New Testament

Bar-jesus

A Jewish sorcerer and false prophet who opposed Paul and Barnabas on the island of Cyprus.

Also known as Elymas, this sorcerer attempted to turn the proconsul Sergius Paulus away from the faith. When he hindered the apostles, Paul rebuked him and pronounced a temporary blindness upon him by the power of the Holy Spirit. His encounter serves as a demonstration of the gospel's authority over occult opposition.