The Conversion of a Roman Proconsul
Treasures
The year this account takes place was approximately AD 45, when the frontiers of the Roman Empire, guarded by its legions, stretched across the world from Britain to Persia. Referred to as the “eternal city” by the Roman poet Tibullus in the 1st century BC, Rome ruled supreme as the seat of all authority and the home of the Caesars.
Fifteen years earlier, a seemingly insignificant Jewish carpenter named Jesus of Nazareth—a man who had claimed to be the Son of God—had started a religious revolution in the far-flung Roman province of Palestine. But His movement appeared to have been crushed when He was arrested and put to death in typical Roman fashion by crucifixion. The incident was soon forgotten, and imperial Rome, in all its splendor and decadent glory, continued unchallenged in its rule of the world.
Our story takes place in Cyprus, which was a key location in the New Testament. Cyprus was the home of Mnason, who is referred to as an “early disciple” and likely one of the first converts at Pentecost (Acts 21:16). The apostle Barnabas was also a native of Cyprus (Acts 4:36).
When persecution arose in Jerusalem, the book of Acts recounts that many Christians were scattered from Jerusalem, and some “traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,” sharing the Christian faith, but only with the Jewish people (Acts 11:19). Some of the believers from Cyprus who went to Antioch (in Syria), began to share the gospel with the Greeks, “telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus,” and “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:20–21).
The apostle Paul took his first missionary journey with Barnabas and John Mark to Cyprus. They sailed from Syria to Salamis on the east end of Cyprus, where they preached in the synagogue (Acts 13:4–5). They then traveled through the whole island, until they arrived at the city of Paphos in the west (Acts 13:6).
It was at this pivotal time in history that Sergius Paulus served as the proconsul of the island of Cyprus, which was the highest-ranking office in this Roman senatorial province. In this capacity he had access to every comfort, luxury, and material pleasure that was available. But he was not satisfied and searched for truth beyond the imperialism and materialism of his day.
Sergius was an intelligent and well-read man, and he had reached the conclusion that the Roman gods and religious ceremonies were empty and meaningless superstitions. In his quest for spiritual truth, he had become associated with a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus (Acts 13:6). This man was also known as “Elymas,” which means “the magician.” In ancient history, magic was practiced for healing diseases, bringing physical blessings, cursing or harming others, and magicians were also called upon to foretell the future.
Sergius had to admit that Elymas seemed to have some kind of spiritual power, and yet, he had no peace. “What really is truth?” he wondered.
It was at this point in time that he heard that some men who were teaching the word of God had been traveling across Cyprus and had arrived in Paphos. The word had spread that these men were teaching about spiritual rebirth and the path to eternal life. Interested in hearing more, Sergius had summoned these strangers to have an audience in his court so that he could hear the word of God (Acts 13:7).
The next day, his thoughts were interrupted by an attendant who said, “Sir, the men have arrived for their appointment.” Sergius left the terrace and went down into his villa to meet them. Three Jews, who introduced themselves as Barnabas, his nephew John Mark, and Paul of Tarsus greeted him. Sergius warmly saluted his close friend and advisor, Elymas the magician, who had also just arrived.
After spreading a banquet of food and dry Cyprus wine before them, they began to talk. Sergius was delighted to find out that not only was Paul a Roman citizen, but that Barnabas was a native of Cyprus. Then Sergius said, “I’ve heard much about your religion, and that King Herod just a little over a year ago killed one of your leaders and imprisoned others, did he not? (Acts 12:1–4). I heard all kinds of evil reports about you at that time, but I wasn’t sure what to believe.
“When I heard that Herod died shortly afterwards—eaten of worms—I began to wonder if your God was judging him (Acts 12:20–23). But on the other hand, your sect is spoken against everywhere!” (Acts 28:22).
Paul answered, “At one time I myself hated Christians so much that I instigated a nationwide persecution against them. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities. I broke into their houses and had both men and women thrown into prison. I not only tried to force them to speak against the name of Christ and deny their faith, but I even had them put to death!” (Acts 26:9–11).
Sergius exclaimed, “And now you have become known as the ringleader of this sect. What do you call yourselves?” Elymas sarcastically remarked, “They’re called ‘the sect of the Nazarenes’!” (Acts 24:5).
Barnabas answered, “We prefer to be known as Christians” (Acts 11:26).
As Paul went on to describe how he had been miraculously converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus, Elymas began to see how intently Sergius was listening to their words. Realizing that if his friend the governor converted to Christianity, he would no longer listen to his counsel, Elymas became filled with a jealous rage. Angrily, he interrupted and began to contradict Paul and Barnabas and spoke of the accusations that he had heard about their movement.
Sergius Paulus was confused. He was interested in the doctrine of God’s love and truth of these Christians, yet Elymas had been his close associate and adviser for a long time. Who was he to believe?
When Paul saw that Elymas was trying to turn the governor from the faith, the Holy Spirit came upon him with great power and authority, and he rebuked the magician, saying, “You are an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? The Lord’s hand is upon you, and you will be blind for a time” (Acts 13:10–11).
Immediately Elymas cried out that a dark mist had fallen upon him, and he stumbled about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Sergius was so astonished by this demonstration of God’s power that he was convinced that Paul and Barnabas had been telling him the truth, and he believed their teaching about the Lord. That day, the Roman proconsul asked Jesus Christ to come into his life and make him a new man, and he became a Christian (Acts 13:12).
Sergius Paulus did not throw off his royal robes and join Paul and Barnabas in their missionary journeys, but he determined to do what he could: He would use his power and authority as governor to help the spread of Christianity in the island of Cyprus, and protect the little groups of Christian believers that Paul and Barnabas had already started all across the island, from Salamis to Paphos, which was the seat of the Roman government on the island. Though Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark left Cyprus afterwards to continue preaching the gospel in other regions (Acts 13:13), they would later return to Cyprus to witness the growth of the church as Christianity prospered in the region under the favor and protection of Sergius Paulus.
While the New Testament doesn’t detail Sergius Paulus’s life after his conversion, his story in Acts is significant, as it is the first account of a Roman official converting to Christianity. He was also the first Gentile recorded in the book of Acts to convert after Paul and Barnabas visited Cyprus. The conversion of a high-ranking Roman official like Sergius Paulus to Christianity would have had a great impact on the spread of Christianity in the region. As a man of influence, his newfound faith could have opened doors for evangelism throughout the island and lent credibility to the Christian message.
From a dramatized Bible story series published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished April 2026.
