Cyprus #91

Cyprus is a large island in the eastern Mediterranean, off the coasts of Syria and Turkey. It has strong connections to the early church: it was the home of Barnabas and the first destination when Paul and Barnabas were sent out from Antioch to preach the gospel abroad. It is mentioned several times in Acts.

Biblical Significance

The first Cypriot in the New Testament is Joseph, the Levite surnamed Barnabas, “the son of consolation,” who sold a field and gave the money to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37). After the persecution that followed the death of Stephen, some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch in Syria and began speaking to Greeks as well as Jews about Jesus, an important step in the outreach to the Gentiles (Acts 11:19-21). From this church the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for missionary work (Acts 13:1-3).

They sailed first to Cyprus, landing at Salamis on the east coast, where they proclaimed the word in the Jewish synagogues with John Mark as their assistant (Acts 13:4-5). They crossed the island to Paphos, the seat of the Roman governor. There the proconsul Sergius Paulus, described by Luke as an intelligent man, summoned them to hear the word of God. A Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, also called Elymas, opposed them, and Paul declared him blind for a time. The proconsul saw what had happened and believed, astonished at the teaching about the Lord (Acts 13:6-12). From Paphos the missionaries continued on to the mainland of Asia Minor (Acts 13:13).

Cyprus continued to figure in the story. After a sharp disagreement about John Mark, Barnabas took him and sailed again for Cyprus while Paul chose Silas and went elsewhere (Acts 15:36-41). Years later, on Paul’s last journey to Jerusalem, an early disciple named Mnason, a Cypriot, hosted him (Acts 21:16). Paul’s ship also sailed under the lee of the island on the voyage to Rome (Acts 27:4). In some Old Testament passages, the name Kittim, which is often taken to refer to Cyprus or its inhabitants, appears (Genesis 10:4; Isaiah 23:1).

Today

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 into the Republic of Cyprus in the south and a Turkish-controlled area in the north. The ruins of Salamis, with its gymnasium and theater, are in the north, while Paphos in the south has remarkable Roman mosaics. In Paphos, a column near the church of Agia Kyriaki is known by tradition as St Paul’s Pillar, where he is said to have been whipped. Like many such traditions, it cannot be confirmed from the text, but it shows how long Paul’s visit has been remembered.