Letter to the Colossian Church- 16

Subtitle: Partners in Ministry II

Colossians 4:12-18.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, November 9, 2025.

Today, we will finish this letter.  Paul continues listing various ones who are with him and send their greetings to the church in Colossae.

Let’s look at our passage.

Epaphras (v. 12-13)

Paul recognizes that Epaphras is one of their number.  This is a way of saying that he is a believer from the church in Colossae.  In fact, we should remind ourselves of Colossians 1:7. There we are told that Epaphras is the one who brought the Gospel to Colossae.  Apparently, he became a believer in Messiah Jesus while away, and then he went back to his hometown to share the Gospel with them.

Paul refers to Epaphras as a slave of Jesus Christ.  Epaphras was technically a freeman, but he lived his life like Paul, as a slave to the will and purpose of Jesus Christ.

It may be more powerful for a free person speaks of themselves as being a slave of Christ.  However, even slaves could embrace being a slave of Christ.  Though an earthly master may have claim over their body, the Lord Jesus has claim over our body and soul.

As Americans, we are all about our freedoms and rights.  There is a place for that, but we are not to use our freedom as a license for sin (Jude 1:4).  Which is more important, the freedom to do whatever you want, or being free from the things you have done and their consequences?  You can’t have both.  There is not one of us who does not have stupid and even sinful choices in our past.  We are accountable to God, and yet, He is gracious.

Epaphras serves Christ.  What a world this would be if more people would choose to be slaves of Christ.

Paul describes him as always laboring earnestly for the Colossian church in prayer.  The word for laboring earnestly comes from a root that refers to agony.  It pictures someone in a wrestling match exerting power to the extent of pain.  Anyone who has had children can identify with this image.  Epaphras had an intense concern for them and labored for them in prayer.  In light of chapter two of this letter, we can imagine it had to do with a prayer that they would not be deceived by charlatans.

Next, we have some of the general goals of his prayers.  First, he prays that they would stand.  This idea of being set, or fixed, in a place is a reference to their salvation and being set within Christ.  Yet, closely attendant to this desire are the descriptors, complete and fully assured.  It is not enough to join the people of God.  There is a lifetime of tests and trials ahead of us.  One of the ways that the enemy pulls us out of Christ is by tempting us with something we are missing (see Genesis 3).  Paul has made the point in this letter that we have everything we need in Christ.  When spiritual scammers come calling, we need to be careful that we are not hungry for something else.  Thus, we need to be fully assured that we have all that we need in Christ.  This only comes through prayerful relationship with Jesus as we read the Word of God and face life in its light.

He adds the phrase, “in all the will of God.”  The Scriptures lay out all of God’s will for us.  Of course, the Holy Spirit may lead you in specifics, but they will always be within the general will of God laid out for all the saints. 

In verse 13, Paul reiterates the deep concern that Epaphras has for them.  This word is different but also has a root that means pain.  Notice that Paul also mentions the towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis.  Laodicea was west of Colossae about 12 miles.  Hierapolis was north of Laodicea about 5 miles.  It may be that Epaphras had a role in the Gospel going to those towns as well.

Luke & Demas (v. 14)

This is the same Luke that accompanied Paul on many of his journeys.  Just as he is footing the bill for his house-prison so he would be footing the bill for any medical assistance.  From his letters, we see that Paul had issues with maladies on the road.  Luke seems to have sensed the call of the Holy Spirit to assist Paul with his medical expertise.   Of course, he is filled with the Holy Spirit and a capable minister as well.

Luke describes himself as being with Paul during the voyage to Rome under arrest.  It is most likely that he too is a prisoner with Paul.  Or at least, he has been allowed to accompany Paul due to frequent issues.

Paul shortly mentions a man named Demas who sends his greetings along with Luke’s.  Demas is also mentioned in the letter to Philemon in a similar fashion.  There is one other place where Demas is mentioned and that is 2 Timothy 4:10.

Paul tells Timothy that Demas had left him and gone to Thessalonica.  Of course, the ability of people to help out in ministry can have its own seasons.  However, it is the phrase that follows that tells a tragic story.  Demas left Paul “having loved this present world.”  It is not clear if Demas has left the faith.  Yet, it is clear that Paul is describing his leaving as a spiritual problem.

Of course, ask yourself this.  How long would you be able to hang in with Paul before you were ready to hang in the towel?  Demas is doing more than going back home to minister there.  His heart is longing for the things of this present world, and it is drawing him away from ministry.  Perhaps, he feared never having this or missing out on that.  There is nothing wrong with having things in this life.  God made them all to be enjoyed with thanksgiving, but the desire for the things of this world must never come between us and our Lord.  You cannot lean upon the things of this world.  God’s work in you is not dependent upon these things either.  It is not built on finances, wealth, family, connections etc.  Rather, it is built upon Christ who is our everything.

Did Demas apostatize, leave the faith?  We simply do not know the rest of the story.  Let his brief mention be a cautionary tale.

Nympha or Nymphas (v. 15)

Paul now switches to specific people on their end that he wants to greet.  At this point, we have a textual issue about whether Paul is addressing a woman or a man.  Your version of the Bible will be very clear on its translation either way, but there are some issues.  Let’s look at them.

First, the Greeks would change the ending of a name depending on how it was being used in the sentence.  We do not do this in English.  How is this a problem?  The name has a clear male form, Nymphas, and a clear female form, Nympha.  However, this name is not the subject of the sentence but the object.  Paul says, “[implied subject “you”] Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha/Nymphas [one of the objects of the verb “greet”].  Because it is an object, the ending is changed to “Nymphan” in order to make clear how it is functioning in the sentence.  The problem is that both Nympha (f) and Nymphas (m) have the same form when used as an object.  So, the name cannot tell us whether this is a male or female.

This then brings us to the recognition that a pronoun is used following the name, “and the church that is in [is it “her” or is it “his”] house.  Normally, the pronoun would have made it clear.  However, there are some manuscripts that have “her” and some that have “his.”

The manuscripts that have “her” tend to be older manuscripts.  However, there are far fewer of them than those that say “his.”  The challenge is to determine which manuscripts are more reliable, the ones that are older or the ones that are more numerous.

There is another issue.  If this represents a change- perhaps thinking it is in error for some reason, we have to ask which change makes the most sense.  Does it make more sense that the pronoun was originally “his” and was changed to “her?”  Or does it make more sense that the pronoun was originally “her” and was changed to “his?”  Many believe that it is unthinkable that someone would have changed “his” to “her” and believe that it must be the other way around, “her” was changed to “his.”

