In brief
Elymas, also called Bar-Jesus, was a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet in the company of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, at Paphos on the island of Cyprus. During the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Saul, he tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebuked him sharply and announced that he would be blind for a time. Elymas immediately lost his sight, and the proconsul believed, amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
What does the name Elymas Bar-Jesus mean?
Bar-Jesus is an Aramaic name meaning son of Jesus, that is, son of Joshua, a common given name at the time. Luke explains that Elymas is the translation of his title of sorcerer, since that is what his name means (Acts 13:8). The name is generally linked to a Semitic word for a wise man or a diviner.
The story of Elymas Bar-Jesus
A church that sends
Acts 13:1-4At Antioch, while the prophets and teachers are serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit asks for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart. After fasting and praying, the church lays hands on them. Sent out by the Spirit, they go down to Seleucia and sail for the island of Cyprus.
A false prophet beside the proconsul
Acts 13:5-7After preaching at Salamis, the missionaries cross the island as far as Paphos. There they find a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who is with the proconsul Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, summons Barnabas and Saul because he wants to hear the word of God.
Opposition to the gospel
Acts 13:8Elymas the sorcerer opposes the two apostles. He tries to turn the proconsul away from the faith. His position of influence and his occult practices are threatened by the truth of the gospel, and he tries to stop a man open to the word of God from coming to believe.
Paul rebukes him
Acts 13:9-11Saul, also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looks straight at him and denounces his deceit and fraud: he is perverting the straight paths of the Lord. He announces that the hand of the Lord is against him and that he will be blind for a time. At once darkness falls on Elymas, who gropes about for someone to lead him.
The proconsul believes
Acts 13:12Seeing what has happened, Sergius Paulus believes, amazed at the teaching about the Lord. The miracle is not an end in itself: it opens the way to the teaching of the gospel. The sorcerer's opposition did not stop the purpose of God, it served instead to reveal it.
What Elymas Bar-Jesus teaches us
- The work of the gospel often meets real spiritual opposition.
- The Holy Spirit gives the servants of God discernment and authority to resist falsehood.
- Turning someone away from the faith is a serious fault in the eyes of the Lord.
- Even the judgment of God leaves room for grace: the blindness of Elymas was to last for a time.
- God can use opposition itself to bring people to faith.
Key verses
Elymas tries to turn the proconsul away from the faith. This verse is a reminder that the struggle of the gospel is spiritual and that the enemy works to keep those who seek God from coming to him.
Paul names evil plainly: deceit, fraud, injustice. He denounces the one who perverts the straight paths of the Lord. The apostle's firmness comes from the fullness of the Holy Spirit, not from human anger.
The proconsul believes, struck not only by the miracle but by the teaching about the Lord. The power of God serves the proclamation of the truth, which remains at the center of the mission.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Why was Elymas struck blind?
Because he actively opposed the gospel and tried to turn the proconsul Sergius Paulus away from the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, announced that the hand of the Lord was against him. The blindness was to last for a time, which left room for repentance.
What does the name Elymas Bar-Jesus mean?
Bar-Jesus means son of Jesus in Aramaic, in other words son of Joshua, a common given name at the time. Luke indicates that Elymas means sorcerer (Acts 13:8). The word is generally linked to a Semitic term for a wise man or a diviner.
Where can I find the story of Elymas in the Bible?
The story of Elymas is found in the book of Acts, chapter 13, verses 6 to 12. It takes place at Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, at the start of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, shortly after the church of Antioch sent them out.