It  was  Quite  possible  to  believe,  like  Simon  Magus',  in  the  reality
of  the  divine  power,  without  being  converted  in  heart.  S.  Luke
does  not  add  and  was  baptized,  but  only  being  astonished  at  the
teaching  of  the  Lord,  In  me  Gospel  this  phrase  is  the  regular  de-
scription for  the  attitude  of  the  multitudes  towards  the  Lord,  an
attitude  very  diflferent  from  discipleship.  At  the  sight  of  the  judgement
on  Elymas  Paulus  would  rather  have  been  filled  with  fear*,  and  he
would  have  thought  it  safer  to  leave  these  dangerous  questions  and
prophetic  rivalries  alone.  In  any  case  he  had  no  more  dealings  with
the  apostles,  who  leave  Cyprus,  instead  of  seizing  the  great  opportunity
which  a  real  conversion  of  the  governor  would  have  given  them.
The  real  importance  of  the  incident,  however,  does  not  turn  upon
the  question  of  an  individual  conversion.  (I)  It  is  the  first  appearance
of  Christianity  before  the  Roman  aristocracy  and  authorities ;  and  so
it  is  the  first  step  in  the  new  stage  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel,
which  will  lead  on  to  the  appearance  of  Paul  before  the  emperor
himself.  And  when  Christianity  does  appear  before  the  Roman  world
it  is  with  dramatic  eflFect,  with  a  striking  conviction  of  false  religion.
2)  The  eflFect  upon  the  apostles  themselves  must  have  been  no  less.
