Drawn In or Indiffernt

Are you Drawn in or are you indifferent…

Acts Chapter 13 and 14 Study

Introduction

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Saul’s/Paul’s first missionary journey. Now in , we will see Saul begin to be called Paul, a name that will be used for him through the remainder of the book of Acts. Paul and Barnabas reached out to the island of Cyprus and also a mainland region known as Galatia, now part of central Turkey.

Harley Davidson

Doesn’t that one get you going? This is probably my favorite one of the ones we will show today and definitely the most spiritual. I am totally drawn in my brother would be drawn in but my wife…not so much.

I am totally drawn in my brother would be drawn in but my wife…not so much.

Volkswagon: My Grandfather would have been indifferent…would not buy a German car because of the war.

Avocado…I know some of you would love this…but I am indifferent…not against it but just not bought in.

We are all drawn into to different things…This is a natural thing. When it comes to cars, music, art, hobbies, or style being indifferent about these things really does not matter.

As a matter of fact it is probably healthy to be indifferent about certain things. This is fine when it comes to material things or things that are temporary.

This is fine when it comes to material things or things that are temporary. None of this is going to change your life…so it is totally fine to be indifferent

Barnabas and Saul Sent from Antioch

None of this is going to change your life…

However it is different when it comes to the questions Jesus ask….the answer or the attitude to what you think about Jesus will change your whole life.

For the first time, a local church took the initiative to send representatives out on a Christian mission.

So before anything lets take a look at the Antioch Church that was sending out these missionaries for the first time. What makes them a sending church and what can we learn from them?

In our passage Jesus asks are you drawn in or indifferent. Its a familiar passage and the meaning could be applied to evangelism but it is also very applicable to what happens in the life of a believer after Jesus has been presented to us.

The Antioch church was made up of new Christians. Its members could still easily remember their days before Christ. They still reveled in the novelty of grace. When first-century Jews came to faith in Jesus, they came to know their God more fully. In contrast, the Gentiles in Antioch were coming to know the true God for the first time.

(NLT)

Matthew 13:1–9 NLT

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

What does he want them and us to understand?

Because their faith was still fresh, it had not yet had opportunity to solidify into rigid forms.

The Antioch church was made up of world-conscious Christians. It had been founded by missionaries (see 11:20); these early witnesses helped to shape the outward-looking vision of the Antioch group.

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

What does he want them to understand?

The Antioch church was made up of generous Christians. They had manifested this by sending a love offering to those in Jerusalem who were potentially facing famine (see 11:27–30).

The Antioch church was also made up of obedient Christians. When God spoke, they heard and obeyed.

Spiritually Drawn in will save your life.

After seeking the will of God and receiving the mission they laid hands on them and sent them away with their blessing. It would have been easy for these Christians to selfishly hold on to Paul and Barnabas…however God blessed them with an understanding that they must be about mission.

Spiritually Drawn in will save your life.

Because of this obedience at one time the Area of Turkey, Iraq etc…was over 90% Christian…it is now less than 1% Christian in this area.

There are 4 responses talked about here When God is leading…we speak ever week in hopes that people respond by being drawn in….

I spiritually break down with indifference…I spiritual breakthrough with drawn in.

How do you think this Changed?

Drawn in over indifferent will save you life.

Do you think America could suffer a similar fate?

4 responses

How might a modern day American church imitate the Antioch Church?

The Path...Hard Hearted Indifferent…

In the end Christianity will not disappear because of outside forces it will be for lack of mission oriented followers of Jesus.

Shallow Soil...Initially drawn in but become indifferent…Hard Hearted underneath..

The Thorns...They say yes to God but they live no. More emotion than devotion.My Kingdom…God’s Kingdom is s close second….they allow life to interfere with growth.

The Good Soil....Reproducing…this soil is about loathing indifference

Which one are you?

Ministry at Cyprus

It is believed that Barnabas had grown up on this island (see ). He would have been familiar with its terrain and people. Cyprus was an island province in the Mediterranean Sea. It was known for its copper mines, its shipbuilding industry, and its perfect weather. It was also an island full of pagan people. Its goddess was Venus, the goddess of love.

