The Church Breaks Barriers
THE CHURCH BREAKS BARRIERS
ACTS 13:1-12
This is the first recorded act of planned overseas missionary work; note that the Lord did the planning.
The NEB heads this chapter and new section: The Church Breaks Barriers. This is an accurate summary of the new phase of missionary activity begun by the church at Antioch.
13:1-3 describe how the new impetus was given. Note what the church’s preoccupation was when the Spirit’s summons came (13:2) and why these two men were chosen. How were they commissioned (13:3)?
The names in 13:1 are full of interest and embrace diverse racial and social groups. “Niger” means “dark,” and Symeon is possibly to be equated with Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26). Lucius is not to be equated, however, with the evangelist Luke, nor with the Lucius of Romans 16:21. Manaen had been well placed in Herod’s entourage as the prince’s companion.
The first missionary tour is then detailed. From Seleucia, the port of Antioch, they came to Salamis, the chief town of Cyprus. Christian witness was made in the Jewish synagogues, mainly (so we may judge from 13:15) by seizing the opportunity which came to give a sermon to the assembled congregation in each place. Cf. Luke 4:15-30. John (Mark’s) assistance suggests that he was a catechetical teacher, engaged in follow-up work (13:5).
The encounter with Elymas at Paphos is a reminder that the gospel of Christ had many rivals in the ancient religious world. The lure of magic—which included such things as astrology, fortune-telling, healing and exorcism—was very powerful, and magicians practiced their art all over the Roman world. Magical ideas invaded Judaism, chiefly from Chaldean sources and Elymas was known also by a Jewish name (13:6).
Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, shows a remarkable openness to the Christian message (13:7). This obviously displeased the magician, who had the wit to see that if his master became a believer in God his services would quickly be dispensed with. Hence his obstruction (13:8) which, in turn, met with a forthright statement from Paul (his Roman name is now used, as he comes to the fore, cf. verse 13, and takes precedence over Barnabas).
Notes 13:2: a precious sidelight on early Christian worship, which included a worshiping of Jesus as Lord. 13:5: RSV disguises the presence of a technical expression here: John was their attendant (same word in Luke 1:2).