Cyprus is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, just northwest of Israel.
Christians fled Judea and came to Cyprus because of persecution following Stephen’s death. Stephen was the first person killed, after Jesus, for sharing the Gospel.
Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21
In 45 AD Paul and Barnabas (who was a Levite born in Cyprus Acts 4:36) traveled across Cyprus on what is known as Paul’s first missionary journey. Acts 13:4-13
They arrived in Salamis (modern day Famagusta) and traveled across the island until they left from Paphos (modern day Paphos).
Barnabas went on another missionary journey in Cyprus with John Mark after they split from Paul. Acts 15:39
We had the opportunity to walk in some of these same places in Cyprus.
Significant locations in Cyprus for biblical history:
Salamis: where they sailed into
This is the location of the tomb of Barnabas and where he was martyred. He was supposedly found with a Gospel of Matthew.
Currently this part of Cyprus is under Turkish rule.
Larnaca:
According to Cypriot tradition, Lazarus came to Cyprus (after being raised from the dead by Jesus) where he was ordained by Barnabas and Paul. This is said to be the place of his second burial.
John 12:9-11 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
Larnaca is the airport we flew into, but we did not have the opportunity to go visit the tomb.
Paphos:
We did have the opportunity to go to Paphos for half a day, and it was amazing.
Early Christians worshiped in caves. We explored these caves that could have been used for some of the first Christian worship in Cyprus.
Agia Solomoni Catacomb. A Jewish woman who became a believer after the death of her sons (the seven Maccabee brothers). She was one of the first to reject idolatry and embrace Christianity. The space could have been a synagogue in Roman times. She fled here to escape persecution of the Romans.
A place of worship from the 4th century to today. It’s been destroyed (by an earthquake at least 3 times) and rebuilt many times.
Floor mosaic dating back to the 4th century (around 1700 years ago).
At the top is a deer drinking water from a spring and standing on rocky ground with flowers. Above it is an inscription of Psalm 42.
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
Psalms 42:1
At the bottom you can see grapevines. There is an inscription from John that reads “I am the true vine.”
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.
John 15:1
The colonnades
A place of worship since the 4th century, this church was built around the 14th or 16th century.
Preserved wall paintings of saints from the beginning of the 16th century.
This one is MY FAVORITE!
According to local tradition, the people of Paphos tied Paul to this pillar where he was whipped 39 times.
Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
2 Corinthians 11:24-26
So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.
But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.
Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.
When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
Acts 13:4-12
Because of this event, the Roman governor became a Christian triggering the Christianization of Cyprus.
Because of Paul and Barnabas and Mark and the missionary journey they went on and the trials they went through, Cyprus is a place where we have the freedom to be open about our faith and freely worship without fear of persecution.
It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Isaiah 55:11
The stories of the Bible are coming to life, and it was a gift from God to be able to experience this.
It’s very humbling to think that I am sitting in a Christian’s house in Cyprus when many many years ago persecution flooded the island. And even realizing that some people are still being tortured and killed because of their faith. I don’t have words to describe it.
Just a few days ago, one of our friends in Cyprus showed us a video of people in Egypt being attacked and murdered just because they call themselves Christian believers.
The cost of following Jesus might be giving up your life on Earth, but it’s inheriting eternal life.
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Colossians 3:23
