Bible Word of the Day
Elymas (Bar-Jesus, Jewish Sorcerer)
Meaning
Elymas was a Jewish sorcerer who believed in and practiced magic. He is the perfect example of a false believer. Someone who for social reasons or gain claims to follow God. However, in reality his heart was at enmity against God. The name “Elymas” may have not been his real name, but a translation of what he was. That is to say a magician. Elymas was an advisor to Sergius Paulus, who was the proconsul of Cyprus. A proconsul functioned much like a mayor or governor for a specific area assigned by the Roman Emperor. Therefore, since Sergius Paulus was a powerful person Elymas because of his wickedness and greed had worked himself in as an advisor. According to the scripture he had done so through the use of magic.
It’s important to understand when the Bible speaks of magic and sorcery, it’s not speaking of magic as we understand it today. Today when we say the word magician, it refers to a person skilled in the art of illusions. However, this was not so in the ancient world. A magician or sorcerer in the ancient world was someone who interacted with demons. Someone who used special prayers and spells as well as as naturally occurring drugs and stimulants. They used their relationship with demons to gain knowledge for themselves and abilities, not available to common people. In other words, this would have been a person in complete rebellion against God. Therefore, Paul cursed Elymas for misleading Sergius Paulus and perverting the Gospel as well as for his wickedness. As a result of Paul’s curse, Elymas was immediately blinded.
“Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? ‘And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.’ And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.” (Book of Acts 13:6-12)