Next week we are going to look at 3 and 4

Luke does not give much information about the missionaries’ visit to the city of Salamis on the eastern side of Cyprus. All he says is that … they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues (13:5a). Why doesn’t Luke tell us more?

For the remainder of today lets talk about the path and rocky…

The thing these two have in common is they breed indifference.

This is kind of a normal thing for Luke in His writings…no one really has a great answer for this….other than all Luke wanted to communicate was that they actually did preach in this area.

Between Salamis and Paphos, also on the island of Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas traveled through the whole island (). Did they move nonstop (a distance of about ninety miles), or did they pause en route to preach? Perhaps Luke wanted to avoid the possibility of boring his readers with too much detail.

So what does indifference cost you?

The truth is that spiritual indifference will cost you everything. Spiritual indifference will cost you your life.

It’s possible that Luke himself had never heard the details of those particular days. In any case, he took his account quickly to Paphos (13:6). There, in the Roman provincial capital, Barnabas and Paul met the Roman proconsul (governor), Sergius Paulus (13:7). (If Luke’s first readers lived in Rome and potentially were needing reliable information about Paul, then this early positive encounter with a Roman official could prove helpful to Paul’s cause. It did not hurt matters that Luke called the governor an intelligent man.)

The problem is that many times people can get confused as to what it is ok to be indifferent about.

Sometimes we conflate temporal things with the eternal and our focus is divided and we forget just how much Jesus loves us.

Barnabas and Paul not only met the local leader, but they met a member of his staff: a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus (13:6). (A local government official, living in a more superstitious age, often kept a fortune-teller on his staff.)

Jesus is not indifferent toward you.

Since this sorcerer, also known as Elymas (13:8), was a Jew, he was “in trouble” on at least two counts. First, he was breaking the Old Testament Law. forbade Jews to practice magic. Second, and more crucial for the moment, Elymas faced a man with greater power than any he himself possessed.

Acts 2:22–24 NLT

“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

New Living Translation Chapter 2

32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today

Acts 2:36 NLT

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

When Elymas tried to oppose the missionaries (in a manner which Luke, again, does not describe), Paul identified the magician for who he was: You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! (). I. Howard Marshall insightfully offers the contrast between the man’s name (“Bar-Jesus” meant “son of Jesus”) and what Paul called him—a child of the devil. After pointing out the magician’s true allegiance, Paul called blindness down upon him.

Perhaps Paul chose blindness as an appropriate temporary handicap, remembering how his own temporary blindness had helped bring him to eternal sight (see 9:9, 18). (You may notice similarities between this story and Peter’s encounter with a magician—Simon of Samaria; see 8:9–24.)

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

The proconsul quickly sized up the situation and allied himself with the missionaries and their God. Their teaching had already appealed to him (see 13:8). Their sign confirmed the teaching. A powerful Roman joined the Christian team.

He and the man whom the church knew as “Saul” had chosen to make some changes.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Acts 2:32–33 ESV

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

First, from then on “Saul” would drop the use of his Jewish name and be known by his Latin name Paul (as evidenced by 13:9; it appears no more than coincidence that the local proconsul held the same surname).

Have you ever been helped when you were down and out…there were people in my life that did more for me than my own dad...

Second, Barnabas evidently realized that Paul had shown his gifts as a natural leader. Luke has already pointed out what a model Barnabas was here was Barnabas’s greatest moment.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Although his thoughts are not mentioned in the text, Barnabas may have thought along these lines: “In order for Paul to develop fully, I must let him take charge. For the good of the Kingdom, I will stand aside.” From here on in Acts, Barnabas and Saul (13:7) became known as “Paul and his companions” (13:13).

Have you ever been helped when you were down and out…there were people in my life that did more for me than my own mom and dad

What lessons can our church or modern Day Christians take from this interaction?

Steve Harvey video

Isn’t that a great moment

Ministry at Antioch of Pisidia

Luke’s account of Paul’s time in Antioch is longer than his record of the remainder of the trip put together! Was this city or the events that took place there more important than the others? No. It’s more likely that Luke chose this spot to give a record of what Paul typically preached to Jews who were unfamiliar with the “Jesus events.” Note that

Did you see it and feel what Steve was going through…he was drawn in not indifferent?

