使徒言行録13:4-12 Acts 13:4-12,

Jesus, who is in heaven, commanded the leaders of the church in Antioch through the Holy Spirit, saying, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Thus, Barnabas and Saul, who were entrusted with the mission of proclaiming Jesus’ salvation, set out on their missionary journey. Saul had previously persecuted those who believed in Jesus, but after encountering the resurrected Jesus in heaven, he came to believe in Jesus and began to preach about Jesus. Yes, Saul is none other than Paul!

Barnabas and Paul set sail for Cyprus, Barnabas’s homeland. Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, had copper mines and had been a prosperous island since ancient times. Upon arriving in Cyprus, Barnabas and Paul visited the synagogues of the Jews throughout the island and eventually reached the town of Paphos in the southwest. In Paphos, Barnabas and Paul met two men. One was a magician, who was “a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.” What kind of magic did he perform? He likely performed miracles, predicted the future, or summoned the spirits of the dead. The other was “a man of intelligence” named Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of the island, who had been appointed by the Roman emperor to govern the island. Upon hearing of Barnabas and Paul’s reputation, he invited them to hear the word of God from them.

The magician feared that if the governor believed in Jesus and became a Christian, he would lose his role and the political power he had held until then. So the magician attacked Christianity and tried to persuade the proconsul to stop believing in Jesus. He must have spoken badly about Jesus. Then Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at the magician and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” In other words, he clearly stated that those who hinder belief in Jesus’ salvation will face God’s judgment.

Immediately the magician’s eyes grew dim, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Paul had been given the power by God to boldly proclaim Jesus’ salvation without compromise. As a result, an unexpected event occurred. The proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who saw the power of Jesus working through Paul, believed in Jesus and became a Christian. Because Paul was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Jesus, and proclaimed Jesus’ salvation, despite the magician’s interference, the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, became a believer in Jesus.

Have you ever been slandered or hindered by someone else while trying to share Jesus’ salvation with others? When we try to proclaim Jesus’ salvation, obstacles often arise. Proclaiming Jesus’ salvation to others is a very difficult task. It is not something we can do on our own strength. Therefore, let us pray that the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Jesus, may dwell in our hearts. And let us pray that we may be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and be able to testify to Jesus’ salvation.