{
  "id": "dict_004238",
  "term": "Paphos",
  "slug": "paphos",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Paphos was a city on Cyprus visited by Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey. In Acts it is the setting for the encounter with Sergius Paulus and Elymas.",
  "simple_one_line": "A city on Cyprus where Paul and Barnabas met Sergius Paulus and confronted Elymas.",
  "tooltip_text": "Paphos: a city on Cyprus mentioned in Acts 13 as a key stop in Paul’s first missionary journey.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Cyprus",
    "Acts",
    "Barnabas",
    "Paul",
    "Sergius Paulus",
    "Elymas",
    "Bar-Jesus"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Missionary Journeys",
    "False Prophet",
    "Sorcery",
    "Roman Proconsul",
    "Acts 13"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Paphos was an important city on the island of Cyprus and a significant location in Acts 13, where Paul and Barnabas encountered both receptive Roman authority and hostile spiritual opposition.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical city on Cyprus associated with Paul and Barnabas’ ministry in Acts 13.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Located on Cyprus",
    "Mentioned in Acts 13:6–12",
    "Site of the encounter with Sergius Paulus",
    "Scene of Elymas’ opposition and divine judgment"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Paphos was a city on the island of Cyprus mentioned in Acts 13 during the missionary work of Barnabas and Saul (Paul). There they encountered Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, and Elymas, a magician who opposed the gospel. The passage presents Paphos as a historical setting in which the message of Christ advanced into the Roman world.",
  "description_academic_full": "Paphos was a city on Cyprus mentioned in Acts 13 as a stop on the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Saul, later known as Paul. In Paphos, the apostles met Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, who desired to hear the word of God. Elymas (also called Bar-Jesus), a false prophet and magician, resisted the message. Paul confronted Elymas, and the judgment that followed demonstrated both the seriousness of opposing the gospel and God’s power to overcome spiritual deception. Paphos is therefore not a theological concept but a historically significant biblical place tied to the early spread of the Christian mission.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Acts places Paphos within the movement of the gospel from Jerusalem outward into the wider Roman world. The city serves as the setting for a notable confrontation between apostolic witness and occult opposition, emphasizing that the Lord directs the mission and confirms His word.",
  "background_historical_context": "Paphos was a notable city in Cyprus in the Roman period and served as an administrative and cultural center. Its appearance in Acts fits Luke’s broader interest in the spread of the gospel through urban centers and official spheres of influence.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "The Paphos narrative does not center on Jewish customs, but it does contrast the truth of God’s message with deceptive spiritual practices. The episode reflects the biblical concern with false prophecy, sorcery, and opposition to the word of the Lord.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Acts 13:6–12"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Acts 13:4–5",
    "Acts 13:13"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is preserved in English from the Greek form used in Acts. It refers to the city of Paphos on Cyprus.",
  "theological_significance": "Paphos illustrates the advance of the gospel into Gentile settings, the authority of apostolic witness, and God’s power over spiritual deception. The account highlights both grace toward receptive hearers and judgment upon deliberate opposition.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Paphos shows how biblical revelation is anchored in real history and geography. The faith reported in Acts is not presented as an abstract idea but as a message proclaimed in actual places among real people and institutions.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Paphos as a doctrine or symbolic category. Its significance comes from the biblical narrative in which it appears, not from independent theological meaning.",
  "major_views_note": "There is no major doctrinal disagreement about Paphos itself. Discussion usually concerns the historical details of Acts 13 and the role of Sergius Paulus and Elymas in the narrative.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "The passage should be read as a historical account of apostolic mission. It does not authorize speculation about hidden geography, secret symbolism, or extra-biblical spiritual systems.",
  "practical_significance": "Paphos reminds readers that the gospel confronts both open curiosity and organized opposition. It also encourages confidence that God can open doors in unexpected places and overcome resistance to His word.",
  "meta_description": "Paphos was a city on Cyprus mentioned in Acts 13 as the setting for Paul and Barnabas’ encounter with Sergius Paulus and Elymas.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/paphos/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/paphos.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}