Sergius Paulus
SERGIUS PAULUS
Proconsul or governor of the isle of Cyprus, was converted under the ministry of Paul, A. D. 48, Mal 13:7 .
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Sergius Paulus
Sergius Paulus is mentioned in Act 13:4-12, where he is described as the proconsul in Cyprus, a man of understanding who called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. With Sergius Paulus was Elymas the sorcerer who sought to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. St. Pauls power brought blindness upon Elymas. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
The Sergii were a Roman patrician gens who furnished more than one consul. Two possible references to Sergius Paulus occur outside the NT. A Sergius Paulus is mentioned in the Index of Authors to Plinys Natural History, as an authority on bks. ii. and xviii., which give special information, about Cyprus. A Greek inscription from the N. coast of Cyprus is dated in the pro-consulship of Paulus, who is probably the same governor.
NT references, though incidental (for the interest of the story centres in the duel between St. Paul and Elymas), describe a triumph for the Christian preachers. It was customary for a high Roman official to have in his train of comites not only personal friends and attachs, but also provincials, men of letters or of scientific knowledge or of tastes and habits that rendered them agreeable or useful to the great man [W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, p. 77). Sergius Paulus is described as -a, man of understanding, or of keen intelligence. This description does not favour the idea that he was weakly under the influence of a mountebank. Elymas was evidently a powerful exponent of a subtle theosophical system; and as a man of unusual intelligence, with a religious bent, the governor encouraged the presence and enjoyed the company of such scientists and philosophers. For the same reason he sent for Barnabas and St. Paul, when news reached him of their work in Cyprus. These travelling teachers were summoned to Court. The governor listened to their message with such evident pleasure and approval that the jealousy of Elymas was roused, and lie tried to dissuade his patron from hearing them. But St. Pauls challenge reduced Elymas to impotent blindness. Sergius Paulus had been impressed already by the missionaries exposition of Christianity. He was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. His astonishment is said to have been due not to the miracle but to the teaching (C. v. Weizscker is wrong, therefore, in ascribing the conversion of Sergius Paulus to the Apostle striking his favourite, the Magian Barjesus, blind [Apostolic Age, i. 111; and cf. 274]). The Christian message made a deep impression on this man of understanding; and, when he saw the issue of the conflict between the two champions, he believed. The governor of Cyprus was a notable convert. Renan and others have regarded the conversion of a Roman proconsul as incredible. It has to be said that we know nothing more of his Christian life-whether he professed Christianity openly by baptism, and used his influence to further the religion, or whether he relapsed. Possibly the word is used here to describe something less than full Christian faith; cf. Act 8:13, Simon believed (though Simon became a pervert), and Joh 12:42, the rulers believed but did not confess, and especially Joh 20:8. Anyhow, the unembellished statement is entirely in favour of its historical integrity: Sergius Paulus did make some profession of faith which sent the apostles on their way rejoicing in the Christian victory. We are not told whether this mans heart was the good soil in which the seed bears fruit, or the shallow soil in which the shoot is scorched, or the preoccupied soil in which the growing corn is choked. We are told only that the seed took root and sprang up.
Probably this proconsuls favourable reception of St. Pauls preaching was one of the earliest suggestions to the Apostle that the dominant power of Rome might be an asset for Christianity rather than a hostile influence. It is possible, also, that it encouraged St. Paul and Barnabas to develop a more extended missionary campaign on the mainland than was originally intended; and this may have been one reason for John Marks withdrawal from the party.
Literature.-G. G. Findlay, article Paul the Apostle, in Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) iii. 704; A. C. Headlam, article Paulus, Sergius, ib., p. 731; W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, London, 1895, pp. 73-88, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the NT, do., 1915; R. J. Knowling, Expositors Greek Testament , Acts, 1900, in loc. For meaning of believed cf. B. F. Westcott, The Gospel according to St. John , 2 vols., London, 1908, ii. 290; B. B. Warfield, article Faith, in Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) i. 829.