Paul addressed his words to the men of Israel and you Gentiles [God-fearers] who worship God (; see also 13:26). Paul spoke in a manner he hoped would bridge the barriers that lay between Christians and Jews.

When Steve Harvey was nobody they loved him….If you can take that moment and multiply it by a million that is way we should feel about Jesus.

To do this, he focused first on God’s interaction with His people under the old covenant. Christians shared this history with the Jews. But then Paul pointed out how Jesus had come to fulfill God’s covenant.

When you experience the love of God you are drawn in.

So what do we do with that feeling?

If we wanted to outline Paul’s sermon in a contemporary sense, we might do so focusing on the term “promise.” Key information from only three verses shows the thrust of the sermon:

a. We preach the promise made to our fathers (13:32).

). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

b. God promised our fathers to send a Savior, through the line of David (13:23).

c. This Savior is Jesus (13:23).

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Acts 2:37–39 NLT

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

This is a day to repent…This is a day to move from being indifferent to drawn in…

d. Jesus’ resurrection documents the fact that He is the fulfillment of the promise (13:33).

As we come to the Table to receive the broken body and shed blood of Christ…

Or, here is another outline, giving more attention to the full content of each sermon segment:

What will yo do with your indifference what will you do with the love of God.

a. 13:17–22—God gave the promises to our fathers.

New Living Translation Chapter 2

32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today

i. 13:17–19—These fathers include descendants of Israel … in Egypt, freed in the Exodus, whom Moses endured during their wilderness wanderings, and whom God miraculously brought into the land of Canaan.

ii. 13:20–22—These fathers also include the nation of Israel in the Promised Land, including the judges … Samuel the prophet … Saul, and David … a man after God’s own heart.

(To this point, all the Jewish listeners would have listened politely, even enthusiastically. But then Paul moved onto new ground which provoked a strong negative response.)

b. 13:23–31—God fulfilled His promises in the life of Jesus, in whom we hear the message of salvation.

i. 13:24–25—John preached repentance and baptism, and the imminent coming of the Messiah.

ii. 13:27, 29—The people of Jerusalem … fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.… They … carried out all that was written [in the Old Testament] about [Jesus], as they had him killed.

iii. 13:30—God raised him [Jesus] from the dead.

(The Jews of Antioch might have known of John the Baptist and even have respected him. But, as Paul began describing Jesus and the treatment He received from the Jews of Jerusalem, Paul began taking more risks. To cover himself, Paul doubly emphasized that Jesus’ death had been foretold by the Old Testament prophets whom all Jews revered. Paul then clinched his argument, citing the fact of Jesus’ resurrection.)

c. 13:32–37—Here is a series of ancient promises which Jesus, in His resurrection, has fulfilled.

i. 13:33—God spoke of one who was His Son (see ).

ii. 13:34—God promised to give that One the blessings promised to David (see ).

iii. 13:35—A blessing God promised through David was a body that would not … decay (see ).

(If I had been Paul, I would have finished right there: “Therefore you should believe in Jesus and receive forgiveness of sins.” He did mention forgiveness [13:38], but then concluded with an unexpected twist.)

d. 13:38–41—The promise is now for you and for everyone who believes!

What was Paul doing? Through the first part of the sermon, he had seemingly done so well at helping the Jews to move toward acceptance. Here, he appears to have blown it. He bluntly announced that the Jewish law was inadequate. If that wasn’t enough, he slammed them with the word that God’s new promise extended far beyond their favored circle. Then, without giving his hearers a chance to respond, he came close to calling them scoffers, warning them not to reject the unbelievable truth he had just proclaimed (13:41).

Did they stone Paul? Not yet. This group politely invited Paul to speak again the next week. But we can imagine the furor such a message aroused in the Jewish synagogues.

This story sounds quite like an account earlier in Luke’s history. Paul’s master (Jesus) had once had a synagogue congregation applauding Him and His message, until He mentioned God’s concern for Gentiles. On that day, the Jews of Nazareth had nearly killed Jesus (see ).

