Homily 28 — Acts 13, verses 4 to 15

“So they, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, went to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their attendant.” [a]

As soon as they were ordained they set out, and hurried to Cyprus. That was a place where no plot was being hatched against them, and where, besides, the word had already been sown. In Antioch there were teachers enough, and Phoenicia too was near Palestine; but Cyprus was not. Still, you are not to go asking why and for what purpose, when it is the Spirit who directs their movements. For they were not only ordained by the Spirit; they were sent out by him as well.

“And when they came to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.” Do you notice how they make a point of preaching the word to the Jews first, so as not to make them more quarrelsome? The men mentioned earlier “spoke to no one but Jews only” (Acts 11, verse 19), and so here too they took themselves to the synagogues.

“And when they had gone through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul of the country, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means when translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith” (verses 6 to 8). Here again is a sorcerer, as Simon was — and a Jew. And notice this man: while they were preaching to the others, he did not take it much amiss; it was only when they approached the proconsul. And then, as for the proconsul, the wonder is that although he was already under the spell of the man’s sorcery, he was still willing to hear the apostles. So it was with the Samaritans too. And the victory shows itself in the contest between them, since the sorcery was defeated. Everywhere, empty glory and the love of power are a rich source of evils!

“But Saul, who is also Paul” (verse 9) — here his name is changed at the same time as he is ordained, as it was in Peter’s case — “filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at him and said, You who are full of all deceit and all villainy, you child of the devil” (verse 10). Notice that this is not abuse but accusation; that is how brazen, shameless people ought to be rebuked. “You enemy of all righteousness”: here he lays bare what was in the man’s thoughts, since under the pretense of saving the proconsul he was ruining him. “Will you not stop,” he says, “perverting the ways of the Lord?” He says it with full authority, as if to say: “It is not us you are at war with, and it is not us you are fighting. It is ‘the ways of the Lord’ you are perverting.” And he adds praise of those ways: “the right” ways.

“And now, look, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind” (verse 11). This was the very sign by which Paul himself had been converted, and by it he wanted to convert this man too. So also the words “for a time” present it not as an act of punishment but as meant for his conversion. Had it been for punishment, he would have made him blind for good. But it is not so; it is “for a time,” and this so that he might win the proconsul. For since the proconsul was under the spell of the sorcery, it was well to teach him a lesson by this stroke — and the sorcerer too — in the same way as the magicians in Egypt were taught by the boils (Exodus 9, verse 11).

“And immediately a mist and a darkness fell on him, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what had happened, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (verse 12). But notice how they do not linger there, as they might have been tempted to do now that the proconsul was a believer, and how they are not softened by being courted and honored. At once they keep on with their work and set out for the country on the opposite coast.

“Now when Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John left them and returned to Jerusalem. But when they went on from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down” (verses 13 and 14). Here again they went into the synagogues as Jews, so that they would not be treated as enemies and driven away; and in this way they carried the whole matter through successfully.

“And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men and brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak” (verse 15). From this point on we learn the history of Paul’s doings, just as in what was said earlier we learned a good deal about Peter. But let us go over again what has been said.

“And when they came to Salamis,” the capital of Cyprus, “they preached the word of God” (verse 5). They had spent a year in Antioch. It was right that they should go to Cyprus as well, and not sit where they were for good; the converts in Cyprus needed greater teachers. See, too, how they spend no time in Seleucia, knowing that the people there could get much benefit from the neighboring city of Antioch; instead they hurry on to the more pressing work. When they came to the capital of the island, they were eager to set the proconsul right. [f]

And that the writer is not flattering him when he says, “He was with the proconsul, an intelligent man” (verse 7), you can learn from the facts: the proconsul did not need many speeches, and he himself asked to hear them. The writer gives the names as well. Notice how Paul said nothing to the sorcerer until the man gave him occasion; they only “preached the word of the Lord.” For though Elymas saw the others paying attention to them, he looked to this one object alone: that the proconsul should not be won over.

