Part 3 – Minimal Jewish Outreach to Gentiles

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called God’s Turn from Israel to the Gentiles.

Jewish outreach to Gentiles had not occurred from the time of Jesus of Nazareth even as late as Acts 11:19, which was at least 5-7 years after Pentecost (except for Peter’s unique experience at Cornelius’ house at God’s insistence).

It is only in Acts 11:20, that we get a glimpse of even any sort of ‘Jewish witness to the Jews’ outside of Israel. It was in Antioch and it not at the hands of any of “the Twelve Apostles.” It only came by some of the Messianic Jewish believers who had been “scattered” (v19 below) after Stephen’s brutal death. So, there were Messianic Jews there preaching “the Lord Jesus … unto the Jews only” (v19 below). They had indirectly and inadvertently reached some Gentiles. Notice also how this occurred outside of Israel, in Antioch.

19Now they [the Israelites] which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians [Greeks], preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” (Acts 11:19-21 (KJV)

After word of these Greeks believing reached Barnabas, he came from Jerusalem to Antioch to investigate reports of Gentile salvation to the Kingdom gospel of Jesus. Barnabas did not return to Jerusalem and “the Twelve,” rather, he departed to Antioch to find Paul (Acts 11:25-26). This alone should reveal to the diligent student that something different was occurring with regard to ‘Gentile evangelism and it was occurring Outside of The Ministry of “The Twelve” whose ministry was now to the Jews only (cf. Gal 2:8-9). We should note also that it was at Antioch that believers were first called ‘Christians.’

So, Christianity did not begin with Israel or at Pentecost, rather it began with Paul being there in Antioch teaching for “a whole year,” outside of Israel and totally apart from the ministry of “the Twelve” (Acts 11:26).

Now we should turn to Acts 13:2-12 to read the account of ‘Paul’s first missionary journey.’

 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John [John Mark] to their minister.

 6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Which was with the [Roman] deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul [Paul], and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer [for so is his name by interpretation] withstood them [Paul and Barnabas], seeking to turn away the [Roman Gentile] deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him [on Barjesus], 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and Thou Shalt Be Blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the [Roman] deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.” (Acts 13:2-12)

So, we have the account and setting of the story of the Jew, Bar-Jesus and the Gentile (Sergius Paulus) in Paul’s first missionary journey. Through prayer, fasting, and the Holy Spirit’s leading, the church in Antioch had selected Barnabas and Saul, who was also called Paul, to be sent out as missionaries. With them also was John Mark. On their journey, they traveled to Cyprus, Barnabas’s home island. When they arrived in Paphos, the western port and capital of the island, they were invited to meet with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was Roman governor of the region.

The Bible tells us that Sergius Paulus was an intelligent man who wanted to hear the Word of God. Among the governor’s attendants was Bar-Jesus, a Jew who made his living practicing magic. He also claimed to be a prophet of God.

The name Bar-Jesus means “son of Joshua” or “son of the Savior.” In Acts 13:8, the magician is also called Elymas, which, according to Luke, means “magician” or “sorcerer.” It was not uncommon for Jews to have more than one name, and Luke, the author of Acts thought it was important to include both in the account.

While Barnabas and Paul were visiting with Sergius Paulus, they encountered Bar-Jesus. The sorcerer, who most likely feared losing his job with the proconsul, began to openly oppose the gospel message being shared by Barnabas and Paul. The Bible says he tried to turn the governor from the faith (Acts 13:8).

Filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, Paul looked intently at Bar-Jesus and essentially 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. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun” (Acts 13:10–11).

Immediately, the magician, Simon Bar-Jesus, was afflicted with temporary blindness and began groping around for someone to guide him by the hand. As you will see below, this real happening can be seen as a metaphor for what was happening to the Nation Israel, who had become ‘blinded.’ The magician’s name ‘Bar-Jesus’ means “son of the Savior,” but Paul called him “child of the devil,” a wordplay that would not have been lost on Sergius Paulus, the Roman centurion.

The story above recounts an actual happening and yet it is also a metaphor for what occurred whereby the Nation Israel itself did “fall” to blindness (Rom. 11:25 below) at which time Paul’s grace gospel then went to the Gentiles who did receive it. Paul later wrote of Israel’s fall” and “salvation going to the Gentiles.”

Let their [the Nation Israel’s] eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their [Israel’s] FALL salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them [Israel] the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 15 For if the casting away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part [i.e., temporarily] is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Rom. 11:10-11, 12, 15, 25)

Shortly after Act 13 we come to a major crossroads in Acts 15, a watershed event, the ‘Turning Point,’ which will be discussed in the next installment of this Study Series.