Acts 13:6-8

Acts 13:6-8

[6] And  when they had gone through  the isle  unto  Paphos,  they found  a certain  sorcerer,  a false prophet,  a Jew,  whose  name  was Barjesus:  [7] Which  with  the deputy of the country,  Sergius  Paulus,  a prudent  man;  who  called  for Barnabas  and  Saul,  and desired  to hear  the word  of God.  [8] But  Elymas  the sorcerer  (for  so  is his  name  by interpretation  ) withstood  them,  seeking  to turn away  the deputy  from  the faith. 

What does Acts 13:6-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Barnabas and Saul travelled west across Cyprus coming eventually to Paphos, the provincial capital of the island. Paphos was90 miles west of Salamis and lay on the western coast of Cyprus. Evidently word reached Sergius Paulus of the missionaries" preaching. Since he was an intelligent man (Gr. aner syneton, an understanding or sagacious Prayer of Manasseh , cf. Acts 13:12), he ordered them to meet with him so he could hear their message personally.
"In the Greek world it was the custom for philosophers, rhetoricians, or religious propagandists, to travel about from city to city and give public orations. By this means they often secured permanent professorships. So when Sergius Paulus heard of Barnabas and Saul, he took them for similar professors, and having an interest in these matters he summoned them to give a declamation before his court." [1]
He was a "proconsul," the highest Roman government official on the island who was there by appointment of Rome"s senate. [2] In contrast, procurators were appointed by the emperor. Procurators mentioned in the New Testament were Pontius Pilate, Antonius Felix, and Porcius Festus. Evidently Baruch -Jesus (lit. Son of a Savior) was a Jewish false prophet in the sense that he claimed to be a prophet of God but was not. He was only a magician who may have had some Satanic power (cf. Acts 8:9). The Mosaic Law forbade Jews from practicing magic ( Deuteronomy 18:10-11). "Elymas" (wise) seems to have been a nickname. It describes a "sorcerer," "magician," or "fortune-teller" (Gr. magos, cf. Matthew 2:1; Matthew 2:7; Matthew 2:16). He may have opposed the missionaries because they brought the true message of God. Furthermore he may have felt that if Sergius Paulus believed the gospel his relationship to the proconsul would suffer.
"It was not usual for such a character to be attached to the household of a Roman dignitary." [3]
Roman officials were notoriously superstitious.