In brief
Elymas, also called Bar-Jesus, is a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet met by Paul and Barnabas at Paphos, on Cyprus, early in the first missionary journey. Attached to the proconsul Sergius Paulus, he tries to turn him away from the faith when the proconsul wants to hear the word of God. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronts him and announces he will be blind for a time; darkness falls on him at once. Seeing what has happened, the proconsul believes. Elymas stands for religious opposition to the gospel, overcome by God’s power.
What does the name Elymas the Sorcerer mean?
Luke gives two names. Bar-Jesus is Aramaic and means “son of Jesus,” that is, son of Joshua, a common name at the time. For Elymas, Luke notes that “sorcerer” is what his name means (Acts 13:8); the exact origin of the word, Arabic or Semitic, is debated. Paul, by contrast, calls him “son of the devil.”
The story of Elymas the Sorcerer
Sent by the Holy Spirit to Cyprus
Acts 13:1-5In the assembly at Antioch, as they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit asks that Barnabas and Saul be set apart. After fasting, prayer and the laying on of hands, the two men go down to Seleucia and sail to Cyprus. At Salamis they proclaim God’s word in the Jewish synagogues, with John as their attendant.
A sorcerer beside the proconsul
Acts 13:6-7Having gone through the island to Paphos, they find “a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus,” who is with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, “a man of understanding.” The Roman governor summons Barnabas and Saul, eager to hear the word of God. The meeting pits a false prophet against two envoys of Christ.
Elymas withstands them
Acts 13:8Luke notes that Elymas the sorcerer, “for so is his name by interpretation,” withstood them, “seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” His position beside the governor is threatened by the gospel. He does not debate the truth: he tries to stop a man from believing, and that is his whole fight.
Son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness
Acts 13:9-10Saul, “who is also called Paul,” filled with the Holy Spirit, fastens his eyes on him and exposes him: “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” From here on, Luke calls Saul by the name Paul.
Blind for a season
Acts 13:11Paul announces, “the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fall on Elymas, who goes around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. The judgment is limited in time; Paul himself had known three days of blindness on the road to Damascus.
The proconsul believes
Acts 13:12“Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” It is not only the miracle that convinces him but the Lord’s teaching. Elymas’s opposition produces the opposite of what he wanted: a Roman governor becomes a believer, the first fruit of the missionary journey.
What Elymas the Sorcerer teaches us
- When someone wants to hear the gospel, expect opposition; it does not always come from outside, sometimes from religious people.
- God’s power is not negotiated through magic or manipulation: God alone has authority over hearts.
- A judgment from God can be a grace: Elymas’s blindness is only “for a season,” like Saul’s before his conversion.
- Do not be an obstacle between a person and faith; be the one who helps them hear the word of God.
Key verses
Luke explains the meaning of the name Elymas, “sorcerer,” and describes his aim: to turn the proconsul away from the faith. The real battle is fought over a person who is seeking God.
Paul calls Elymas “son of the devil” and “enemy of all righteousness.” The contrast with Bar-Jesus, “son of Jesus,” is deliberate: his name promises what his life contradicts.
The proconsul believes, “astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” The magician’s downfall opens the way to faith: God turns opposition into an occasion for salvation.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Elymas the Sorcerer
Frequently asked questions
Who is Elymas in the Bible?
Elymas, also called Bar-Jesus, is a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet living near the proconsul Sergius Paulus at Paphos, on Cyprus. When Paul and Barnabas bring the word of God to the proconsul, he opposes them. Paul confronts him and he is struck blind for a time; the proconsul believes (Acts 13:6-12).
What do the names Elymas and Bar-Jesus mean?
Bar-Jesus is an Aramaic name meaning “son of Jesus,” that is, son of Joshua, a common name at the time. For Elymas, Luke writes that “sorcerer” is what his name means (Acts 13:8); the precise etymology is still debated. Paul turns the first name around by calling him “son of the devil” (Acts 13:10).
Where is the story of Elymas in the Bible?
Elymas appears only in Acts 13:6-12, at the start of Paul and Barnabas’s first missionary journey, on Cyprus. The scene takes place at Paphos, just after the preaching at Salamis (Acts 13:4-5) and before the departure for Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13).