J. E. Roberts.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
Sergius Paulus
(Graecized , a Latin name), a Roman proconsul in command at Cyprus who was converted by the preaching of Paul and Barnabas (Act 13:7). A.D. 44. Sergius is described by the evangelist as a discreet or intelligent man; by which we are probably to understand that he was a man of large and liberal views, and of an inquiring turn of mind. Hence he had entertained Elymas, and hence also he became curious to hear the new doctrine which the apostle brought to the island. The strongest minds at that period were drawn with a singular fascination to the occult studies of the East; and the ascendency which Luke represents the sorcerer as having gained over Sergius illustrates a characteristic feature of the times. For other examples of a similar character, see Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St. Paul, 1, 177 sq. But Sergius was not effectually or long deceived by the arts of the impostor; for, on becoming acquainted with the apostle, he examined at once the claims of the Gospel, and yielded his mind to the evidence of its truth. Nothing of his history subsequent to his conversion is known from Scripture. There is no reason to suppose that he abandoned his post as governor of Cyprus; but the legends assert that he did so, and followed Paul; and that eventually he went with the apostle into Spain, and was left by him at Narbonne, in France, of which he became the bishop, and died there.
The title (inaccurately rendered deputy [q.v.]) given to this functionary exhibits one of those minute accuracies which, apart from their inspiration, would substantiate the sacred book as a genuine and contemporary record. Cyprus was originally a proetorian province (), and not proconsular; but it was left by Augustus under the senate, and hence was governed by a proconsul (), as stated by the evangelist (Act 13:6; Act 13:8; Act 13:12; see Dion Cass. 54, 523; Kuinol, on Act 13:7. For the value of this attestation to Luke’s accuracy, see Lardner, Credibility of the Gospel Narrative, 1, 32 sq.). Coins, too, are still extant on which this very title, ascribed in the Acts to Sergius Paulus, occurs as the title of the Roman governors of Cyprus (see Akerman, Numismatic Illustrations, p. 41; Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St. Paul, 1, 176, 187). SEE CYPRUS.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Sergius Paulus
a “prudent man” (R.V., “man of understanding”), the deputy (R.V., “proconsul”) of Cyprus (Acts 13:6-13). He became a convert to Christianity under Paul, who visited this island on his first mission to the heathen.
A remarkable memorial of this proconsul was recently (1887) discovered at Rome. On a boundary stone of Claudius his name is found, among others, as having been appointed (A.D. 47) one of the curators of the banks and the channel of the river Tiber. After serving his three years as proconsul at Cyprus, he returned to Rome, where he held the office referred to. As he is not saluted in Paul’s letter to the Romans, he probably died before it was written.
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Sergius Paulus
Proconsul of Cyprus, when Paul and Barnabas visited it on their first missionary circuit (Act 13:7). (See CYPRUS; PAUL; PROVINCE; DEPUTY; ELYMAS.) He was at first under the influence of Elymas, but being “a prudent man” (i.e. intelligent and searching for the truth), he called for Barnabas and Paul, and having heard the word of God, and having seen the miraculous infliction of blindness on the sorcerer, “believed, being astonished at the (divine power accompanying the) doctrine of the Lord.”
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Sergius Paulus
SERGIUS PAULUS.See Paulus (Sergius).
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Sergius Paulus
surji-us polus. See PAULUS, SERGIUS.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Sergius Paulus
Sergius Paulus, a Roman proconsul in command at Cyprus, who was converted by the preaching of Paul and Barnabas (Act 13:7). The title given to this functionary exhibits one of those minute accuracies which, apart from its inspiration, would substantiate the sacred book as a genuine and contemporary record. Cyprus was originally a prtorian province, and not proconsular; but it was left by Augustus under the Senate, and hence was governed by a proconsul, as stated by the Evangelist (Act 13:6; Act 13:8; Act 13:12). Sergius is described by the Evangelist as a ‘discreet’ or ‘intelligent’ man; by which we are probably to understand that he was a man of large and liberal views, and of an inquiring turn of mind. Hence he had entertained Elymas, and hence also he became curious to hear the new doctrine which the apostle brought to the island. Nothing of his history subsequent to his conversion is known from Scripture.
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Sergius Paulus
[Ser’gius Pau’lus]
Roman proconsul of Cyprus when Paul and Barnabas visited that island. Having heard the word, and seen Elymas struck with blindness, he believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. Act 13:7-12.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Sergius Paulus
A Roman deputy and convert of Paul.
Act 13:7-12
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Sergius Paulus
Ser’gius Pau’lus. Sergius Paulus was the proconsul of Cyprus, when the apostle Paul visited that island with Barnabas on his first missionary tour. Act 13:7. Seq. (A.D. 44). He is described as an intelligent man, truth-seeking, eager for information from all sources within his reach. Though, at first, admitting to his society, Elymas the magician, he, afterward, on becoming acquainted with the claims of the gospel, yielded his mind to the evidence of its truth.