Acts 13:11
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Paul, acting in the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost, fixed his eyes on Elymas the sorcerer and declared the Lord's hand upon him in blindness, and at once a mist and darkness fell so that he groped about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Elymas had willfully shut his spiritual eyes to the light of the gospel, perverted the Lord's right ways, and sought to turn Sergius Paulus from the faith, so in righteous judgment the Lord shut the light of day from his natural eyes. The blindness was only for a season and not permanent, to warn him to repent and seek pardon from God whom he had offended. His helpless groping brought all his subtle arts against the doctrine of Christ to nothing and publicly proved to all beholders that the apostles' miracles were truly wrought by the power of God and not by trickery. When Sergius Paulus saw what was done he was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord, was convinced of the truth, and believed and embraced the gospel of Christ.
Elymas's Opposition and Sentence
Elymas was a sorcerer under Satan's control who withstood Paul and Barnabas when Sergius Paulus, a reputable man of influence, called for the apostles that he might be instructed in the truth. He sought by false reports and deceptive arguments to turn Paulus against them and to destroy their influence over him. He was possessed with a spirit of divination, yet unlike those usually possessed by demons who suffer great conflict and suffering, he welcomed the satanic influence in order to obtain supernatural power and had no conflict with it.
Because he willfully closed his spiritual eyes to the evidences of truth and the light of the gospel, opposed and distorted the gospel, perverted the Lord's right ways, and tried to turn Sergius Paulus from the faith, the Lord in righteous anger closed his natural eyes and shut out the light of day from him. The blindness that fell upon him was the hand of the Lord upon him as judgment for resisting the truth and opposing the gospel. He had shut his eyes to the evidence and light, and his physical blindness that shut out the sun answered his spiritual blindness.
Paul, acting in the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on the wicked deceiver and pronounced the hand of the Lord upon him in blindness not seeing the sun for a season. Immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, so that he went about groping and seeking some to lead him by the hand. The judgment came upon him for opposing the gospel, and the sign displayed the Lord's power against him and astonished the deputy.
His withstanding of the apostles repeats the withstanding of Moses and Aaron by the magicians in Pharaoh's court. It shows how Satan is present with his servants to thwart God's purpose and greatly hinder the work. He works in a special way to keep influential people who could be of great service to the cause from embracing the faith of Christ.
Warning and Vindication by Blindness
The blindness laid upon Elymas was only for a season, not permanent, a temporary shutting out of the light of day. It was given to warn him to repent and to seek pardon from God whom he had offended. The phrase for a season marks this limit and merciful intent.
The mist and darkness that fell immediately upon him brought him into confusion and helplessness, groping about and seeking someone to lead him by the hand. In that condition all his subtle arts against the doctrine of Christ were made of no effect, and his efforts against the gospel were brought to nothing and defeated.
His helpless groping was seen publicly by all beholders present. It proved to them that the miracles of the apostles, which he had denounced as produced by sleight of hand or trickery, were truly wrought by the power of God.
When the deputy Sergius Paulus saw what was done, he was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. He was convinced of the truth of the apostles' teaching, believed, and embraced the gospel of Christ.
Warning Against False Teaching
The striking of Elymas blind for a time, so that mist and darkness fell on him and he had to grope about seeking someone to take him by the hand, stands as the Lord's judgment upon him for opposing the gospel. That judgment in the chapter warns that the Lord does not give His support to false teaching or to a low standard. He will not encourage false theories and a low standard. In the light of that chapter, God's people are required to seek the Lord most earnestly, to study the light given in the book of Acts, and to humble their hearts before God.