Elymas The Sorceror

Elymas the Sorceror

Q: Why did Paul, through God’s power, make Elymas (also called Bar-Jesus) blind?

• a. He was keeping a Roman official from hearing Paul’s message.
• b. He attacked Barnabas.
• c. He wouldn’t stop following Paul around.

Paul, who once hurt Christians, was now a Christian himself. God told the early believers that he was calling Paul and a man named Barnabas to take the gospel to other countries. So the church prayed over Paul and Barnabas and sent them on their way.

On their journey, Paul and Barnabas traveled through the island of Cyprus and told people the good news of Jesus. When they reached the city of Paphos, an important Roman official called for the missionaries because he wanted to hear their message. Elymas, a sorcerer, didn’t want the official to hear Paul’s message. If the official believed, Elymas would lose his job because a believer would not need a sorcerer. Elymas did everything he could to distract the Roman official.

Paul turned to Elymas and said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.”

The sorcerer was immediately blinded. When the Roman official saw what happened, he believed Paul’s message and became a follower of Jesus.

The sorcerer tried to distract the Roman official from hearing about God. There are many things and people today that distract others from hearing the message of Jesus. Can you name some of them?

For You

You have already heard the gospel message, but are there things that distract you from spending time with the Lord each day? What can you do about them?

Answer: a

But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.   Acts 13:8

(The Whole Story: Acts 13:4-12)