By Rony Kozman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies, Samford University
A MISSION WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
Acts 13:1–3; 44–52
When God calls you to go, go! (1–3)
In the church of Antioch, there were several teachers and prophets including Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius and Saul (or Paul). While the church was worshipping together, the Holy Spirit told them to appoint Barnabas and Saul for His work.
The church responded by fasting and praying and then sending the two on their appointed mission.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and that they would testify of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
In Acts 9, we read of Saul’s encounter with the resurrected Christ, and Jesus called Saul to proclaim Jesus to Gentiles, kings and the Israelites (v. 15).
While Paul did not witness the breadth of Jesus’ ministry in the way that the apostles of Acts 1 did, Jesus no less commissioned him to be an apostle and to take the name of Jesus to Jews and to Gentiles.
After a time of separation (11:25–26), Saul and Barnabas reunite in Antioch where the Holy Spirit calls them and sends them on their mission.
They travel to various places, including the island of Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystre and Derbe.
On this mission, Paul is taking the gospel to the ends of the earth just as the apostles were commissioned in Acts 1:8 and he was in Acts 9.
We will encounter rejection as some people reject the gospel. (44–47)
In Acts 13–14, we read of Saul and Barnabas traveling to various places to preach the gospel.
When Saul and Barnabas arrived at each place, they would often first go to the synagogue and preach the gospel to their fellow Jews (13:5, 14, 43; 14:1).
Sometimes we read that there were both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue (14:1).
Their message was variously received. It was welcomed by some Jews and Gentiles (13:43), and it was also rejected by Jews and Gentiles (13:45; 14:2–5).
When it was rejected by Jews in the synagogues, Saul and Barnabas then turned to the Gentiles (13:46).
We read that in Pisidian Antioch, a number of Jews “stirred up persecution” against them (13:50).
In Iconium they escaped a near stoning (14:5). And in Lystra, the rejection they experienced was so severe that Paul was even stoned and dragged out of the city (14:19).
We will experience joy as some people embrace the gospel. (48–52)
The way that Paul and Barnabas responded when they were rejected from a city was to move on to the next one. When they were persecuted and driven out of Pisidian Antioch, they moved on to Iconium. And when they were mistreated by both Gentiles and Jews at Iconium and almost stoned, Saul and Barnabas escaped and fled to Lystra and Derbe to preach the gospel there (14:5–7).
Although Saul and Barnabas experienced much rejection and opposition, there were still some who received their message and “were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” (13:52).
Even though there was large rejection and persecution of the apostles in these cities, when they finished making disciples in Derbe, they then returned to the places where they were persecuted — including Lystra and Iconium — in order to encourage the disciples who had believed their message.
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