“And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 13:5 Mean?
"And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister." Paul and Barnabas begin their first missionary journey at Salamis in Cyprus, starting where the gospel had natural inroads: the Jewish synagogues. Their strategy — preaching in synagogues first — wasn't about excluding Gentiles. It was about starting where Scripture was already known, where messianic expectation existed, and where a theologically literate audience could engage with the claim that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies.
"John" is John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, serving as their "minister" (hypēretēs — an assistant, attendant, or subordinate). His role was logistical support, not preaching. The mention foreshadows his later departure from the team in Pamphylia, which will cause a rift between Paul and Barnabas.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you in a 'John Mark season' of supporting and learning, or a 'Paul and Barnabas season' of leading — and how are you handling it?
- 2.Who are the behind-the-scenes people making your ministry or work possible that you might be overlooking?
- 3.Why do you think Paul's strategy was to start where people already had a theological framework?
- 4.How do you handle the tension between wanting to lead and needing to serve first?
Devotional
They started in the synagogues. Not because the gospel was only for Jews, but because that's where the soil had been prepared. These were people who already knew the Scriptures, already expected a Messiah, already had a framework for understanding what Paul was about to say. Good strategy starts where the ground is ready.
John Mark is there too — not as a preacher but as an assistant. A young man carrying bags, arranging logistics, handling the unglamorous behind-the-scenes work that makes ministry possible. Every headline-making mission has people like John Mark in the background, doing the work that never gets mentioned in the sermon.
If you're in a John Mark season — supporting someone else's vision, carrying someone else's bags, doing the invisible work — know that the text records your presence even if it doesn't record your sermon. John Mark's story isn't over. He'll leave this journey early (his low point), but he'll later write the Gospel of Mark and become someone Paul himself calls "profitable" for the ministry. Your assistant season is forming something in you that your leading season will need.
And if you're in a Paul-and-Barnabas season — leading, preaching, visible — don't overlook the John Marks around you. They're not lesser. They're earlier. And they're watching you to learn how it's done.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when they were at Salamis,.... A chief city of Cyprus; and so Herodotus (f) calls it Salamis of Cyprus; and in this…
And when they were at Salamis - This was the principal city and seaport of Cyprus. It was situated on the southeast part…
Salamis - The capital of the island of Cyprus; afterwards called Constantia, and now Salina, situated on the eastern…
In these verses we have,
I. A general account of the coming of Barnabas and Saul to the famous island of Cyprus; and…
And when they were at Salamis Salamis was the nearest port of Cyprus for voyagers from Seleucia. It is at the eastern…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture