Lives of Scripture

Mnason is mentioned only once in Scripture, as Paul and his companions traveled toward Jerusalem at the close of Paul's third missionary journey. Luke records that 'some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to lodge' (Acts 21:16). The description 'of long standing' (or 'an early disciple' in some translations) suggests Mnason had been a believer since the earliest days of the church, quite possibly since Pentecost or shortly after, given the substantial time that had passed by this point in Paul's ministry. As a Cypriot, he may have had a background similar to Barnabas, another early Cyprus-born believer (Acts 4:36), and possibly belonged to the same circle of Hellenistic Jewish Christians who helped establish the church's earliest cross-cultural reach. His willingness to host Paul's group -- a potentially risky association given the mounting hostility toward Paul in Jerusalem, which would lead to his arrest within days (Acts 21:27-33) -- reflects the quiet, essential hospitality that supported the apostolic mission throughout the book of Acts.