Luke the beloved physician wrote while certain teachers and prophets in the church in Antioch, “ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister”, and in chapter thirteen and verse six of the book of Acts Luke shared how Barnabas and Saul, “found a certain sorcerer” where we read:
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer,
a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
The verse begins, “And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when they had gone through the isle” which means “and at the time and moment Barnabas and Saul traveled through the island of Cyprus” “unto Paphos” whose name means “boiling or hot and was a maritime city on the west end of Cyprus, with a harbor. It was the residence of a Roman proconsul”, “they found a certain sorcerer” which means “Barnabas and Saul discovered a particular seer, interpreter of dreams, soothsayer or magician”. Luke shared how “Barnabas and Saul” continued to journey through the island of “Cyprus” until they reached the city of “Paphos” where they encountered a “soothsayer or magician”.
The verse goes on to say, “... a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:” Luke continued with the words, “a false prophet” which means “a person who acts the part of a divinely inspired prophet who utters falsehoods under the name of divine prophesies”, “a Jew” or “and man who was of the Jewish nation by birth, origin or religion”, “whose name was Barjesus” which means “who was called and known as Barjesus which means son of Jesus”. Luke shared how “Barnabas and Saul” encountered a “sorcerer” whose name was “Barjesus” who was a “Jewish man” and a man who uttered “prophetic falsehoods”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Barnabas and Saul” encountered a “sorcerer or soothsayer” as they traveled to “Paphos” in “Cyprus”. His name was “Barjesus” and was a Jewish man who was a “false prophet”. We shall see what “Barnabas and Saul” do with “Barjesus” in our next few verses, but for now let us be reminded that Jesus came to “save” every person regardless of their background. Jesus said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (See Matthew 9:12), and He desires to have a personal relationship with anyone who will believe and trust in Him as their “Savior and Lord”. When they surrender to Jesus, He will forgive their sins, grant them everlasting life, and whatever is in their past will be made anew. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Next time Luke shares how the sorcerer Barjesus, “was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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