Discovery BoxActs 8:9 
Context8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 1 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
Acts 13:6
Context13:6 When they had crossed over 2 the whole island as far as Paphos, 3 they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 4
1 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
2 tn Or “had passed through,” “had traveled through.”
3 sn Paphos. A city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. It was the seat of the Roman proconsul.
4 sn Named Bar-Jesus. “Jesus” is the Latin form of the name “Joshua.” The Aramaic “bar” means “son of,” so this man was surnamed “son of Joshua.” The scene depicts the conflict between Judaism and the emerging new faith at a cosmic level, much like the Simon Magus incident in Acts 8:9-24. Paul’s ministry looks like Philip’s and Peter’s here.