This represents the difficult world of determining what the original letter said.  The evidence appears to lean towards “her,” but not heavily so.  There is still doubt.  Some of the case for “her” is speculation, even though that speculation may make the most sense.  The problem is this.  We do not know what we do not know.

I take time to go through this so we can see that this debate is not about liberals trying to change the Word of God versus conservatives trying to protect it.  This verse has become one of the go-to passages for those who promote women fulfilling ministry roles in the church.  However, those who reject women in ministry offices will also reject the “her” translation.

Notice that this is a house church within the Laodicean community.  It was very common for churches to meet in someone’s house.  In fact, a city could have multiple house churches depending on the size of the Christian community there.  Nympha/s is clearly a leader in that church.

I believe that this verse is an important part of the debate, but we should not lean upon it too heavily.  Time may bring forth more manuscripts and older ones that will push the needle of certainty one way or the other.  We need to hold this lightly.

Yet, on the matter of women in ministry roles, the New Testament is far from putting women down and keeping them out of ministry.  We have mentioned Priscilla and Aquila in the past.  However, the Gospel is not pushing for women to take over ministry either.  We should stop listening to the world and our society, and we should not let the traditions of men get in the way of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been in a church where there was a woman who was powerfully used by the Holy Spirit and the people of the church looked up to her as a leader?  If you haven’t, it is not as rare as you think.

Pentecostal churches had to come to grips with the fact that some women who were filled with the Holy Spirit were used powerfully in ministry.  Many churches were founded by women, whether through preaching or starting Sunday School classes.  Women were powerfully called and used on the mission field.  If you have a default setting that says God cannot use women in that way, then you will miss out on some of what the Holy Spirit is doing.  Yet, we are not to make the mistake of trying to make women leadership happen, as if there must be a 50/50 representation.  This is how the world thinks.  In Christ, we are more concerned with what he thinks.

In 1 Corinthians 4:19, Paul references some teachers who were causing problems in the church.  He says that he will “find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.”  The true measure of the teacher is the presence of the Holy Spirit, not the outward presentation, whether words or gender.  The Church needs the power of the Holy Spirit in this hour more than it needs gender equity or patriarchal headship.  It also needs humility in the face of the hurts of people and the will of a holy God.

Paul’s final words (v. 16-18)

In verse 16, Paul refers to a letter that he has sent to the church in Laodicea.  This letter was most likely delivered by Tychicus and Onesimus on their way to Colossae.  It became common for churches who received letters from apostles to retain them and share them with others in their locality.  These would then be copied so that churches could have their own copy for reference.  This is how the New Testament took form.  Local and regional communities could vouch that these letters were authentically from one of the Apostles.  This can help us understand how churches quickly recognized false writings that would surface purporting to be from one of the apostles, particularly after the period in which they lived.  They could look to the style, the things taught, and whether it had a verifiable history of being written to a church or individual.

Paul also singles out a minister named Archippus.  He tells him to “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”  Take heed is an exhortation to watch and to focus upon a duty.  Archippus is also mentioned in the letter to Philemon so he may have bee a part of the church that met in Philemon’s home.  Paul refers to him as a fellow-soldier in Philemon 1:2.

Either Paul has reason to think that Archippus may be growing weary in ministry, or he may be simply encouraging him to fulfill the ministry in the sense of finishing well.  Both issues are important for our attention.  Doing our duty in ministry and in life is important.  Of course, if you fail, God will not fail the people in the church.  Yet, you will be accountable to him.  Similarly, we all need encouragement in life to “run through the tape,” as runners are told.  The weariness of the race creates an instinctual letting up as you approach the end.  We can also recognize that the ups and downs of ministry itself can create times of growing lax and losing our edge in ministry.  We all need encouragement to pay attention to the ministry that God has given us in the midst of the spiritual battle of life and ministry.

Paul tells them to remember his bonds.  I don’t get the feeling that he is fishing for pity.  Rather, Paul wants them to know that just as he was greatly empowered by the Holy Spirit and yet had great tribulation, so they could expect difficulties as well.  These are not signs that we are on the wrong path.  Rather, they are part of what it takes to follow Jesus who also suffered great persecution, even execution.  In all of these things, Paul has testified that Christ is worthy of any sacrifice.  He wasn’t in Rome without having chosen a path of suffering.  He wasn’t regretting his stand upon Christ, and neither should they.

He ends with the common sign-off, grace be with you!

As we finish, I want to encourage us with a summary of the letter to the Colossians.  I like to memorize at least one thing that is important about each chapter.

In chapter one, we are given a powerful Hymn to the Son of God’s Love.  It is an anthem regarding Jesus, the Exalted Messiah.

In chapter two, we have the influencers who were trying to pull the Colossians away from Jesus.  These were Jews who tried to make Gentiles follow the Laws of Moses, and Gentiles who tried to pull them into philosophies and mystical polytheism.  Paul then follows this up with a powerful tribute to the victory of Jesus over every spiritual power and the completeness of our salvation in him!

Chapter three calls us to do everything we do in the name of the Lord Jesus.  This leads to a series of exhortations that seek to recreate the relationships of the Christian home.  Husbands, wives, children, parents, slaves and masters, are all to use their position for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel.  Jesus is the Lord of all our relationships.

This last chapter reminds us to walk in wisdom towards the outsiders, those who do not know Jesus.  It ends by honoring the relationships that had been formed among those who were working together for the ministry of Jesus.

I pray that this study has encouraged you to put your trust fully in Jesus the Messiah!

Partners II audio

Letter to the Colossian Church- 15

Subtitle: Partners in Ministry I

Colossians 4:7-11.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, November 2, 2025.

Paul has wrapped up his letter and is closing it with greetings from those who were with him in Rome.  Though Paul may seem to be singularly important, he continually testifies of the many people who helped him and encouraged him in ministering for Jesus Christ.

It is important for us to understand that people who minister for Christ, even with great scopes of influence, need partners both to help them and to encourage them.

In some respects, these people are partnering with Paul, but in other respects they are all partnering with Christ and his work. 

To partner with God in any endeavor will generally involve partnering with others.  There is a tension between the way God uses others to help us spiritually and those things that we must face and do for ourselves.  Both issues are important.

