Paul and Barnabas are prayed for and launched into ministry! So Paul goes from hunting people down that follow Jesus to being one of the most noted evangelists in the Bible! Wow!
So they are out on the first missionary journey. One of the first things that is recorded that they do is they run into a sorcerer, a false prophet. It would seem that he is trying to present himself as the son of Jesus, AND he is trying to not let other people believe the message of the Gospel. He is anti-evangelizing. He uses a bit of discernment to see through this sorcerer, right to his heart. He sees what is below the surface. Then God allows the miraculous to happen.So to quote it right from the Bible:
Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. Paul speaks to the Jews, and he approaches the Gospel by building on what they know from the (Old Testament) Scriptures. He shows how all their history point to Jesus and how Jesus fulfilled the requirements of being the Saviour.
Then Paul turns his attention to the Gentiles (Non-Jews) and the Jews are jealous of all the attention the Gentiles are giving Paul. They begin to complain and backstab him. The Gentiles want God, and God even confirms again that the Gospel is for everyone. They receive his Spirit there too.
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