The next Sabbath, after Paul’s sermon in Antioch, many Jews did turn on him: They were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying (). It appears likely that the Jews were reviling not only the missionaries, but also Jesus himself. In any case, Paul on several occasions saw such abusive talk as a signal. Once the Jews began blaspheming his message, he realized that he had fulfilled his duty to the Jews. It was then appropriate to offer the message to local Gentiles (see, for example, 18:6; 19:9).

Paul, on this occasion, reminded his hearers that God’s (Old Testament) plan had been for them, the Jews, to serve as a light for the Gentiles (13:47). Despite the fact that the Jews had failed in this task, God still loved them and continued to offer light to them. But the Jews’ choice to stay in darkness could not prevent Paul from taking the gospel to those who would welcome it. At this, many Gentiles rejoiced and believed (see 13:48).

The word of the Lord spread through the whole region (13:49). It appears that the Gentiles who felt accepted by God could not keep this fresh, wonderful news to themselves. As they spread the Word, they attracted others to the faith. This growth process would have taken some time. Evidently, Paul and Barnabas had opportunity to begin discipling the new believers. As the local church strengthened, the Jews were losing patience. They saw both their theology and their position in the community being threatened. They could not stand passively and watch this happen. They attacked—indirectly.

The Jews used their influence over God-fearing [Gentile] women of high standing who had been sympathetic to the synagogue and the Jewish faith, perhaps hoping that these women would sway their husbands, some of the leading men of the city (13:50). In any case, persecution arose. Paul and Barnabas left the city—either being physically removed from Antioch, or following their common sense which dictated a hasty departure. They shook the dust from their feet in protest as Jesus had instructed His disciples to do (13:51; see ).

Ministry in Iconium

Paul and Barnabas chose next to head ninety miles across land to Iconium, also in Galatia (). During their days there, they must have felt a sense of déjà vu. They went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke … effectively (14:1). Paul likely preached a message quite similar to his Antioch synagogue sermon, quoted at length in .

The Iconium response was more bipartisan; the believers included both Jews and Gentiles (14:1). The belief of some Jews, however, did not prevent (and may have strengthened) the resistance of others. Once again, Jews led the opposition, but they enlisted the aid of leading Gentiles who poisoned their [the many listeners’] minds against the brothers [Paul and Barnabas] (14:2).

Fortunately, the missionaries were not forced to leave the area immediately; they spent considerable time there (14:3). As at Antioch, this gave opportunity both for further evangelism and for discipleship among the new believers. God gave Paul and Barnabas opportunity to speak boldly and to perform miracles (miraculous signs and wonders; see for an allusion to these miracles).

Soon everyone in the area knew of Paul and Barnabas. Some residents supported the team, others opposed, but all took an opinion. Eventually the strength of the “nays” forced the issue. To escape a plot … [to] stone them (), Paul and Barnabas chose once again to leave town. Once again, however, the “yeas” could not be totally silenced. The missionaries had ministered long enough to establish a group of Christian believers.

Ministry in Lystra and Derbe

Paul and Barnabas next preached in the Galatian city of Lystra (). Evidently the town had no synagogue, for the missionaries appear to have preached outdoors. After they preached there for a time of unknown length, an incident arose which served as the highlight of their time there. Do you remember how Peter and John passed, on their way into the Jerusalem Temple, a man lame from birth (see 3:1–2)? In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas encountered a similar man. Once again, the Spirit enabled this lame man to stand and walk for the first time. In both situations, the people marveled. But the first healing had occurred in the capital of Judaism; this one took place in a pagan village. In Jerusalem, the miracle had prepared its witnesses to listen to the wonder-workers’ message. Here in Lystra, no one waited for Paul and Barnabas to speak about God. The gathered crowds immediately decided that Paul and Barnabas were gods.

The crowds made moves to prepare sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas (see 14:13). A strong reaction? Perhaps. A legend that was old even in the first century helps to explain the adulation of the crowds. The people believed that the gods had once come to visit their area, disguised as old beggars. Nearly all the townsfolk had ignored or even mistreated the gods. Only one poor, elderly couple had offered them food and shelter. The gods had rewarded this old couple by giving them “eternal life,” transforming them into a pair of great trees. Subsequent Galatians had resolved that they would never again mistreat visiting gods. When Paul and Barnabas showed up with miracle power, the locals quickly concluded that the gods had given the people a second chance. They would not miss this opportunity to offer appropriate worship.

