Sergius Paulus and Elymas page 1 by ric Gustafson
My name is John Mark. I am on a boat with my brothers in Christ Paul and Barnabas. We had just left the city of Seleucia which is a port city of Antioch of Syria. I came to Antioch from Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas to visit the Antioch church. When we arrived, we noticed members of the church were fasting and praising the Lord. The local church was praying for guidance as they considered an overseas mission. All of us prayed. We felt that the Holy Spirit gave us the answer.
The three of us decided to go out and preach to the Gentiles wherever we could find them. The first decision was where to go and how to get there. Barnabas suggested the island of Cyprus which was his native land. We all agreed to that. We made plans to acquire a boat, stock up on provisions and then sail from Seleucia.
As we traveled, Barnabas told us a little bit about Cyprus. The island is about 140 miles in length and 60 miles wide. He said that the island was administered by a Roman proconsul named Sergius Paulus. He also mentioned that Christian communities had sprung up on the island and could serve as bases of operation.
Barnabas suggested that we first go to Salamis which is in the eastern part of the island. When we arrived there, there was a positive reception from the people. Barnabas next suggested that we go to Paphos which was the provincial capital of the proconsul.
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Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric
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