Saul to Paul

Barnabas and Saul arrive at Cyprus. It seems clear that they are taking the standard route to Asia (see the map below), the likely place to begin this first missionary journey. Cyprus is the island that sits just west off of the Mediterranean coast from Antioch and is the logical stop for all ships sailing west.

When Barnabas and Saul get to Cyprus (we are told John is with them, as well), they begin proclaiming this message of a new Kingdom in the synagogues of the region. We are not given the impression they have a negative experience at all or find any trouble being received by their Jewish brothers (more on this later). Eventually, they meet a Jewish sorcerer (if you’re scratching your head, you should be — those two do not go together and is a direct violation of Torah) who happens to work for the Roman proconsul, named Sergius Paulus. You could think of proconsul as the “Secretary of State” of the Roman world. (At the least, it refers to that major region, but most have argued the position is imperial, not just regional.)

Saul boldly confronts the sinful and deceptive lifestyle of this false prophet who is immediately engulfed in darkness and blindness. Upon seeing this encounter, Sergius Paulus believes in the Lord and finds himself amazed at the teaching. What I find so interesting in this story is that Saul changes his name to Paul. Why would he do that?

If you immediately made the connection to Sergius, you are astute. It seems that Saul changes his name to that of his first convert.

However, if you also thought deeper than that, you are even more astute. Paul changes his own name. This is something that almost never happens in Scripture. (Naomi, in the story of Ruth, tells her friend to call her “Marah,” which means bitter.) A name change is always initiated by a figure of authority who has the right to change your name (God, a rabbi, your parents, etc.), but Paul formally changes his own name.

This name change signifies something significant in the consciousness of Paul. What is it? I think the next story may clue us in.

After this encounter John leaves their company while Barnabas and Paul head to Pisidian Antioch. This is where unfamiliarity with the geography of Asia and Asia Minor will have us miss the point in the story completely. The original readers would be shaking their heads as to why they end up in Antioch of Pisidia. It doesn’t make any sense.

They were clearly heading west to Asia; now they are headed due north into the middle of nowhere in Asia Minor. It’s a drastic change of route. They would have to sail north to reach the coast, and upon reaching the coast they would depart on a week-long hike. This hike would be through a region that does not even have a road to walk on. They would have hiked through the wilderness and they probably could have counted the people they met on the way with their two hands.

What are they doing?

It will also help to know a few details about Antioch of Pisidia. The city was one of many Antiochs that were planted by Rome throughout the tribal region of Asia Minor. Rome always struggled to conquer the primitive tribal regions since they had no imperial structure. These strong barbaric fighters were such a nuisance to the Romans that they formed treaties to solicit their help in the region rather than conquer them. In order to influence the region with progressive thought and the values of Hellenism, the Romans planted these cities that put Rome on steroids.

The cities were designed to put Rome on display, in all of her military might. Pisidian Antioch was unique because it was known as a miniature Rome. Built on seven small hills, the city had most of the same installations as its capital counterpart. In the archaeological ruins of Pisidian Antioch, we have found multiple references to one name of particular interest: Proconsul Sergius Paulus.

Sergius Paulus was a resident of Pisidian Antioch. According to one of the inscriptions, he was the one who paid for the installation of the main city gate — which is an impressive structure. Why Barnabas and Paul ran into Sergius on Cyprus is unclear. Was he traveling through? Was he on an assignment? Vacation? We don’t know, but their next stop after his conversion will be his hometown.

It makes the reader wonder if Paul’s excitement after experiencing his first encounter with a convert — coupled with the fact that it is such a high-profile leader — affected his mission strategy. Was he convinced he could go straight to the top of Rome? Was his goal to speak directly to the family of Caesar himself? It is impossible to know for sure, but there is certainly a lot of evidence in Paul’s writings that will lend credence to this theory.

He will tell the Christians in Rome more than once how he cannot wait to visit Rome, and how it has been a goal of his to get to Rome ever since his calling. More than once in the book of Acts, we will see Paul try to go to Rome and have his mind resolutely set on standing before Caesar.

Of course, God has other plans — as He often does.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Barnabas and Paul have quite the interaction in Pisidian Antioch, and it is one that will shape the contours of the New Testament.