We all have a part in the people of Christ and also in the ministry of Christ.  Paul may get the press, but he is not trying to hog it for himself.  So, let’s look at some of the men who helped Paul in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tychicus (v. 7-8)

We do not have a lot of information on Tychicus.  He was with Paul in Rome while Paul was under house arrest.  He is first mentioned in Acts 20:4 during Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul picks up Tychicus as a helper somewhere in the Roman province of Asia (his hometown is never mentioned).  It seems that Paul was continually looking for fellow workers who had a call from the Lord to help in ministry.

Tychicus must have made his way to Rome in order to help Paul during his imprisonment.

Paul used Tychicus several times to communicate with individuals and churches, typically carrying letters from Paul to them.  It is clear that he is delivering this letter to the Colossians.  He is also mentioned in Ephesians 6:21 as the one who delivered that letter.  There is also a mention in Titus that Paul may use Tychicus to deliver that letter.

In all of these cases, Tychicus is not just a mailman.  He is also a brother who can encourage those to whom Paul is writing.

Paul clearly depended upon Tychicus and trusted him.  So, it is no surprise to read Paul’s description of Tychicus as a beloved brother (fellow believer in Jesus) and a faithful servant.  Calling one another “brothers” was an endearment that recognized the family of God that believers were.  His faithfulness as a servant was not just to Paul.  His servanthood was ultimately to Christ.  However, when you serve Christ, you will find yourself serving people.

Paul also calls him a fellow bondservant.  This is a different word that the previous “servant.”  A bondservant was a person who had no will or agency except that of their master.  We know that Paul is a freeman, so this is not about him being an actual slave.  Rather, he is a slave of Christ along with Paul, “a bondservant in the Lord.”

Tychicus would not only deliver the letter, but he would also inform them about Paul’s situation and condition.  Paul is doing well, and God is helping him.  Tychicus could encourage their hearts about Paul’s predicament and the advance of the Kingdom of Christ in the face of Roman imprisonment.

Sometimes we can be more concerned about people than they are for themselves, and that is okay.  The key is communication and prayer for one another.

Onesimus (v. 9)

Onesimus has travelled with Tychicus and was himself from Colossae.  Paul describes him similarly to how he described Tychicus.  He is a faithful and beloved brother.

This is the same Onesimus as that in the letter of Philemon.  It is generally thought that this personal letter to Philemon was sent at the same time.  At some point, Philemon must have made his personal letter to be public. 

Onesimus was Philemon’s bondslave.  He had run away and somehow ended up in Rome.  It is clear that though Philemon was a Christian, Onesimus was not.  Onesimus became a Christian, probably through interaction with Paul.  Paul then sent Onesimus back to Philemon, his master.  In that letter, Paul encouraged Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in the Lord.  He even stated that he would cover all that Philemon had cost him in running away.

This idea of not kicking against your station in life, i.e., being a slave, but using it for Christ, is puzzling to the modern age.  It is part of the call to let your relationships be transformed by Christ.  It may be that a slave was Christian and a master wasn’t.  The slave would be encouraged to serve their master as if serving the Lord.  It was also possible that a master would be Christian while a slave was not (as in the case of Philemon).  The master would be encouraged to treat the slave fairly as we saw earlier in this letter, remembering that they have a heavenly master to whom they will give account.  When both are Christians, they would both be challenged to serve to honor Christ in their commitments to one another.

By the way, it is interesting that Paul does not use the language of servant and slave with Onesimus like he did with Tychicus.  He could have, but in this case, he emphasizes that he is a fellow brother.

Aristarchus (v. 10)

At this point, Paul sends greetings from those who remained with him in Rome.

We first hear about Aristarchus in Acts 19 where Paul is in Ephesus during the third missionary journey.  Demetrius the silversmith had stirred up a mob.  They couldn’t find Paul, so they seized Gaius and Aristarchus.  They brought them before the magistrates.  They were eventually freed, but we see that Aristarchus has faced difficulty for the cause of Christ.

He is from Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia.

Paul tells us that Aristarchus is imprisoned with him.  It is unclear if he was arrested as a co-conspirator with Paul or if he simply volunteered to be arrested with him in order to help Paul in this time.  It is fairly clear that he accompanied Paul to Jerusalem where he was arrested and then put on a ship for Rome.

Aristarchus is another faithful man serving the kingdom of Christ in spite of adversity.

Mark (v. 10)

Paul sends greetings for Mark who is not mentioned as being a prisoner too.  This is the cousin of Barnabas who is no doubt also the young man they took on their first missionary journey.

In Acts 13, we are told that John called Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.  There was no reason presented at the time.  However, in Acts 15 as Paul and Barnabas prepare to leave on a second missionary journey, there is a dispute about letting Mark join them.  This dispute becomes so sharp that Paul and Barnabas decide to part ways. 

Paul clearly believes that Mark is not someone who can be trusted.  This makes it clear that Mark had abandoned them earlier.  Barnabas wants to help Mark grow in working for the Lord without fear. 

This passage becomes one of the places where we see that Mark went on to prove himself to the apostle Paul.  They made amends, and Paul depends upon Mark without reserve.  2 Timothy 4:11 is another place where Paul asks for Timothy to bring Mark with him who is “useful to me for service.”

Was Paul too hard or was Barnabas too soft?  I am not sure that we should try to solve that.  There are good reasons why both took the stand that they did.  However, God’s purpose can be found even in our disagreements.  Our conflicts and reconciliations are part of not knowing everything.  Perhaps, God was using that disagreement to create two missionary teams.  

Regardless, we see Paul sending word that Mark is to be welcomed (as a faithful brother) because they would know of his prior reserves about Mark.  They are to welcome him.

It is important for believers to leave room for reconciliation down the road when there are disagreements and conflicts.

Jesus who is called Justus (v. 11)

Paul sends greetings from a man named Jesus who is also called Justus.  Of course, this isn’t Jesus the Christ, but a man who had the same name.  Perhaps, this is why he went by Justus.

We know nothing else about Justus.  However, Paul describes him, Mark and Aristarchus as fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who are of the circumcision.  This is not a reference to the Jewish Christians who were teaching that Gentiles had to be circumcised to follow Jesus.  He does use the term that way in certain letters.  In this case, Paul is using the word to refer to the Jews as a whole.  They saw themselves as the circumcised as opposed to the Gentiles who were not circumcised.

There were no doubt other Jewish Christians in Rome, but these three were the only ones who came alongside of him and helped him in the ministry.

