The evil eye

Paul now got into what ancient people would have viewed as a contest of magical powers, A Jewish magician employed by the governor was trying to hex Paul to discredit his powers and his message. But Paul blasted him with “the evil eye,” striking him blind, and the governor was deeply impressed. Clearly hoping to avoid the same fate, he did the intelligent thing and became a Christian (see Acts 13: 5-12).

This is noteworthy because the governors of provinces run by the senate, which included Cyprus, were drawn from the uppermost echelons of Roman society. Sergius Paulus had to have previously been a “praetor,” an office to which just ten high-ranking and extremely wealthy senators were elected every year. It was as if Paul had just converted a former member of the US president’s cabinet, now on diplomatic duty.—Paul: An Apostle’s Journey, 42