Why did Paul not perform some other miracle? Because there was none to equal this one: taking the enemy captive. And notice that he first brings the charge against him, and then punishes him. He shows how justly the man deserved to suffer by saying, “O full of all deceit” (verse 10). “Full of all,” he says: nothing was lacking to the full measure. And he rightly says “deceit,” for the man was playing the hypocrite. “Child of the devil,” because he was doing the devil’s work. “Enemy of all righteousness,” since what they were preaching was the whole of righteousness; though at the same time, I suppose, in these words he rebukes the man’s way of life.

His words were not prompted by anger, and to show this the writer puts first, “filled with the Holy Spirit” — that is, with the Spirit’s working. “And now, look, the hand of the Lord is upon you” (verse 11). So it was not vengeance but healing. For it is as though he said:

“It is not I who do this, but the hand of God.” See how modest he is! No “light shone around him,” as in Paul’s own case (Acts 9, verse 3). “You will be blind,” he says, “not seeing the sun for a time,” so as to give him room for repentance. For we never find the apostles wanting to make themselves conspicuous by the sterner use of their authority, even when it was enemies it was used against. With those of their own body they used severity, and with good reason (Acts 5, verse 1 and following); but in dealing with those outside, not so, so that the obedience of faith would not seem to be a matter of compulsion and fear. [g]

The proof of his blindness is his “seeking someone to lead him by the hand.” And the proconsul sees the blindness inflicted: “and when he saw what had happened, he believed.” And he did not merely believe; he was “astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (verse 12). He saw that these things were not mere words, nor trickery. Notice how gladly he received instruction from his teachers, though he held a post of such high authority. And notice that Paul did not say to the sorcerer, “Will you not stop perverting the proconsul?”

What is the reason for John’s turning back from them? For “John,” it says, “left them and returned to Jerusalem” (verse 13). He did it because they were undertaking a still longer journey. And yet he was their attendant, and as for the danger, it was they who faced it, not he.

Again, when they came to Perga, they passed quickly by the other cities, for they were hurrying to the capital, Antioch. And notice how brief the historian is. “They sat down in the synagogue,” he says, and “on the Sabbath day” (verses 14 and 15), so that they might prepare the way for the word beforehand. And they do not speak first, but only when invited; since they were strangers, the others called on them to speak. If they had not waited, there would have been no discourse at all.

Here for the first time we have Paul preaching. And notice his good sense: where the word was already sown, he passes on; but where no one had preached, he stays — as he himself writes, “Yes, I have made it my aim to preach the good news, not where Christ was named” (Romans 15, verse 20). This too shows great courage. Truly, from the very outset, a wonderful man! A crucified man, drawn up for battle against every encounter, he knew how great a grace he had received, and he brought to it a zeal to match. He was not angry with John, for that was no business of his; he kept to the work. He did not flinch, he was not dismayed, when he was shut in on every side by a whole army.

Notice how wisely it was arranged that Paul should not preach at Jerusalem. The mere news that he had become a believer was enough for them there; they would never have put up with his preaching, so great was their hatred of him. So he goes far away, where he was not known. And it was well done that “they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day,” when everyone was gathered together. “And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, Men and brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak” (verse 15). See how they do this without grudging — but not any longer after this. If you really wanted this, there was all the more need to exhort.

He first convicted the sorcerer and showed what he was, and the sign proved that he was such a man: “You will be blind, not seeing the sun” — this was a sign of the blindness of his soul — “for a time” (verse 11), he says, to bring him to repentance. [l]

But oh, this love of power! Oh, this craving for empty glory! How it overturns and ruins everything! It makes people stand up against their own salvation and against one another’s. It makes them truly blind and in the dark, so much so that they have even to seek for someone to lead them by the hand. Oh, if only they did even this! If only they would seek someone, anyone, to lead them by the hand! But no; they will no longer put up with this, and they take the whole matter into their own hands. This vice lets no one see. Like a mist and thick darkness it spreads itself over them and lets no one see through it.

