📖 Biblical Definition
Roman administrative capital of Cyprus on the western coast (Acts 13:6-13). After preaching in the synagogues of Salamis, Paul and Barnabas traveled across the island to Paphos. There they encountered a Jewish false prophet, sorcerer, and court magician of the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, named Bar-Jesus, also called Elymas. Sergius Paulus, described as a prudent man, called for Barnabas and Saul to hear the word of God; Elymas withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul from the faith. Paul (the text now switches from Saul to Paul for the first time in Acts, Acts 13:9), filled with the Holy Ghost, looked on Elymas and pronounced his judgment: 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? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season (Acts 13:10-11). Immediately a mist and darkness fell on Elymas; he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Sergius Paulus, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord (Acts 13:12). The episode is the first recorded Pauline encounter with overt spiritual opposition and the first recorded Pauline miraculous judgment against a false prophet. The patriarchal-Reformed reader notes the substance: the apostolic mission encountered active spiritual opposition; the LORD's apostles, filled with the Holy Ghost, pronounced direct judgment on covenant-rejecting opponents; the proconsul, witnessing the encounter, believed.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Roman administrative capital of Cyprus; Paul's confrontation with Elymas / Bar-Jesus the sorcerer and the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6-12).
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PAPHOS, proper n. (NT place) Roman administrative capital of Cyprus on the western coast. After Salamis, Paul and Barnabas traveled across Cyprus to Paphos (Acts 13:6-13). Confrontation with Elymas / Bar-Jesus the Jewish sorcerer and court magician of the proconsul Sergius Paulus. Paul (the text switches from Saul to Paul for the first time in Acts, 13:9), filled with the Holy Ghost, pronounced judgment on Elymas: O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness... thou shalt be blind. Mist and darkness fell on Elymas. Sergius Paulus believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
📖 Key Scripture
Acts 13:6-7 — "And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God."
Acts 13:9-11 — "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 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? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season."
Acts 13:12 — "Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 — "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
No major postmodern redefinition. The principal recovery is the substance of the Paphos encounter: apostolic confrontation with spiritual opposition; the proconsul's conversion as the first major Gentile-official conversion.
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Paphos as a place name does not undergo lexical corruption. The principal contemporary recovery is the substantive weight of the Paphos encounter. The first recorded Pauline confrontation with overt spiritual opposition (Elymas the sorcerer) was direct, prophetic-judgment-pronouncing, and Spirit-empowered (Acts 13:9-11). The first recorded Pauline-era conversion of a major Roman official (Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus) followed (Acts 13:12). The episode anchors the apostolic missionary pattern: the gospel encounters real spiritual opposition; the apostle, filled with the Spirit, may pronounce direct prophetic judgment against persistent opposition; the LORD vindicates His servants through the conversion of those witnessing the encounter.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Acts 13:6-12; Roman administrative capital of Cyprus; Elymas/Bar-Jesus confrontation; Sergius Paulus's conversion.
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['Greek', 'G3974', 'Paphos', 'Paphos']
['Greek', 'G915', 'Bar-Iesous', 'Bar-Jesus (Elymas)']
['Greek', 'G4587', 'Sergios Paulos', 'Sergius Paulus']
Usage
"Paphos: Roman administrative capital of Cyprus on western coast."
"Paul's confrontation with Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6-12)."
"Conversion of proconsul Sergius Paulus; Saul becomes Paul at Acts 13:9."