Topical Encyclopedia
Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas the sorcerer, is a biblical figure mentioned in the New Testament, specifically in the Book of Acts. His account is found in
Acts 13:6-12, where he is depicted as a Jewish false prophet and magician who resided in Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. The name "Bar-Jesus" means "son of Jesus" or "son of Joshua," which was a common name during that period.
Biblical Account:The account of Bar-Jesus is primarily associated with the missionary journey of the Apostle Paul and Barnabas. As they traveled through the island of Cyprus, they encountered Bar-Jesus, who was closely associated with the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus.
Acts 13:6-7 states, "They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God."
Bar-Jesus, also referred to as Elymas, opposed Paul and Barnabas, attempting to turn the proconsul away from the Christian faith.
Acts 13:8 notes, "But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith."
Confrontation with Paul:The confrontation between Paul and Bar-Jesus is a significant moment in the narrative. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebuked Bar-Jesus for his deceit and opposition to the Gospel.
Acts 13:9-11 records, "Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas and said, 'You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right. You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you, and you are going to be blind for a time, unable to see the light of the sun.' Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand."
Impact on Sergius Paulus:The miraculous blinding of Bar-Jesus had a profound impact on Sergius Paulus. Witnessing the power of God through Paul’s words and actions, the proconsul believed in the teachings of Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 13:12 states, "When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord."
Theological Significance:Bar-Jesus serves as a representation of the spiritual opposition faced by the early Church in its mission to spread the Gospel. His encounter with Paul highlights the conflict between truth and deception, as well as the authority of the apostolic message over false teachings. The incident underscores the power of the Holy Spirit working through the apostles to overcome obstacles and affirm the truth of the Christian faith.
Bar-Jesus' account is a reminder of the challenges that arise when the Gospel confronts established beliefs and practices, and it illustrates the transformative power of God’s word in the lives of those who witness His works.
ATS Bible Dictionary
Bar-JesusSeeELYMAS.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Son of Joshua, the patronymic of Elymas the sorcerer (
Acts 13:6), who met Paul and Barnabas at Paphos. Elymas is a word of Arabic origin meaning "wise."
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BAR-JESUSbar-je'-zus (Bariesous): "A certain sorcerer (Greek magos), a false prophet, a Jew" whom Paul and Silas found at Paphos in Cyprus in the train of Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul (Acts 13:6). The proconsul was "a man of understanding" (literally, a prudent or sagacious man), of an inquiring mind, interested in the thought and magic of his times. This characteristic explains the presence of a magos among his staff and his desire to hear Barnabas and Saul. Bar-Jesus was the magician's Jewish name. Elymas is said to be the interpretation of his name (Acts 13:8). It is the Greek transliteration of an Aramaic or Arabic word equivalent to Greek magos. From Arabic `alama, "to know" is derived `alim, "a wise" or "learned man." In Koran, Sur note 106, Moses is called Sachir `alim, "wise magician." Elymas therefore means "sorcerer" (compare Simon "Magus").
The East was flooding the Roman Empire with its new and wonderful religious systems, which, culminating in neo-Platonism, were the great rivals of Christianity both in their cruder and in their more strictly religious forms. Superstition was extremely prevalent, and wonder-workers of all kinds, whether imposters or honest exponents of some new faith, found their task easy through the credulity of the public. Babylonia was the home of magic, for charms are found on the oldest tablets. "Magos" was originally applied to the priests of the Persians who overran Babylonia, but the title degenerated when it was assumed by baser persons for baser articles Juvenal (vi.562, etc.), Horace (Sat. i0.2.1) and other Latin authors mention Chaldean astrologers and impostors, probably Babylonian Jews. Many of the Magians, however, were the scientists of their day, the heirs of the science of Babylon and the lore of Persia, and not merely pretenders or conjurers (see MAGIC). It may have been as the representative of some oriental system, a compound of "science" and religion, that Bar-Jesus was attached to the train of Sergius Paulus.
Both Sergius and Elymas had heard about the teaching of the apostles, and this aroused the curiosity of Sergius and the fear of Elymas. When the apostles came, obedient to the command of the proconsul, their doctrine visibly produced on him a considerable impression. Fearing lest his position of influence and gain would be taken by the new teachers, Elymas "withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith" (Acts 13:8). Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, worked a wonder on the wonder-worker by striking him blind with his word, thus revealing to the proconsul that behind him was Divine power. Sergius Paulus believed, "being astonished at the teaching of the Lord" (Acts 13:12).