What excuse will we have to offer, we who overcome one evil passion for the sake of another evil passion, but not for the fear of God? For example, many who are both lustful and greedy have put a bridle on their lust out of stinginess, while others of the same kind, on the contrary, have despised wealth for the sake of pleasure. Again, those who are both the one and the other have overcome both through the craving for empty glory, spending their money without stint and practicing chastity to no good purpose. Others again, who are exceedingly eager for empty glory, have despised that evil passion, submitting to many vile disgraces for the sake of their love affairs, or for the sake of their money. Others again, to glut their anger, have chosen to suffer losses without end and care nothing for any of them, provided only they can have their own way.

And yet what passion can do with us, the fear of God is powerless to do! Why do I speak of passion? What shame before people can do with us, the fear of God does not have the strength to do! Many are the things, right and wrong, that we do out of a feeling of shame before people; but God we do not fear. How many have been shamed by regard for people’s opinion into throwing their money away! How many have mistakenly made it a point of honor to give themselves up to serving their friends alone, to their own hurt! How many, out of respect for their friendships, have been shamed into countless wrong acts!

Since, then, both passion and regard for people’s opinion are able to move us to do wrong things and right ones, it is idle to say, “We cannot.” We can, if we have the will; and we ought to have the will. Why can you not overcome the love of glory, when others do overcome it — people who have the same soul as you and the same body, who bear the same form and live the same life? Think of God; think of the glory that comes from above. Weigh the things of the present against that, and you will quickly draw back from this worldly glory.

If you must covet glory, covet the glory that really is glory. What kind of glory is it when it breeds disgrace? What kind of glory is it when it forces you to crave the honor of those who are beneath you, and to stand in need of it? Real honor is winning the esteem of those who are greater than yourself. If you are in love with glory at all, be in love rather with the glory that comes from God. If, in love with that glory, you despise this world’s glory, you will see how base this one is. But as long as you do not see that glory, you will not be able to see this one either — how foul it is, how ridiculous. Think of men under the spell of some wicked, hideously ugly woman: as long as they are in love with her, they cannot see her ugliness, because their passion spreads darkness over their judgment. So it is here too. As long as we are possessed by the passion, we cannot see what kind of thing it is.

How, then, can we be rid of it? Think of those who have spent countless sums for the sake of glory and are now none the better for it. Think of the dead: what glory they won — and now this glory stays nowhere, but has all perished and come to nothing. Consider that it is only a name and has nothing real in it. For tell me, what is glory? Give me a definition. You will say: “Being admired by everyone.” Justly, or unjustly as well? If it is not with justice, then this is not admiration but accusation, and flattery, and slander. But if you say, “With justice,” why, that is impossible. For there is no right judgment in the crowd; those who cater to their cravings are the ones they admire. If you want proof of this, look at those who give away their wealth to the prostitutes, to the charioteers, to the dancers. But you will say: “We do not mean these, but those who are just and upright, and able to do great and noble good deeds.” If only they did want that! They would soon be doing good themselves. But as things are, they do nothing of the kind. Tell me, who now praises the just and upright man? No, it is just the opposite. Could anything be more absurd than for a just man, when he does some such good act, to seek glory from the many? It is as if an artist of consummate skill, at work on the emperor’s portrait, should want the praise of the ignorant!

Besides, a man who looks for honor from people will soon enough give up the acts that virtue requires. If he insists on gaping after their praises, he will do just what they want, not what he himself wants. What, then, do I advise you? You must look to God alone, to the praise that comes from him. Do everything that pleases him, go after the good things that are with him, and do not gape after anything that comes from human beings. For this spoils fasting and prayer and almsgiving alike, and makes all our good deeds void.

So that this may not be our case, let us flee this passion. Let us look to one thing alone: to the praise that comes from God, to being accepted by him, to the commendation of our common Master; so that, having passed through this present life virtuously, we may obtain the promised blessings together with those who love him, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory, power, and honor to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.