This brings up a side issue regarding the apostle Peter.  Roman Catholics have presented through the years that Peter went to Rome as early as the 40s and was the Bishop of Rome, setting up the Church there.  They then extrapolate that Peter passed his authority on to the next bishop of Rome and so one, creating a long line of succession of the apostolic succession.  This is the foundation of their argument for the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, or the papacy.

Those who reject papal authority, or primacy, sometimes try to prove that Peter was never in Rome until his execution under Nero.  This passage begs the question of whether or not Peter was in Rome.  If he was, he would be a fellow Jew working for the Kingdom of God.  They believe that it is logical to infer from Paul’s statement that Peter could not have been in Rome.

It is possible that this is true, but I believe it is making Paul’s words say too much.  Paul calls them “fellow workers.”  Peter and Paul both had powerful ministries that did not intersect very often.  They are both working for Christ, but it is possible that Paul is using “fellow worker” in a narrower sense.  Paul may only mean those who are actively helping him with what he is doing.  Peter would be doing what the Lord is leading him to do separate to Paul.

I am not persuaded either way.  I think this is a weak verse to use for both ideas.  I would say this.  There are no passages that give any implication that Peter was the head Apostle of the Church and that all of the other Apostles gave him first place.  There is also no idea that Peter would pass down such an authority before his death.  In fact, this would be a line of argumentation that would have worked for Caiaphas.  Christian heritage does not guarantee that one will have the calling of their grandparents, and a Christian office does not guarantee that one will have the same spiritual authority as previous officers.

We will have some more people to introduce next week.  Yet, let’s see these as those who have proved to be an encouragement to Paul (vs. 11).  They are not just helpers in the ministry.  Paul needed encouragement.  I am sure that the Spirit of Christ encouraged him internally.  However, Jesus also used faithful brothers to be an encouragement to Paul.  Whenever you see someone who is being used greatly in ministry, never forget this simple truth.  They need people to minister to them too!

God help us to work together for the sake of the Kingdom of Christ, the Son of God’s love!

Partners I audio

The Letter to the Colossian Church- 4

Subtitle: The Work of Christ among Them

Colossians 1:21-29.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, August 3, 2025.

After he has presented a powerful picture of just who Jesus is (the Lord of Creation and the Lord of the New Creation), Paul now turns to Christ’s work among them in Colossae.

This great work, of a God who is capable of such great things, is the same One who is working in little you!  It is important for believers not to doubt that God’s greatness does not make us insignificant to Him.  It is quite the opposite.  As men become greater in their scope among others, their limited nature requires a level of leaving details to others who work for them.  God does delegate, but He doesn’t do so because He is limited.  Rather, He is in every minute detail of how our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and how our spirits were made to glorify Hiim in these bodies and in this life.  Don’t doubt His working in you.

Let’s look at our passage.

The New Creation in Colossae (v. 21-23)

This New Creation is not something that is happening somewhere out there in the universe or on the earth far away.  It was happening right there in Colossae.

Jesus is also right here in Everett, Washington doing his work.  He is working in Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, the church we are at today.  He is working in your house, your life, and inside of you.

Of course, this could make us feel uncomfortable.  Yet, when we understand that our heavenly Father loves us more than we can imagine, so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for your sins, we can learn to rest in His work.  Yes, He will correct us and scrutinize us, but it will be done in love and with all the help that He supplies through the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and other believers.

In verse 21, Paul describes their condition prior to Christ’s new creation within them.

They were alienated from God.  They had been made strangers to God, first by the rebellions of their forefathers, and second by their own thoughts and actions.  This is more than proximity.  It also has to do with our understanding of God.  We are clueless to who He is and what He is like.  We do not respond to Him like one who is in close relationship, but as one who does not know Him at all.

Not only were they alienated, they were also hostile in mind through evil deeds.  These are actually connected together, rather than seen as two separate things.  Actions begin in the heart and then process in the mind, until we do them.  Why are our minds hostile to God and His purposes?  We can blame it on  our culture, and there is a level of truth to this.  However, we all have a personal part in this rebellion, which is our own hostility towards God, acted out in sinful deeds.

What I mean is this.  You may grow up in a sinful culture that is hostile to God.  However, along the way, as that sin causes harm to you, you will question it.  You will see that something is wrong in the ways that you are being enculturated.  Yet, in many small ways, we choose paths that are not good, but sinful.  They are hostile to the way God would have you be.  It doesn’t matter that you may not know God’s ways because God is good.  Thus, we choose ways that are not good, showing that we are hostile to God even before knowing Him.  This hostility towards a God we do not know is revealed every time we justify our sinful actions to the people around us.

God knows the culture surrounding a person.  They are not His enemy because of that, but because of their own choices and actions.  This is how the Colossians were when the Gospel came to them.  The Gospel showed them that they had been far away from God and unknowing enemies against Him.  The Gospel teaches us to own up to our own sin.  We cannot repent for our fathers and mothers.  We cannot repent for our nation (or Republic, as the case may be).  But, God gives each one of us the opportunity to repent for ourself.

Christians are those who have quit hiding behind everyone else’s sin as an excuse.  We see this dynamic when we talk with someone who “doesn’t need Jesus and his religion.”  You can challenge them with this question.  “So, you are perfect and don’t need to repent of anything?”  They will often respond that it would be unfair for God to expect absolute perfection from them.  “No one is perfect!”

Yet, the underlying dynamics are not about what you think God should accept.  That is like a kid in front of a judge believing that the judge should not hold them accountable for anything they have done.  Such a delusion will not serve you well in the courtroom.  No, this is about who God is and what He is doing.

God won’t settle for imperfection.  Yet, He knows that you cannot be perfect in and of yourself.  Instead of lowering the bar, which would have Him forever dwelling with sinful beings and pretending that they are okay, He lowers Himself in such a way as to make us perfect.  The Gospel is the good news that God the Father has created a way for us to be made perfect so that we can dwell in His presence, His goodness, forever.  He is not willing that any should perish, but He will not force anyone to choose Him.

This brings us to their present condition in verse 22.  Their situation has changed.

Christ has reconciled them.  Their life was full of errors compared to the goodness of God.  They could not “fit in” with God’s purposes in their prior state.  Thus, through Jesus the Christ, God has brought them into a state of harmony, or peace, with God.

