A Study of Acts: Barnabas and Saul are Set Aside
Acts 13:1-3 - The tapestry of our life is a mess from our vantage point, but a perfect crown of life from God’s perspective! What are you “set aside” for?
“Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
Acts 13:1-3 NASB1995
In reviewing commentary for the Book of Acts, I found that some scholars separate out the various sections of the book. Acts 13 begins the first missionary journey of Paul. I like this outline that David Jeremiah has written as quoted in Precept Austin:
Another way to outline the book of Acts is to center it on the book’s key character: the apostle Paul. More than half of the book of Acts (chapters 13–28) chronicles Paul’s missionary activity. Chapters 1–12 can be read as a prologue to Paul’s work, as these chapters identify him as the leading persecutor of the church, describe his conversion to Christ, and record his pre-missionary activities.
Prologue (Acts 1–12): The church is born; believers are persecuted and scattered; Saul of Tarsus, the Christians’ chief persecutor, is converted; Paul is gradually accepted by the church.
Paul’s first missionary journey and the council at Jerusalem (Acts 13–15:35): Paul preaches to the Gentiles in Cyprus, Turkey, and Syria, taking Barnabas and John Mark with him; the council at Jerusalem declares that Gentiles who come to Christ do not need to be circumcised.
Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:36–18:22): Paul and Silas strengthen churches in Syria; Paul travels throughout Greece, preaching and encouraging new believers (such as Lydia, Priscilla, and Aquila).
Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23–21:16): Paul ministers in Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) before returning to Jerusalem, where he is arrested.
Paul’s fourth “missionary journey” (Acts 21:17–28:10): This is not a planned missionary journey; it comes as a result of Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem and his appeal to make his case to Caesar in Rome.
Epilogue (Acts 28:11-31): Paul is incarcerated in Rome.
Outlining the book this way affirms what American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson believed: that all history is biography. In addition to recounting key events in Paul’s life, Acts is filled with descriptions of other people we can learn from. Another lesson we can glean from this overview of Paul’s conversion and ministry is that God always has a plan. Paul wouldn’t have mapped out his life this way —particularly not being struck with blindness for several days or being imprisoned for several years —but it’s clear in retrospect that God’s plan was sovereign even in these apparent setbacks. How would you outline your own life? Thematically, geographically, or chronologically? Based on high points and low points? It doesn’t really matter, because all are relevant. God is always at work in our circumstances with “a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure” (Ephesians 1:9). The path of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome and to “other places far beyond” (2 Corinthians 10:16) is not a straight line. There were, and will continue to be, twists and turns, starts and stops, all along the way. But in the end, God’s plan is always fulfilled: “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9). The same is true of our lives. On the front, our lives look like a beautiful tapestry. But on the back, there are all kinds of knots and tie-offs and connections and repairs that make the front of the masterpiece possible. The book of Acts can look a bit “messy” at times, just like our lives do. But all of this is ultimately part of God’s plan to build his church (Matthew 16:18) and conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), regardless of the difficulties involved (Romans 8:28). (From A.D: The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts).
This is really compelling! History is a biography (or set of biographies) and there are many ways to outline my own life and its events, all of which have been relevant to get me to the place I am now, on the brink of 70 years of age. In my life there have been many missteps, terrible errors in judgment, a senseless journey away from God, regrets, fears and anxiety, losses of loved ones, fortuitous and wonderfully spiritual events, many blessed opportunities to enjoy God’s Earth and His creation, a dear companionship with my husband, and salvation brought to me by a determined and loving Sovereign God and His plan.
David Jeremiah talks about the back of our lives looking like a messy set of knots for the beautiful tapestry that is the front. This reminded me of a story from Corrie ten Boom; she and her family helped many Jewish people during the war and she suffered for it by being sent to a concentration camp. Corrie would show this embroidery to audiences, talking about the messy back side first, then showing the beautiful crown on the front side; this image and story were found on a Flickr site for the Corrie ten Boom ministry:
So back to my short passage from the beginning of Acts 13. There were prophets and teachers gathered at the church in Antioch, including Barnabas (whom we have met), Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manean who was brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and of course Saul. Who are the three that are mentioned besides Barnabas and Saul?
