Paul's First Missionary Journey - On Cyprus; Acts 13: 4 – 12 – Part 1

Church History: 4The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

Dec. 7
Paul's First Missionary Journey - On Cyprus; Acts 13: 4 – 12 – Part 2
We now follow Barnabas and Saul to their new field of labor. Their departure from Antioch is thus announced by Luke:
“So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and then sailed into Cyprus.” Seleucia was the seaport nearest to Antioch. The distance was some fifteen or eighteen miles, and near the mouth of the river Orontes, on the bank of which Antioch is situated. Embarking upon some trading vessel, they sailed to the port of Salamis. This was the principal city and seaport of Cyprus. It was situated on the south-east part of the island, and was afterwards called Constantia. In choosing this island as the first point in the wide world to which they directed their steps, they were, doubtless, guided not by the natural partiality which Barnabas may have felt for it as his native land (Acts 4:36), but by that fixed principle in the apostolic labors which taught them to cultivate first those fields which promised the most abundant harvest. The fact that this was the native island of Barnabas gave him hope of a more ready access to many old associates. Besides, the gospel had already been proclaimed here with some success among the Jews (Acts 11:19-20), and in the city of Salamis, as we learn from the text just quoted, there was more than one Jewish synagogue.8, 2
Jews were living in all the countries adjacent to Judea; and in those countries they had synagogues. The apostles uniformly preached first to them. John Mark, (Acts 12:12), was their attendant; he was with them as a companion, yet not pretending to be equal to them in office. They had been specifically designated to this work. He was with them as their friend and travelling companion; perhaps also employed in making the needful arrangements for their comfort, and for the supply of their wants in their travels.