salamis is also unrecorded. Only one more point is left on record for us—“and they had also John to their minister.”
These words refer to one who is introduced to us in the previous chapter, on two occasions: firstly, in connection with Peter when he escaped so miraculously from prison—“he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.” Chap. 12 v. 12. He was a young man, whose mother’s house was a centre in the city of Jerusalem for the disciples. The second reference to John is in the last verse of the same chapter, “And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.” Chap. 12 v. 25. The ministry to which reference is made, is that of bearing to the saints, at Jerusalem, in time of famine, the relief which was willingly gathered on their behalf, by the brethren at Antioch. Barnabas and Saul then returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them. From this it would appear, then, that he also left Antioch with them, and sailed to Cyprus with them and is now introduced again at Salamis as their minister or assistant. The word originally referred to a type of rower in a boat, then gradually came to be used of an attendant on others in official circles, both secular and clerical and is here clearly used in the sense of a “subordinate.” His duties are not defined: his status however is clearly marked off—not on a level (as to office and authority) with Barnabas or Saul. The fact that he was closely related to Barnabas (his mother was Barnabas’ sister) and that much grief and dissension was later to arise over him, should always be viewed in the light thrown upon his status here, as minister or assistant to the two apostles. They received a Divine Call to go forth—no mention is made of John in that call. Evidently the matter was settled privately between Barnabas and Saul themselves. They had taken him to Antioch and now they were happy to take him also to Cyprus. How careful, however, we should be in the choice of companions, even in such solemn relationships as ministering to the Lord! John Mark was to prove the excuse or occasion of parting these two devoted servants of Christ—Barnabas and Saul, no matter what may be said as to the healing of the breach in later years and the usefulness of Mark, both to Paul personally, and to the world at large, through his unique Gospel, in the years to come.
(b) The solemn encounter at Paphos
The scene now changes from the eastern to the western end of the isle, from the Grecian capital of Salamis to the Roman capital of Paphos. The distance between the two cities was about 100 miles. We read in verse 6, “And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found . . .” What were they to find there but one of a class, which had become a familiar sight in high official circles throughout the Roman Empire at that time, “a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-jesus,” ready to resist them in their efforts to declare the wonderful Gospel of salvation unto their fellow-men? This is the first account, on these famous journeys, of the battle which was to be fought over and over again, between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood, and the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and that of the arch-enemy of precious souls, Satan himself.
The circumstances of the confrontation between this evil man and the two honoured servants of the Lord Jesus are interesting and noteworthy. They met in the residence of the Roman “deputy of the country.” Sergius Paulus, who is described as a “prudent man,” and one who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the Word of God.” How encouraging it must have been for Barnabas and Saul to have received such an invitation from the chief Roman official in the island! To be called for an interview would itself have been a great favour, but to be called to preach the Word of God in the governor’s palace was indeed a great privilege for such humble men as Barnabas and Saul. On the other hand, what an insight this account gives, of the Roman pro-consul himself—”a prudent man,” that is, intelligent, well-read, wise after the wisdom of this world; these qualities were his by nature and such as fitted him for the high secular office which he held. Over and above all this, however, he was a man who now called these servants of Christ to come to his residence, because he desired to hear from them the Word of God. This is the very expression used by the Holy Ghost to describe the labours of Barnabas and Saul at Salamis. There they had ‘announced on every side’ the wonders of the grace of God from the ‘Word of God,’ now at Paphos we meet one who desires to hear from these same dedicated men, the Word of God.
Let us pause for a moment, and ask ourselves these pertinent questions. As preachers, is this our honest desire before God, at all times, in our feeble endeavours to stand before our fellow sinners, to preach unto them this only—the Word of God? As hearers, is this also our honest desire in going out to the means of grace, at all times, “to hear the Word of God?” How much more blessing might be ours, if only we could be thus truly exercised, at all times, relative to the worship of God!
When they arrived at the governor’s residence, Barnabas and Saul found that they had more than Sergius Paulus to deal with. Along with the Roman pro-consul they found this false prophet, who had evidently been using his own influence and position heretofore, to good advantage, for as soon as he saw them, he rose up to oppose them. His actions remind one of the reaction of the unclean spirits in men possessed of the devil, when those were faced with the Lord of Glory on earth, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David. “He withstood them”—he stood not on the Lord’s side, but on the devil’s and so he realised that if Sergius Paulus, who had desired to hear the Word of God, (and the word used in the original signifies “greatly desired”) found a blessing through it, then he would stand to lose his place and power in that official residence in Paphos, and this was something he was not prepared to accept without a fight. The destiny of a human soul hung in the balance—the battle was to be fought and either lost or won. His aim is declared in verse 8 in the following words—“seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.” There is here an acknowledgment, albeit silently, of the power of the Gospel and the glory of the faith—the true faith once delivered unto the Saints. Like his master, this man recognised the power which was inherent in the faith, and especially in Him who is the Alpha and the Omega of it. Little did he realise, however, that in one of his two opponents that day, he was to find more than his match, and to be put to flight, once and for all.
The man who was to answer the challenge was the younger of the two missionaries, whom hitherto we have known as Saul, his Hebrew name, but when, from now on, in the Divine Record, we are to meet, almost exclusively, as Paul, which was his Roman name. The change occurs at this very important point—the first real challenge from the powers of evil (in the person of a Jew, Bar-jesus, which means the son of Jesus in Aramaic; one who was also called Elymas, an Arabic word meaning ‘wise’—hence, by interpretation, a sorcerer or magician, using skill or wisdom of a devilish sort). The Jew from Tarsus, who was also a Roman citizen, had two names also, and so we read—“Then Saul (who also is called Paul) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes upon him . . . .”
