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Biblical Critique: Paul, Barnabas, and John
Author
School of Education, Liberty University
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Biblical Critique: Paul, Barnabas, and John
Paul, Barnabas, and John were teachers of the word of God who had the mandate to
spread the word of the Lord across nations. During their usual fasting and praying, sections came
to them and required them to travel to Cyprus and spread the Lord's word to the governor. It was
a mission they willingly accepted and embarked on completing the request. During the mission,
they encountered a magician who had malicious intentions of disrupting the governor from
listening to the word of God (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Acts 13:7). The devil led the
magician to spread lies and prevent the truth from prevailing. However, Paul had the Holy
Spirit's guidance and was able to identify the malicious intentions of the magician. In this case,
he claimed that the magician would go blind and find a person to lead him. There was immediate
response and occurrence of what Paul had said; hence the governor believed in the Lord's word
and the teachings. This paper seeks to provide a critique review of Paul, Barnabas, and John who
are major characters from the bible. The main verses are Acts 13: 1-13 and Acts 15: 36-41. More
so, it provides reflection analysis and response to the readings.
Read
Fact Verses
1. The prophets and teachers were
serving the Lord and fasting when the
holy spirit spoke to them.
Acts 13: 1-2
2. The prophets and teachers fasted and
played for Barnabas and Paul before
sending them off to do the work the
holy spirit had requested.
Acts 13: 3
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3. When they arrived at Salamis, they
preached the word of God in synagogues.
Acts 13: 5
4. They met a magician by the name of Bar-
Jesus, who claimed to be a prophet.
Acts 13: 6
5. The magician was a friend of the governor
of the Island.
Acts 13: 7
6. The governor had the desire to listen to the
word of God, so he called both Barnabas and
Saul.
Acts 13: 7
7. The magician attempted to turn the
governor away from the faith of listening to
God by opposing both Saul and Barnabas.
Acts 13: 8
8. Paul said to the magician that he was a son
of the devil who envies everything good.
Hence, while led by the holy spirit, he told
him that he turns truths into lies.
Acts 13: 10
9. Paul said that the hand of the Lord would
come down and cause blindness till he sees no
light of day for a time.
Acts 13: 11
10. Elmas was covered by a dark mist over
his eyes, causing blindness, and walked away,
searching for someone to lead him by the
hand.
Acts 13: 11
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11. When the governor saw the occurrence, he
believed and was amazed by the teachings of
the Lord.
Acts 13: 12
Reflect
What do you see in the passage related to
God's character, man's character, or Jesus?
Verses
God's character God grants the people he has sent the
power to overcome all obstacles they come
across to fulfill his plan and the destinies of
these target audiences.
Acts 13: 10-12
Man's character The governor had the will and the desire to
listen to God's word, which is a major
factor that leads God to people. Moreover,
the governor had a belief in the powers of
the Lord and the teachings.
Acts 13: 7
Acts 13: 12
Jesus Jesus gave human beings a guiding helper
who was the holy spirit. Through the
powers of the holy spirit, Paul recognized
the magician's malicious intentions and
overcame him.
Acts 13: 10
Respond
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The current world comprises many disruptions and individuals who do not want to see
others attain the Lord's teaching. These individuals and the circumstances are guided by the
devil's spirit, which spreads only lies and blocks the truth (New American Standard Version,
1960/1995, Acts 13:7). During daily life experiences, many obstacles come in the way and
distract one from acquiring the Lord's word. Moreover, some individuals maliciously come to
influence the decisions we make, which are good and aligned to the truth. Saul and Barnabas's
characters had the great honor to their Lord by accepting to travel to Salamis. The success of the
two characters in teaching the governor and overcoming the magician indicates the benefits of
honoring God.
The desire by the governor to hear the word of the Lord, yet he does not have access, is a
clear indication of the current world where it is hard to attain ethical teaching. There is conflict
arising in the community concerning the right teachings and those led by the devil to mislead
(New American Standard Bible, 1995, Acts 13:7). The word of the Lord does not involve lies in
nature and seeks to promote the truth. It does not involve malicious intentions but rather
promotes wellbeing and leads us to our destinies. Honoring God can drive us away from lies and
bad situations and lead us to our destinies.
The current world comprises unclear paths, obstacles, and factors that can lead to harm of
self. During the daily endeavor, I face difficult situations that disrupt normal activities. However,
from the passage, we understand that trusting in the Lord's power is essential to overcoming
obstacles in our way (Suderman, 2016). Moreover, it can result in clearing the way and pursuing
our progress of success in our endeavors. Honor God can ensure that we overcome challenges,
identify dangerous factors and earn the truth, fulfilling in life.
Conclusion
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The power of the Lord is paramount to any obstacles and lies that are in the world. The
story of Paul and Barnabas educates that it is imperative to trust in the Lord and proceed with the
calling. It is essential to adhere to the commands since he guides us to win. Moreover, the Lord
ensures that he reaches out to his people despite those trying to distract us, like in the case of the
magician and the governor.
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References
New American Standard Bible. (1995). New American Standard Bible Online.
https://www.bible.com/versions/100-nasb-new-american-standard-bible/ (Original work
published 1960)
Suderman, A. G. (2016). " Who'll be a witness for my Lord?": Witnessing as an ecclesiological
and missiological paradigm.IMissionalia,I44(1), 68-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.7832/44-1-
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