Notice that Paul emphasizes that this was done in Christ’s “fleshly body.”  There is an emphasis here that is intended to block, even to rebuke, the tendency within the Greek mindset.  They could not fathom the fullness of God dwelling in frail human flesh.  Of course, they believed Zeus could come down and bed a fair maiden.  But, the idea that a God could be killed, not just by a mortal, but as a mortal.

This is part of the source of many philosophers and teachers that continually tried to use Christian teachings as a vehicle for their own ideas.  They felt that they were making it better, but in truth, they were not.

Those who put their faith in Jesus have been reconciled to God by what he did in frail, weak, mortal flesh.  The humiliation of the devil is found in this irony.  Jesus defeated him not as an immortal, but as a weak human.  Further irony is found in the devil’s stubborn grasp on his pride while Jesus humbles himself to the lowest place.  This idea is not just contrary to the devil’s mindset.  It is contrary to the mindset that fills this world, even our hearts.

Of course, the Eternal Son is not weak and frail anymore.  However, he is still humble, waiting for the time when the Father sends Him to take up the Kingdom from the powers of this earth.

Jesus had reconciled them in order to present them: “holy, blameless and beyond reproach.”  There is a purpose in making peace between us and God. 

The idea of presenting them can also be translated as to be set or established before him.  It can be contemplated as a future thing that is after our resurrection, which is the easiest to see.  In that day, we will stand before God the Father with holiness and without blame. 

However, it can also be contemplated as already present.  To be holy is to be cleaned and set apart for God’s purposes.  This is a present reality for the believer.  The death and resurrection of Jesus has cleansed us and given us a mission for the purpose of God, both by what we are (His possession) and by what we do (His work).  In this sense, we can never be more holy.

Jesus has also removed the guilt of our sins from us so that we are blameless and beyond reproach right now.  Yes, we are often missing the mark of God’s perfect righteousness.  However, Jesus has paid the price for my sin.  This would be like the University trying to take me to court for bills that my Father in heaven has already paid.  They can protest that it wasn’t my money, but in the end, they have no case.  The price has been paid.  Their true problem is not that they were harmed, i.e., weren’t paid, but is in their own vindictiveness that cannot bear to see such a worm as me to get a break.

Thus, the devil can make every accusation against those who have been reconciled by Christ, but he has no standing and no case, at least not now.  The prime argument of Satan is that we have sinned and therefore must die.  In Christ, this argument is neutralized.

Of course, the believer ought to live in this life in such a way that there is no reason to “take us to court,” whether in the courts of men or heaven.  We ought to respond to the legal holiness and blamelessness supplied by Christ by letting the Holy Spirit teach us and enable us to live out the righteousness of Christ.

In the practical sense, we can become holier and less blameworthy.  This is a powerful part of the good news.  Our failings in this life will be fully healed in death and resurrection.

Verse 23 inserts a condition, “if.”  The “if” here recognizes that the believer must continue trusting Christ.  He must remain “in the faith.”  This is not about staying in a particular church or denomination.  Rather, we can remain in a place of perfect standing before God through our continual trust in Jesus.

Yet, believers can be “moved away” from the hope found in Jesus.  Their standing is only effective as they stay “grounded, steadfast, not moved away.”  He goes on to describe that this is the Gospel that has been preached everywhere, and is the same Gospel that Paul was made to serve.

It isn’t spoken yet, but Paul is aware of some people who are trying to disturb the Colossian Christians and draw them into a different Gospel.  There will be more on that in the next chapter.

Think about it.  The devil does not want you to keep trusting Jesus and serving him.  He will use anything in his power to coax or to bully you away from the work of Christ in you.  Yet, you have been enabled to resist him by the power of Christ that is working within you!  I am not strong enough in myself, but I can trust Christ and be strengthened by the Spirit.

Some may protest that if a believer does anything, then they are saving themselves.  They try to remove this idea that we can walk away from Christ, thus dissolving the condition in which we are reconciled to be holy and blameless before Christ.  However, this is an erroneous argument.

We are not talking about making sure your faith is strong enough to save yourself, as if our “capacity to believe” is extremely effective.  It is about responding to the grace of God that has been put before us.  There would be nothing to believe, if Jesus had not brought it close to us and put it before us.  We are only saved by His grace, but through our faith in Jesus.  Our faith didn’t make anything happen.  It was all the gift of God.  However, I still need to reach out and take hold of the gift.  The same Spirit that helps us to see the Gospel, also helps us to remain in the faith, if we are willing.

Like moving food from a plate that God has placed before us, the believer’s faith becomes a channel of God’s grace.  Were you “fed” by your own works?  Of course,  you were not.  No amount of making the motions of feeding ourselves can feed us, if God has not put a plate of food in front of us.  To protest that you are “feeding yourself” in this example, a person is focusing on the lower mechanics of the food moving to our mouth, and yet ignoring the higher mechanics of making the food possible.  It is God who has fed us and even now continues to feed us.  It is His work alone in making it possible, but His greater work is comingled with the lesser work of countless humans to help us to actually eat, including ourselves.

God’s sovereignty is not hurt by our ability to believe in Christ because this was His choice from the beginning.  It is actually His sovereignty that chooses to give us a real choice.  Those who protest against this are actually limiting the sovereignty of God to choose to do so.

As we move forward, I want to deal with what some may call an error.  Paul speaks of the Gospel “which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven…”  It comes across as an absolute statement that would include North and South America, along with every creature (really?  All the snails too?).  This protest is actually an obstinate attempt to avoid the point.  The Gospel was destined to go everywhere and be preached to all people.  By this time, the whole Roman empire had been filled with the Gospel of Jesus, and was even moving forward from their.  Paul is giving a backhanded argument about why they (we) shouldn’t move away from Jesus.  There is no other Gospel out there to find.  There is no other savior as if God has created multiple paths to salvation.  This is the way that has been preached everywhere and to everyone. 

The ministry of Christ through Paul (v. 26-29)

As Paul has mentioned his post as a minister of the Gospel, he then speaks about the way that Christ is working through him to help them.  In fact, this letter is exhibit number one to that fact.

It may seem odd that he begins by mentioning his own suffering.  Paul was currently in Rome under house-arrest.  He had endured all kinds of hostility from his fellow Jews and from hostile Gentiles.  He endured these hardships because that is what it took to take the Gospel to places like Colossae.

Why can he say that he rejoices in these sufferings?  He can say it because this is what the Lord was asking of him.  Who will pay the price to take my good news to those who are still my enemies?  Paul is pleasing his Savior and Lord, Jesus.