For Paul and Barnabas, this situation would have been hilarious, if it had not been so serious. Had they chosen to, they could have played along with a role they had inherited—a role akin to that of the Wizard of Oz—fooling people into thinking they had magical power. But that would have totally contradicted their God-given purpose. How could they promote worship of the true God, if the people worshiped them as false gods?

Attempting to lead the people toward the truth, Paul began preaching. Luke’s account of this “sermon” is much briefer than the Antioch message, but it offers an adequate picture of Paul’s strategy for reaching uneducated pagans. Paul did not even mention God’s (Old Testament) contact with His chosen people. When Paul evangelized Jewish nonbelievers, a description of God’s interaction with the Old Testament Jews would have been most appropriate, but that information would have meant little to pagan people, who did not share a Jewish heritage.

In this situation, Paul chose to proclaim the God of creation who is the God of all nations. This God is the one who gives rain and harvests to all people (see 14:15–17). Paul wanted his Lystran hearers to recognize that the God he preached was the One True God, in contrast to the many gods most pagans worshiped. This God was the one who had created all, had created them. The one who supplied the needs of the world had given them the rain and food they needed. Paul hoped his approach would help the group relate to God the Father, so they then could appreciate the gospel of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Did Paul’s presentation convince his hearers? No, but Paul and Barnabas were still doing well in the local popularity polls. Many from the crowds still wanted to worship the “gods” they could see, rather than the unseen God whom Paul proclaimed.

The script here was already confusing, and then more players came on stage. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium had not been content to get Paul and Barnabas out of their own cities. They now arrived wanting to push Paul and Barnabas out of the province. To do this, they won the crowd over to their side (14:19). Somehow these visiting Jews convinced the residents of Lystra that Paul and Barnabas were not gods, but false prophets.

Paul and Barnabas couldn’t win. They didn’t want to be worshiped as gods, but neither did they want to be abused because they weren’t gods. Their goal was neither worship nor abusethey merely wanted to be heard. But the situation moved outside their control. The crowds, led on by antagonistic Jews, stoned Paul until they were sure he was dead, and then dragged him outside the city (14:19). Fortunately, God remained in control, and Paul remained alive.

The result? Even in Lystra, some had heard and believed the message. Despite the upheaval, Paul and Barnabas did not leave as total failures. The new Christians ministered to Paul and helped him up, and this unusual man headed right back into the city (14:20). But, he and Barnabas did take the hintthey left town the next morning and headed for Derbe.

What lessons are here for us? We, too, must remember that a strongly positive response to a false gospel can, in the long run, be more dangerous than a negative response to the true gospel. It was not Paul and Barnabas’s fault that the residents of Lystra accepted false beliefs. Paul and Barnabas were doing the best they could to correct this incorrect thinking. Today, however, many well-meaning Christians modify the gospel to make it appealing. They feel that the numbers responding justify their actions. (By no means are all rapidly growing churches offering a false gospel.) But, if it comes to a choice, proclamation of truth must always take precedence over the goal of seeking response.

Derbe 14:20b–21a

Their harrowing adventures in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra must have left Paul and Barnabas feeling a bit stressed. In contrast, their relatively uneventful time in Derbe () must have filled them with joy. Their ministry to the Galatians in Derbe may have been uneventful, and yet it was quite fruitful. After Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in that city, they won a large number of disciples (14:21). Miracles? Sermon content? Response from Jews? Response from Gentiles? Luke offers no details. Evidently Luke felt that he had already described adequately the outward leg of this missionary trip.

What had happened? Paul and Barnabas had accomplished most of their goals. In several locations, they preached the gospel. The work did not go smoothly, for many people rejected both message and messengers. But, despite rejection culminating in persecution, when Paul and Barnabas left each city, a new church was in place. Their home church, back in Antioch of Syria, would soon have heard the news with great joy, but Paul and Barnabas were not finished yet.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch of Syria

From Derbe, Paul and Barnabas could have taken a land route back to Antioch of Syria. Why would they want to return to cities from which they had been evicted by violent mobs throwing stones? But, despite the risks involved, Paul and Barnabas felt it best to revisit each of the newly planted churches.

