Bible Strands
Acts 13:6
They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Luke narrates Paul and Barnabas moving from Salamis across Cyprus to Paphos during their first missionary journey.
The words — Διελθόντες (Dielthontes) means "having passed through," and ἄχρι (achri) means "as far as," marking a deliberate geographical progression to the island's western capital.
The thread — The identification of Bar-Jesus as a false prophet connects to warnings in Matthew 7:15 and the command in 1 John 4:1 to test spiritual claims.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that opposition to the gospel often appears within established religious or spiritual circles. It demands careful discernment rather than automatic acceptance of spiritual authority.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar–jesus:
Cross-references
- Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Mark 10:46 Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- Exodus 22:18 You must not allow a sorceress to live.
- Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Jeremiah 23:14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
- Ezekiel 13:10 Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built,
- Zechariah 13:3 And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.
- Matthew 16:17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.