S. F. Hunter
Greek
919. Bariesous -- "son of Joshua,"Bar-Jesus, a false prophet...Bar-
jesus. Of Chaldee origin (bar and Yhowshuwa'); son of Jesus (or Joshua);
Bar-
jesus, an Israelite --
Barjesus. see HEBREW bar. see HEBREW Yhowshuwa'.
...Library
Acts XIII
... (6) "And having passed through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain
magician, a false prophet, a Jew whose name wasBar-Jesus, (7) who was...
I am Told that He Also Carps at Me for the Translation I have...
... meanings. It means Son, as in the words Barjona (son of a dove) Bartholomew
(son of Tholom??us), Bartim??us,Barjesus, Barabbas....
The Acts of Barnabus.
... And we met a certain Jew, by nameBarjesus, coming from Paphos, who also
recognised Barnabas, as having been formerly with Paul....
Acts xiii. 4, 5
... found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name wasBar-jesus: which
was... It is not clear whether this relates to the two names,Barjesus and Elymas...
Heralds of the Gospel
... And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer,
a false prophet, a Jew, whose name wasBar-Jesus: which was with the deputy...
To the Regions Beyond
... minister.6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain
sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name wasBar-jesus: 7. Which was...
March the Twenty-Sixth the King of Kings
... Even at Pilate's judgmentbar Jesus is the King. But His kingdom is "not of this
world." And therefore this King is unlike every other King....
For if the Baptism which Pr??textatus and Felicianus Administered...
... he could say, that "Christ is the centre of the Trinity." In the next place, he
has taken occasion of the names of the sorcerers Simon andBarjesus to vent...
Index of Subjects.
... 616. requires both the rite and the gospel, [1299]626. man not the justifier,
but God [1300]646.Barjesus, [1301]616. Basilica, [1302...
The Crucifixion.
...Jesus being already dead, this was considered unnecessary; but as possibly He might
only have swooned, and as the bodies were immediately taken down, one of...
Thesaurus
Barjesus (1 Occurrence)... It may have been as the representative of some oriental system, a compound of "science"
and religion, that
Bar-
Jesus was attached to the
...Barjesus (1 Occurrence
...Bar-jesus (1 Occurrence)
Bar-jesus.Barjesus,Bar-jesus. Barjona . Easton's Bible Dictionary Son of...
RSV NIV).Barjesus,Bar-jesus. Barjona . Reference Bible.
Bar (27 Occurrences)
... of persons. Compare Barabbas;Bar-Jesus; Bar-Jonah; Barnabas; Barsabbas;
Bartholomew; Bartimeus. See BEN. BAR (2). bar (substantive...
Paphos (2 Occurrences)
... A Jew namedBar-Jesus or Elymas, who, as a Magian or soothsayer, "was with the
proconsul," presumably as a member of his suite, used all his powers of...
Elymas (2 Occurrences)
... Magician or sorcerer, the Arabic name of the JewBar-jesus, who withstood Paul and
Barnabas in Cyprus.... el'-i-mas (Elumas, "wise"; Acts 13:8). SeeBAR-JESUS....
Magician (5 Occurrences)
... first of all to drugs used in exercising the magical article Note the name Simon
Magus, which = Simon the magician (Acts 8:9 f), andBar-Jesus, whom Luke calls...
Length (135 Occurrences)
... Acts 13:6 When they had gone through the whole length of the island as far as Paphos,
they there met with a Jewish magician and false prophet,Bar-Jesus by name...
Wonder-worker (9 Occurrences)
... 13:6 And when they had gone through all the island to Paphos, they came across a
certain wonder-worker and false prophet, a Jew whose name wasBar-Jesus; (BBE)....
Isle (15 Occurrences)
... Acts 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain
sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name wasBarjesus: (KJV WBS)....
Resources
Who was Bar-Jesus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgIs Jesus God's Son? How could Allah, being one, have a Son? | GotQuestions.orgDid Jesus really exist? Is there any historical evidence of Jesus Christ? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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