The Spirit was poured upon Saul and in the Spirit he withstood this man, who was possessed of another spirit, and by the power of that blessed Spirit, he exposed him for what he was, and as his solemn words were followed by appropriate signs and wonders, the battle was fought and won by the servant of the Lord.
The terrible denunciation and the solemn judgment which followed, we feel ought to be left to each one to ponder over secretly, in the depths of his or her own heart. Suffice to say, they are calculated to strike terror into the heart of the most sin-hardened and Gospel hardened sinner, and also search the depths of the heart of those whose hope is in the Lord, lest any such be found to walk in these same paths. As we read them over here, let them sink into our hearts, with the prayer of the Psalmist inscribed in our heart.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart,
Try me, my thoughts unfold. Psalm CXXXIX, 23
“Then Saul . . . said, ‘O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all unrighteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 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.’” (Acts XIII, 10, 11).
With the sudden blindness of Elymas, and his subsequent darkness, surely symbolical, in its own way, of the spiritual blindness and darkness, which characterised him, the solemn encounter at Paphos came to a close. One significant result followed, as we now read in verse 12, “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.”
The significance of the conversion of Sergius Paulus is self-evident in the circumstances, since he was a man in high position in the isle, and the news of this event is bound to have spread far and wide, and to have exercised some considerable influence, under God, upon others. Yet this is all that we ever hear of Sergius Paulus—he disappears from the pages of the Scripture completely. We are left to wonder how he fared, what life he afterward led and whether or not, he was a faithful follower of that Lord in whom, we read, “he believed.” Many have argued, again from the silence of scripture about him, that he did not continue in the faith and consequently turned back ‘unto perdition.’ (Hebrews X, 3). This argument, however, is really inconclusive and therefore unconvincing. The fact that no more is said of him is quite in keeping with the purpose of this book of Acts, whose prime aim is to relate the history of the progress of the Gospel from Jerusalem unto the uttermost part of the earth. The main characters occur again and again: the minor ones only appear to have something recorded concerning them (good or bad as the case may be) and then to disappear from the scene again. Secular sources can provide little or nothing by way of elucidating this point and so we can only receive the testimony, as given in the above verse, with a sense of gratitude and wonder at the Lord’s goodness, and leave the issue with Himself.
The words which describe the event are simple yet majestic. They inform us firstly, of the sight which convinced him of the power of the Lord: “he saw what was done.” Secondly, we are told of the effect of this upon him: “he believed”—this is the normal expression in the Acts for what we would call ‘saving faith.’ Thirdly, we have the record of the deep impression made upon him by the fact that the doctrine of the Lord was so accompanied with power—power not only, as it was apparent, to overcome the power of evil in Elymas, but also power, which could affect his own soul. To him this was his day of power. The soul of Sergius was saved that day from the power of the strong man armed, by Him who was indeed stronger than that strong man. The root meaning of the Greek word used to describe his reaction—”being astonished”—is ‘to strike out:’ he was struck with panic or amazement (of a holy sort) and with blessed results. How different Elymas!
The record of the Apostles’ labours in the isle that is called Cyprus comes abruptly to a close with the words of verse 13. “Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.”
How long their visit lasted is not revealed: the one great triumph of the Gospel at Paphos is told us in great detail but little else is left on record, save the change in the manner in which the Apostles are to be referred to hereafter in the Book of Acts. ‘Barnabas and Saul’ has been the order of reference so far—becoming indeed since Barnabas was older and longer a disciple; now, however, we read of ‘Paul and his company’ and hereafter Paul will take precedence over Barnabas and ultimately Barnabas will drop out of sight. The powerful character of Paul, as displayed at Paphos in his encounter with Elymas, asserts itself more and more. He takes on the role of commander—in the strength of Divine grace indeed, but also with natural gifts, sanctified and anointed for the use of the Lord in Gospel service—and Barnabas graciously concedes to him the place ordained for him by God Himself—Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles.
We may learn from this to accept the place which God has set out for us, in His service, if we are among His servants or people, and to receive it as from His hand, whether that position be to lead or to follow the lead of others. Each has his own particular gift and each should learn to appreciate that of others, and endeavour to use his own, in dependence upon the help of the Holy Spirit, however poor it may seem in his own estimation, for the glory of God and the good of His cause on earth.
The first stage of this missionary journey now comes to a close and the scene of their labours changes from Cyprus to Asia Minor. By going to Cyprus first, they had gone to Barnabas’ native isle; now, in turn, they put out to sea again (loosed from Paphos—set sail or slipped anchor) this time en route for Asia Minor, to a district bordering upon the province in which Paul had been born and brought up. “They came to Perga in Pamphylia” and there John left them and returned to Jerusalem. As this will be referred to again, the Lord willing, in another article, since it formed the main cause of the contention which was to separate these brethren. Barnabas and Saul, we will leave it here simple as it stands. John crossed over to Asia Minor and there parted company from Paul and Barnabas, leaving them to go forward to the next stage alone.
The work in Cyprus affords us much food for thought, both as to the manner in which the brethren presented the Gospel in the two centres to which reference is made in the Divine Record—Salamis and Paphos; and also as to the contest in which they had to engage over the soul of Sergius Paulus. Let us seek to follow them in spirit, and to realise that the power of Satan and sin in the human heart is very real and often very strong; yet let us not be despondent—there is One whose power is infinitely greater. May He go forth with His servants today, for whom the struggle is no less real than then, and may those still under the power of sin and Satan be speedily delivered in mercy and by the grace of God, so that they might stand forth as trophies of free and sovereign grace.
“Put on the whole armour of God . . . for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers . . .” Ephesians VI, 11, 12.
The Head in heaven cries out, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” when the toe was trod upon on earth.
John Flavel.