As Paul preached on Cyprus, he encountered a Roman official who wanted to hear the truth, and a false prophet who wanted to subvert the truth. The false prophet is called Bar Jesus and also Elymas. There is a play on words here because Bar Jesus would imply "son of the savior" but Paul labels him "son of the devil," using strong irony. Paul said this "filled with the Spirit" according to Luke. Thus, Paul spoke with prophetic authority. The proconsul hungered for the truth and Elymas opposed it.

We discuss the importance of a love for the truth. Those who speak by the Spirit confess Christ. Luke's description of the title of Sergius Paulus is accurate to the historical reality of how Rome ruled Cyprus.

We also show how Luke describes a number of cases where the truth spoken by the apostles confronts the magic and occultism of the world. Those who practice the occult seek information or power from the world of the spirits. This type of practice is forbidden in the OT in Deuteronomy 18:10, 11 and elsewhere. The Jewish false prophet, being one who practiced magic,was in rebellion against what was revealed through Moses. There are many encounters in Acts where spiritual evil and the truth of the gospel collide. We discuss one from Acts 16. Humans lust for spiritual encounters that are forbidden and this continues to be true to this day. We warn about the dangers and the only way out which is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Class slides and handout are available under the Downloads tab.