According to Enduring Word commentary, the word Niger means Black, so Simeon was likely a black man from Africa who was a believer; the Christian faith does not care about appearance, race, country of origin, so this church in Antioch was multicultural from the beginning. Simeon might have been the same man who helped Jesus with the cross! Precept Austin notes that Lucius of Cyrene was from Libya; nothing else is known about him. Manean (perhaps called Menachem earlier in his life) was either the closest friend or the foster brother of Herod the Tetrarch, the same Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded and helped condemn Jesus. Manean is an example of the fact that no one is beyond redemption! He can be contrasted to the evil Herod that he knew and was now serving as a leader in the church.
These prophets and teachers were ministering to the Lord and fasting and the Holy Spirit said to them to set aside Barnabas and Saul for the work for which they have been called. So how does one “minister” to the Lord and be “set aside” for His work? I like this commentary from Enduring Word:
As they ministered to the Lord: This was part of what happened at the congregation in Antioch. Barnabas and others certainly ministered to the congregation, and the congregation also ministered one to another. Yet they also ministered to the Lord.
This is the first job of any servant of God, to minister unto the Lord. In doing this, they did the service of priests under the new covenant, offering their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Ministering to the Lord means doing what pleases Him and honors Him – worship, praise, prayer, listening to, honoring God.
They ministered to the Lord and fasted: As part of their service to the Lord, they also fasted. Presumably, they fasted because they sensed a need to seek God in a special way.
Judging from the calling described in the text, it is possible that they sought God about the need to spread the gospel to all the earth.
If we assume they fasted and prayed about the need of the world for Jesus, we can see how God answered their prayer – by using them. This is often how God moves, by sending the people who have it on their hearts to pray.
Many want to be “back seat drivers” in God’s work. They hope to say, “I’ll have the burden and you do the work.” But God’s typical way of working is to send the people who have the burden to do the work.
The Holy Spirit said: As they ministered unto the Lord, God spoke to them. This was a word of calling that would guide Barnabas and Saul into a specific work.
The Holy Spirit said: Presumably, the call came through the ministry of prophets in the church at Antioch, though it could have come simply through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.
“I do not for a moment imagine that the assembly heard a voice. That is the mistake we too often make. We try to force ourselves into ecstasies in order to hear the voice, then we imagine we hear it!” (G. Campbell Morgan)
Separate to Me: Before Barnabas and Saul could do anything significant for God, they first had to be separated to Him. If you will separate to God, it means you must separate from some other things.
You can’t really say “yes” to God’s call on your life until you can say “no” to things that will keep you from that call.
Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work: It is significant that the two men called to missionary service were – as far as we know – the two most gifted and able men in the congregation.
For the work to which I have called them: God had a specific work He had appointed to Barnabas and Saul to do. Paul would later write in Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.Here, God called Barnabas and Saul to those kind of good works.
The calling God had for the life of Paul had already been stated in Acts 9:15-16: He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake. This was not a touchy-feely “feel good” call – it was a serious call to a serious ministry.
Now separate to Me: God gave a timetable – now. Before, God had told Paul through Ananias what his calling was, but not that it was now. Now meant there was to be no delay.
Some key takeaways:
Ministering to the Lord is doing what pleases Him and gives Him honor - prayer, worship, praise, being in His word, obeying Him.
If we are to separate to the Lord, we must say “no” to the things that keep us from His call.
God calls those who are able to carry the burden of His work.
God appoints us to specific work. Paul was appointed by God to be His chosen vessel to bear His name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel. Usually when God calls us to separate to Him, he means NOW, not when we feel like it.
The group fasts and prays and lays hands on Barnabas and Saul and they are sent away.
My next devotional examines Acts 13:4-12: Barnabas and Saul set sail to Cyprus to begin their first missionary journey (and Saul becomes Paul in this passage).
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer;
Dear Lord - Help me to know Your will for me and to fill my life with prayer, worship, praise, and obedience. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on 10/26/2024 to review the commentary for Acts 13:1-3.
Just went through a series on fasting and prayer that had this scripture with others as the teaching point.
There are so many valuable things to unpack from Paul’s biography!