He can also remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:11-12.  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Do you believe that God takes note of all the hardship you endure, whether to take the Gospel to people or even to live for Him?  Do you believe that He will reward you for anything you suffer on behalf of serving Him?  Paul saw that he was in good company with all the prophets and saints who had gone on before.  We all love a good story of courage under fire, but it is another thing when we are under fire.

Paul is not just identifying with Jesus and the prophets before him.  He sees himself as laboring with the Lord Himself in these things.  The Lord is not untouched with our sufferings.  He is even now suffering with us.

We can become accusatory towards God.  “It is so hard down here!  When will you come down and do something about it?”  However, it is the other way around.  God has suffered over the sin of humanity from eternity past.  Even as He laid the foundations of the earth, it was with tears.  It is only in Jesus that we begin to catch a glimpse of the suffering of God.  No matter how horrendous the suffering of Christ was, it was only an analog to the reality of God’s suffering.  The irony is that, as we accusingly shout at His indifference, He is even now suffering over our refusal to repent and trust Him, i.e., our indifference to His grand overtures of love.

The second part of verse 24 is somewhat cumbersome in English.  Paul talks about “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”  The word for afflictions is typically translated as tribulations or persecutions.  It is a term that has the idea of intense pressure between a rock and a hard place, and it is becoming tighter. 

Paul is not talking about the suffering that Christ did on the cross to make peace between us and God.  There is no lack in that.  Jesus once and for all died for our sins (Hebrews 7:27).  Rather, Paul is talking about the afflictions that are necessary to bring the Gospel to people and helping them to endure.  We are the “body” of Christ, and as such, we are to give ourselves to the desire of the Head of the Church, Jesus.  This was prophesied long ago that the followers of Messiah would volunteer to join him in this ministry of suffering, being afflicted, for the sake of bringing salvation to others.

Thus, Christ is pictured as still working, being afflicted, in His Church, in order to minister to the lost world-wide.  We all have a portion, a part, in this.  Some have a portion of greater affliction than others.  Paul was doing his part.

The question is now this.  Will I do my part?  We can be discouraged by thinking we are not doing any good.  Don’t do that.  Instead, lay your concerns before God in prayer.  “God, I feel like I am falling short in my service for you.  But, I ask you to fill me, empower me, enable me, and lead me to be useful for your purposes.  I recognize my inability to fathom the depths of what you are doing through me, and I ask you to strengthen my faith for what I am facing right now.”

In verse 25, Paul talks about how he was made to be a minister for their benefit and for others.  He had a stewardship, a post of management within God’s people for which he would give account one day.  He sees himself as proclaiming the full Truth of God and as fulfilling all that the Word of God said would be and tells us to do.  Some versions only bring out one side of this, but both are intended.

Paul then digresses to emphasize the Gospel further.  It had been a mystery through the ages, but now had been revealed to the saints (v. 26).  The Gospel is manifest in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, but also in the teachings he gave to his apostles. 

The Gospel mystery is all about Jesus.  How could God redeem Israel and the Gentiles, while taking them out of the hands of the devil?  The good news is that Jesus is the answer.

We might ask why it was kept a mystery.  I can see at least two reasons.  First, God values faith over a thin veneer of service.  Thus, He acts in such a way as to prove that He is trustworthy, but doesn’t reveal all that is ahead so that we can demonstrate that we do trust Him.

The second reason has to do with our enemy the devil and his evil cohorts.  1 Corinthians 2:8 says, “[God’s] wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”  This can include human rulers, but clearly references the spiritual powers that truly ruled the nations.  The salvation of humanity hinged upon the crucifixion of Jesus.  If the devil had understood this, he would have kept Jesus from being killed.  Instead, God used his desperation and pride against him in order to save us.  Satan wields the blow that loses the battle for him and wins it on our behalf.  Yes, Jesus is our champion, but he took out our enemy in a way that calls all to repentance.

Of course, after the cross, it was now God’s will that this revealed mystery be made known among the Gentiles so they could have its riches.  He doesn’t flesh this out, but uses the word “glory.”  Some of the riches are found in the glory that comes from walking the path of Jesus behind him and by his power.  Yet, there is another part of the riches, the glory we will have as we stand in glorified bodies next to our champion, Jesus!

This mystery can be summed up in the short phrase, “Christ in [us], the hope of glory!”  This is not a hope as the world hopes.  This is a hope that God has set in front of us.  He has revealed it to us, promised it for us, and even now, it is reserved for us in the heavens where no devil of hell can touch it.  I am not just struggling alone hoping to reach it someday.  The Spirit of Christ is even now inside of me, working to bring me to it.

In verse 28, Paul mentions three verbal phrases regarding what He is doing.  He is proclaiming Christ to them.  He is admonishing them, i.e., warning them of dangers.  And, he is teaching them with all wisdom that he has received from Christ.

He is doing these three things in order to “present every man complete in Christ.”  This idea of presenting them is the same that we mentioned back in verse 22.  There Christ is the one doing the presenting.  Here, Paul works alongside Christ in order to set them, to establish them, as complete in Christ.

This too can be contemplated as a present reality and a future one.  On the day of resurrection, the people of God will stand in ranks with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul’s goal is that they will be found there on that day.  We will all be complete, or finished, perfected on that day.

Yet, even now, we have everything we need for life and godliness.  Through Jesus, God is supplying all that we need.  In this sense, we are complete, perfect.  As long as we keep our trust in Christ, He will bring us all to that hope.  The enemy cannot stop us.  Our hope is sure.  This is a vast difference from where I was before Jesus.  I wasn’t even a trouble for the devil.

Paul then testifies that his labor was a labor that was empowered by Christ in him.  Literally he says, “according to his working in me in divine power working!”  That’s a lot of working help from Christ!  It is not our job to be strong enough.  It is our job to present ourselves to the work of Christ everyday.  We can’t conjure up divine power, but we can be present and let God’s Spirit empower us to do His work.

Of course, how that divine power manifests is up to God.  You may want God to do some spectacular thing that makes you look powerful.  The power of God was even then being demonstrated in Paul by working through him in writing letters.  It is not generally how we want it to happen, but as God determines.

So, we get up and faithfully give ourselves to the work that he has given us, but not in our own power.  Do you have kids or grandkids?  Then, get up and give yourself to them for the purposes of God.  Whatever the relationship that God has given you, serve His purposes in them.

