Roman Proconsul of Cyprus
Sergius Paulus
SUR-jee-us PAW-lus
The Roman proconsul of Cyprus who believed after watching Paul strike the sorcerer Elymas blind, and whose real-world identity may be corroborated by an inscription found on the island.
Life and work
As proconsul, Sergius Paulus governed Cyprus and is described by Luke as 'an intelligent man' who summoned Paul and Barnabas because he wanted to hear the word of God. His court magician, Elymas (also called Bar-Jesus), tried to keep him from believing (Acts 13:6-8).
Paul confronted Elymas directly, calling him a son of the devil and an enemy of righteousness, and pronounced that he would be blind for a time. Elymas was immediately struck blind, and Sergius Paulus, 'when he saw what had occurred, believed, astonished at the teaching of the Lord' (Acts 13:9-12).
- Occupation
- Roman proconsul (governor) of Cyprus.
- Places
- Cyprus.
Extra-biblical evidence
Cyprus inscription naming Lucius Sergius Paullus; a possible boundary-stone inscription from Rome Soloi inscription, Cyprus
An inscription discovered on Cyprus names a Roman official, Lucius Sergius Paullus, and a separate inscription from Rome names a Sergius Paullus who served as a curator of the Tiber River — both plausibly the same man, and plausibly the proconsul from Acts.
Weight: Widely accepted by many historians and archaeologists as corroborating the existence and career of the biblical Sergius Paulus, but the identification is not universally certain — the name was not uncommon, and the connection between the two inscriptions and the man in Acts rests on reasonable inference rather than airtight proof.
Scripture references
- Acts 13:6-12 — Believes after witnessing Elymas struck blind
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