5/21 Acts 13:10

¹⁰ "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?"

These are the words of Paul to the magician Elymas. The proconsul of the island of Cypress, Sergius Paulus, had asked for Paul and Barnabas to share the gospel with him, but Elymas kept opposing them. Opposition to the gospel is to be expected. Some who hear it are afraid they will lose control of their lives or their influence over others. The Holy Spirit had Paul use the harsh words in our verse for today to silence Elymas. Elymas became blind for a time, which was a physical manifestation of his spiritual condition. This convinced Sergius Paulus to believe Paul's message.

Up until the conversion of the proconsul, Paul had been using his Hebrew name, "Saul." From this point onward he took the Roman name of the proconsul, "Paul." We rarely see such a harsh response to opposition in the New Testament. It was obviously what the Spirit deemed necessary for the conversion of the proconsul and a testimony to the island.

We often try to formulate how one should witness. I haven't read many formulas that included cursing your opposition with blindness. My point is that we must be led by the Spirit. Every person and situation is unique. While we should memorize the Scriptures that lead one to salvation and be ready to share our testimonies, we should also be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who wins souls.

Consider: When I share Christ, do I follow a formula or seek the leading of the Holy Spirit?