You are the one planting the seeds.  You are the one watering those seeds that have been planted.  You are the one who may even get to harvest some of those seeds that have come to fruit.  However, never forget that it is God who gives the increase.

We are still here because there are still strongholds of the devil that need pulled down.  In fact, our faith is possible because of the faith of someone in the past that dared to pull down the devil’s stronghold in you.  This is the work of Christ, not just through Paul, but through any of us who will join Him in this mission!

Christ's work audio

The Acts of the Apostles 52

Subtitle: The Gospel Spreads from Antioch

We apologize that the audio for this sermon is not available.

Acts 13:1-12.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on August 20, 2023.

As we share the Gospel with people, we will have a variety of responses.  Some will be disinterested.  Others will show interest and may or may not believe.  However, some will not be content to ignore believers.  They may actively work against the Gospel, or even persecute us.

Of course, we cannot control how people are going to respond, and we shouldn't want to do so. Yet, we can make sure that we are a person that is filled with the Holy Spirit and led by God in sharing the Gospel.  This takes time spent in prayer, fasting and seeking God for direction.

Let's look at our passage.

Consecrated to the Lord's ministry (v. 1-4a)

Verse 2 states that there are a group of prophet-teachers who "ministered" unto the Lord at a particular time in Antioch.  The word "ministered" here is also used of priests who serve in the temple.  It can basically point to the things that we do in order to serve the purposes of Jesus.  However, this is more specific than all of the things they could be doing like preaching, and witnessing.  It appears that they are intentionally gathered in prayer and worship of God, perhaps seeking His will regarding something.

The five men who are listed here would not be all of those in Antioch who were prophet-teachers, but they may have represented the ones that were considered the most mature in the Lord.

The Apostle Barnabas is listed first.  When he was first introduced in Acts 4:36, we saw that he was originally from the Island of Cyprus. 

Then, we have Simeon called "Niger."  Niger is Latin for the word black.  It seems most likely that he is of African descent.  Some connect this Simeon with the Simon from Cyrene who was forced to help carry the cross of Jesus (Matthew 27:32).  The name is the same, just a different spelling. 

The third man listed is Lucius of Cyrene.  Nothing else is said of him. 

Fourthly, we have a man named Manaen who was raised with Herod the Tetrarch.  Herod the Tetrarch was the one who married his half-brother's wife, which was condemned by John the Baptist.  He eventually had John's head cut-off to satisfy the anger of his wife.  He also is the Herod that Pilate sent Jesus to during his interrogation of him. 

I would just insert that there is a world of difference between these men who were raised as boys together.  One was an immoral ruler who executed a righteous prophet, and the other (Manaen) is a Jew who has put his faith in Jesus, is filled with the Holy Spirit and is used as a prophet-teacher within the church of Antioch.  You never know where people's choices will take them, whether because of their raising, or regardless of it.

Lastly, Saul of Tarsus is listed.  I believe Luke has listed him last on purpose because this chapter is a pivotal point  in the book of Acts.  From here on, we will see Saul become known as Paul, and the emphasis will become more and more about what God did through the Apostle Paul.

This is quite a list of men who were in the church at Antioch.  God will always be faithful to bring to a church others bearing gifts from Him to help them grow spiritually and in numbers.  Yet, these men grew in the Lord somewhere.  Thus, many in Antioch, who benefitted from the Lord's Spirit in these men, would also be gifted by God to serve His Church.

It is not clear if only these five are praying, or if they are meeting as a church.  Regardless, they are praying, fasting, and seeking God.  In this environment, a word from the Holy Spirit is given.  It is not said who shares this word, but I would guess it is not Barnabas and Saul, since the word is about them.

The Holy Spirit mentions that God is calling Barnabas and Saul to a particular work.  We do know that Saul was told at his conversion that he would "bear My Name[Jesus]" before kings, gentiles, and the children of Israel.  In short, they will become apostolic missionaries.

You will not find the word "missionaries" in the New Testament, but you do find the word mission.  For our purposes, I would describe a missionary as someone who purposefully goes into other cultural areas in order to start and to establish new groups of believers in Jesus.

Of course, we are all called to share the Gospel with others, but the Church had not developed the mentality, at that point, of purposefully going into new areas in order to start churches.   It is the Holy Spirit, God Himself, that stirs up this concept within the church at Antioch.  Whether you are called to share the Gospel generally wherever you are, or God specifically calls you to go to certain places, we should remember that everything we do is to be unto the Lord, for Him.  We should all be filled with God's Spirit and being a witness of Jesus to the world around us.  This should be a matter of prayer for all of us.

The Spirit tells the group to "separate" Barnabas and Saul for the work.  God had a holy work for them that was unique compared to the rest of the group.  Thus, they were to be set apart, consecrated, for this particular work.  All of us have a holy calling on our life as servants of the Lord.  Yet, God has a specific calling upon these two that is going to take them out of the group and into the Gentile lands beyond.  Thus, we do see a distinction in the New Testament between those who lived holy lives and witnessed to the world around them where they were at, and those whom God sent on the road in order to expand the extent of those who had heard about Jesus.

Those who are staying put are to help in the sending of those who are going out.  In a sense, this church in Antioch would be giving them to the work of the Lord.  This is a spiritual sacrifice, but also a spiritual offering.  Thus, the calling of people to ministry has a personal aspect to it, and yet, it also has a group aspect to it.  Churches need to hear from the Spirit and come alongside those that the Spirit is calling into missions, whether to cultural groups within America, or around the world.  This is primarily spiritual.  We pray for them; we fast for them, and we even lay hands upon them as we pray.  This pictures the church participating in the commissioning of these men.  Yet, it is also material.  They will need supplies, and funds to be on the road.  The calling is of God, but it is fulfilled by Barnabas, Saul, and the Antioch church stepping forth and exercising their faith in the leadership of Jesus.

The Gospel goes to the island of Cyprus (v. 4-12)

After praying for Barnabas and Saul, they help to see them off on this missionary journey.  It will become the first official missionary journey, and is often called Paul's First Missionary Journey.  You may want to pull up a map.  Antioch is 20 miles inland on a river, so they travel down to the Mediterranean Sea to a town called Seleucia.  From there, they sail to Cyprus, landing at a coastal town called Salamis.  These men contain a precious message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it has now reached Cyprus.

