Dr. John Hartmann

Proclaiming the Whole Counsel of God

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Preaching the Gospel with the Power of Signs and Wonders

February 12th, 2012 · No Comments

  • Paul and Barnabas preach the Gospel in the island of Cyprus

Sent out by the church and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-4a), Paul and Barnabas go first to the island of Cyprus, where they preach the gospel in the synagogues of the Jews, traversing from east to west until they come to Paphos, the seat of provincial administration.

  • The Word of God reaches the seat of power.

The apostles are invited to speak to the proconsul of the island, a man of intelligence, who desires to hear what they have to say about things Divine.

  •  Opposition to the Word of God.

The apostles are opposed by a certain Bar-Jesus, a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet who seeks to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Paul’s apostolic authority in the Gospel of Christ is here manifest in a unique way. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he confronts this enemy of the gospel, not in word but in power. Right there before the eyes of the proconsul, he declares the disciplinary judgment of God that would come upon Bar-Jesus, whom he names as fraudulent and a co-worker with Satan. The hand of the Lord comes upon him and strikes him with blindness from that moment on. This must be regarded as one of the marks of a true apostle: miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Cor 12:12). The proconsul believes as he witnesses his miracle, which functions not only as a wonder that could only have taken place as a manifestation of the power of God, but as a sign that confirms the message of truth being spoken to him by Barnabas and Paul.

Application: pray for the full manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power of signs and wonders to be manifest in the preaching of the Gospel (1 Cor 12:31; 14:1; Rom 15:19; Acts 4:29-31).

Tags: Sermons

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