Their ministry on the return leg of the journey serves as a model for the church today. Helping people into the Christian life is wonderful, but leaving infant believers to care for themselves may be counterproductive. What did Paul and Barnabas do? In each of the Galatian cities, they followed the same discipling methods that they had employed with success back in Syrian Antioch. That church had grown to the point where it wished to reproduce itself, which had been a prime motivation in its sending out of pastors on this missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas wanted to see all of their churches reach the point where they could mother still more churches. How did Paul and Barnabas move toward this goal?

First, Paul and Barnabas strengthen[ed] the disciples (). The new believers needed additional teaching. Earlier, Barnabas and Paul had taught the new church back in Syrian Antioch “for a whole year” (11:26). They could not spend twelve months in any of the Galatian churches, but they certainly gave each group a crash course in “Christian Faith and Life 101.”

Second, Paul and Barnabas encourage[d] them to remain true to the faith, no matter what the cost (14:22). Back in Syrian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas had “encouraged [the church] to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23). In the Galatian churches, Paul and Barnabas specifically warned of the many hardships the new believers would face to enter the kingdom of God (14:22). The Jews who had sent Paul and Barnabas packing the first time around would not give up easily. These Jews would attempt to drive the new churches out of existence either by persecution or by false teaching. (Paul’s letter to the Galatians shows how close the Jews came to succeeding.)

Third, Paul and Barnabas appointed elders … in each church (14:23). During the interval between church planting and the apostles’ return, people with leadership gifts had become visible in each church. The missionaries recognized these people and appointed them as elders. What was the elders’ job description? The other members of the leadership team back in Syrian Antioch had acted, along with Barnabas and Paul, as “prophets and teachers” (13:1). Perhaps these people were those best able to read and interpret the Scriptures, thus enabling them to continue the task of offering God’s truth to the others. Paul’s words for the elders of the Ephesian church (see ) give further insight into the responsibility Paul and Barnabas would have given to the elders in each Galatian city.

Fourth, Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed for each group (see 14:23). They had fasted and prayed with the leaders back in Syrian Antioch. It was while they were spending such time with God that He directed them to initiate this mission venture. The God who had, through prayer and fasting, enabled them to undertake and successfully complete this journey, would continue, through further prayer and fasting, to strengthen and protect the new Christians in Galatia. With confidence, Paul and Barnabas could commit these new believers to the Lord in whom they had put their trust (14:23). Paul and Barnabas would leave; God would not.

On the return trip, Paul and Barnabas did preach the word in Perga (14:25). Luke doesn’t mention the missionaries’ preaching there on the outward journey. Perhaps this lends support to the theory that Paul fell ill there the first time around.

Paul and Barnabas did not, at this time, return to the new Christians in Cyprus. Barnabas, however, did visit them again before too long (see 15:39), most likely further discipling them as he and Paul had discipled the Galatian churches.

Report of First Missionary Journey

As Luke’s account brings the travelers home to Syrian Antioch, he neatly summarizes the trip. Its beginning? The home church had committed Paul and Barnabas to the grace of God for the work of evangelism and discipleship. That work they had now completed (14:26). Had Paul and Barnabas done that work alone? By no means! They reported all that God had done through them (14:27, my emphasis). Done through whom? Paul and Barnabas? Yes, but also through the home church which had sent Paul and Barnabas off with fasting and prayer. The work of the Kingdom is never one person’s task. Paul and Barnabas knew that one may plant and another may water, but God “makes things grow” (see ). Not Paul, not Barnabas, not the Antioch church, but God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (). The path “to the ends of the earth” (1:8) was now open. God joined in the Antioch celebration that day, rejoicing in the faithfulness of all members of the missionary team.

Today, God continually calls His church to faithfulness. He invites us to the ministries, modeled in and 14, of prayer and fasting, evangelism and discipleship. God promises to bless faithful churches with fruitful ministry, but such fruitfulness comes via the way of many hardships (14:22).