Why did they go to Cyprus?  It was close, that is for sure, but so were other places.  Barnabas is from Cyprus, and so he may have wanted to share with his homeland.  Regardless, Luke depicts throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles that the Holy Spirit is really the one who is leading this spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  How we need people who are responding to the leadership of the Holy Spirit rather than worrying about who is the leader and who gets to make the decisions about what is done.

Verse 5 tells us that they go to the synagogues of Salamis and preach to the Jews there.  This becomes the pattern of Barnabas and Saul.  Wherever they go, they make sure the Jews have heard the Gospel first.  This is not about prejudice and racism.  Rather, it has to do with the fact that they were the most interested in the coming of Messiah.  The Gentiles had been cast off, and God had created Israel to be His witnesses to the nations.  Thus, the Jews, who knew the Word of God (but not Messiah), would be given the knowledge that Messiah had come, and was not calling them to take the Gospel of Messiah to the Gentiles.  Paul refers to this in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

We might also note that some synagogues had God-fearing gentiles who were connected to them.  Thus, this is a wise place to start.  They would simply look for believers in Yahweh in an area and then work from there.

The wording in the beginning of verse 6 can be interpreted to mean that they traveled across the island in order to reach the town of Paphos.  However, it can also mean that they traveled around the whole island preaching in the synagogues and telling people about Jesus.  Eventually, they made it to the other side of the island at the administrative headquarters for the island, Paphos.  I think this is the most likely.  Luke doesn't get into the specifics of the response in these towns.  Rather, he wants to hone in on a particular confrontation that happens in Paphos.  Acts is a book of the highlights of the highlights, if you will.  The focus moves quickly to this one place.

It is in Paphos that Barnabas and Saul run into a Jewish false-prophet who also practices sorcery named Bar-Jesus.  This is a patronym, with the name of Elymas being given later.  Of course, his name is quite ironic.  Barnabas and Saul are spiritual sons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Elymas is really a son of the devil.  But, more on that in a bit.

The word used for sorcery here is the same that was used with Simon of Samaria in Acts 8:9.  It is not the "pharmakeia" term of the book of Revelation.  That word focuses on potions that the occultist would create to do their dark arts.  This is the word that refers to the knowledge and rituals that an occultist would do in order to obtain information from the spirits, which we know to be evil spirits.  Thus, this Jewish man is a complete apostate to the Jewish faith, much less someone who will be interested in the fact that Messiah has come. 

He has used his occult arts to weasel his way into the confidence of the proconsul of Cyprus, an administrative position given by Rome.  His name is Sergius Paulus.  Though Sergius Paulus is an intelligent man, he still doesn't know any better than to have an occultist as one of his advisors.  This is the intelligence of a natural man who is willing to get help from any source as long as it "works."

Sergius has clearly heard about these new comers to Cyprus.  He sends for Barnabas and Saul to explain what they are doing probably for two reasons.  As the proconsul, he needs to keep a close eye on anyone going around the island teaching anything new.  He cannot afford for any uprising to jeopardize his position.  Yet, he does seem to be personally interested in hearing what they have to say.

Luke tells us that Elymas "withstood" them in order to keep Sergius from believing.  You had better believe that those spirits Elymas consulted did not like Saul and Barnabas being there.  However, Elymas recognizes a threat to his gravy train as well.  He continues to argue against what Barnabas and Saul state.  This reminds me of 2 Timothy 3:8 where it tells us, "Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these [speaking of false-teachers] also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;..."

Whether Sergius understood it or not, a spiritual battle for his soul was taking place in front of him.  At this point Saul, full of the Holy Spirit, rebukes Elymas.  Notice the wording used.  Elymas was a man full of deceit and fraud.  Though some are able to connect with real spirits through the occult arts, these spirits themselves are deceitful and frauds.  The Bible warns against turning to any spirit, but the Spirit of God, for advice or power.  Those who follow deceitful spirits have already deceived themselves and so become frauds and deceits to all they connect with.  Elymas is clearly leaching off of the power and position of Sergius Paulus.  He is enriching himself through a deceitful practice.

He is also called a son of the devil.  Elymas knows that he is rejecting the One True God of Israel, Yahweh.  His is following his true spiritual father, the devil.  He is also called an enemy of all righteousness.  What Saul and Barnabas are doing is the essence of righteousness.  They are ambassadors of God's Anointed Savior of the world.  They come bearing peace terms for every man, woman, boy and girl in the world from the God of heaven.  Elymas is trying to protect his gig.

Saul also calls him out for perverting the straight ways of the Lord.  Perhaps, Elymas had used his knowledge of the Scriptures to speak against what Saul and Barnabas said.  Of course, he was twisting those Scriptures to say what he wanted, just like the devil did with Christ in the wilderness temptations.

At this point, Saul tells Elymas that he will be blind for a time.  Immediately, a darkness came upon Elymas and he could not see.  I don't believe that Saul just made this up.  I think the Spirit of God reminded Saul of how he too had resisted the Gospel, and God had struck him blind temporarily.  It is not likely that this occultist who has rejected the Scriptures would now believe in Jesus, but it would be the grace of God regardless.  He is not struck dead.  Instead, he is only temporarily blinded.  I doubt that he ever showed his face again in the proconsul's presence.

This act of God's power completely convinces Sergius.  He becomes a believer in this Jesus that they talked about.  Yet, he is astonished at the teaching of the Lord as well.

Luke does not mention how long they stay, or how many become believers, but the favor of the proconsul would go a long way to helping the Gospel put down roots in Cyprus.  Today, Cyprus is about 75% Christian with most being Greek Orthodox.

We will have to deal with all kinds of people in sharing the Gospel.  Such spectacular displays of power by God are usually seen when the Gospel goes into new areas.  They don't always continue because spectacular displays of power do not make great believers, as is witnessed by the generation that was brought out of Egypt by the Lord Jesus and Moses.  Saul's response isn't the normal in Acts or throughout history.  Yet, he was led by the Holy Spirit.

This is what is important for us today.  We can be too focused on praying for God to reduplicate certain powerful works of the past.  Let us pray for healings, for awakenings, and works of power.  However, let us have an ear that is tuned to hearing the Holy Spirit and being led by Him.  This will enable us to be faithful to the Lord Jesus in our generation.  Let's serve the Lord by sharing the Gospel, regardless of how people respond.  May God fill us with boldness to share the truth in the face of those who resist and stand against the Gospel of the Lord Jesus!