<p>So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.<strong> </strong>And when they reached Salamis, they <em>began to</em> proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John as their helper.<strong> </strong>And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,<strong> </strong>who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.<strong> </strong>But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.<strong> </strong>But Saul, who was also <em>known as</em> Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,<strong> </strong>and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. - Acts 13:4-12</p><p>Hope everyone had a great Christmas. This week we covered the end of chapter 12 and the first half of chapter 13.</p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://nowatamethodists.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">nowatamethodists.substack.com</a>