Confronting the forces of darkness

“But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, and said, ‘You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord?’” (1) Let’s look at the actions Paul took: (a) Here, Saul’s name changes to Paul. When the ministry to the Gentiles begins, his name changes from his Hebrew name, Saul to his Latin name, Paul. (b) Paul rebuked Elymas the magician. (c) The emphasis on the Holy Spirit is also seen here. Saul’s anger was not a human emotion, but a righteous indignation inspired by the Holy Spirit. (d) What is unfolding here is a spiritual battle over the soul of Sergius Paulus. The opponent Paul is fighting against is the “son of the devil” and the “enemy of all righteousness.” (2) Let’s pay attention to the similarities between Peter and Paul: (a) Peter rebuked the magician Simon in Samaria (Acts 8:20-24). (b) Paul rebuked the magician Elymas in Paphos. Both experienced opposition from the forces of evil at a critical point where their ministry was expanding. “‘Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.’ And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.” (1) Here again, we see a similarity between Peter and Paul: (a) Peter declared swift judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). (b) Paul declared swift judgment upon Elymas the magician. (2) Elymas immediately became blind. Paul himself had once experienced blindness. Spiritual blindness leads to physical blindness. It is unknown whether Elymas repented after this experience, as his name does not appear again thereafter. “Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.” (1) This event made it clear who was proclaiming the true God. As a result, the proconsul came to faith—meaning he believed in Jesus as the Messiah. (2) The ministry in Paphos is significant in three ways: (a) Leadership transitioned from Barnabas to Saul. (b) It was the first instance of successful Gentile evangelism outside of a synagogue. After this, Gentile evangelism became more active. (c) It contained a symbolic element: Bar-Jesus, a Jew, rejected the gospel, while a Gentile with the same name as Paul accepted it. Blessed are those who believe in the gospel of Christ and are spiritually reborn.