Paul the Apostle and Barnabas were commissioned by the Antioch community, through the Holy Spirit, for this first missionary journey. The Holy Spirit said through prophets in the Antioch community: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:1–3). They had John Mark to assist them (Acts 12:25, 13:5b), see Mark in The Four Gospels.
and Paul from Antioch to Cyprus, then into the south
Asia Minor (Anatolia), and finally returned to Antioch.
They then sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas went on to Pisidian Antioch (there were several cities called Antioch). On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue. The leaders invited them to speak. Paul went through Israelite history from life in Egypt to
king David. He presented Jesus as a descendant of David, brought to Israel by God. He said his team came to town to convey the message of Salvation. He told about
Jesus' death and resurrection. He quoted from the Old Testament to argue that Jesus was the promised Christos who gave them forgiveness for their sins. Both the Jews and the "God-fearing" Gentiles invited them to talk more the next Sabbath. Then almost the whole city gathered. This upset some influential Jews who spoke out against them. (Acts 13:13–45).
When Paul and Barnabas arrived in a new place, they began to preach in the synagogue to the Jews. If and when they rejected the gospel, they turned to the Gentiles. The Gentiles in Perga begin to rejoice and glorify the word of the Lord, and it says that so many as "were appointed to eternal life" believed. (Acts 13:46–48). The meaning of "were appointed to eternal life" is known as "divine election" and means: Those who received the message and believed were among those whom God had predestined for eternal life. The meaning of this and our free will is clarified in The Predestination Theory.
The word of the Lord spread throughout the region, but the Jews persecuted Paul
and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory. They shook off the dust from their feet towards them and went to Iconium. (Acts 13:49–52). Iconium is part of the region of Galatia, see The Book of Galatians. At Iconium they went together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. They remained there for a long time. An attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and stone them. They learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:1–7).
Lystra was a pagan area, it had no synagogue. Paul was used to heal a man there who couldn't use his feet. He had been paralyzed from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speak. When Paul saw that he had faith to be healed, he said in a loud voice: "Stand upright on your feet." And he sprang up and began to walk. (Acts 14:8–18). Paul and Barnabas preached about God the Creator
(Acts 14:15b–17), see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. But Jews came from
Antioch and Iconium, and after persuading the crowd, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, believing him to be dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and entered the city, and the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:19–20).
When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Pisidian Antioch, and strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, they committed them with prayer and fasting to the Lord, in whom they had begun to believe. (Acts 14:21–23).
Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, and from there they sailed back to Antioch. (Acts 13:24–28).
But some men came down from Judea and taught the brethren that you can't
be saved unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses.
Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were therefore sent to Jerusalem to
the apostles and elders to discuss this matter. (Acts 15:1–6, Gal 2:1–5).
The apostles and elders were there gathered to consider this matter.
Peter told of his meeting with Cornelius and the other Gentiles, see
Peter Sent to the Gentiles. Peter then said: "And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
(Acts 15:7–11, Rom 10:11–13).
Barnabas and Paul then told what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12).
Jesus' half-brother James then quoted from Amos 9:11–15 (LXX), see the end part of The Book of Amos. Afterwards James said: "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols (for example, food sacrificed in pagan ceremonies and then sold), and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled (meat that hasn't been slaughtered according to the law's requirement that the blood flow from the slaughtered animal (Gen (1 Mos) 9:4,
Lev (3 Mos) 17:13)), and from blood. For the Law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
(Acts 15:19–21).
The reason for avoiding eating food sacrificed in pagan ceremonies was, not to offend Jews in the synagogues or believers "week in faith" (1 Cor 9:20–22), see Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans and Legalism at the end of
The Book of Colossians. The same can be said for meat that hasn't been
slaughtered according to the law's, or food containing animal blood.
It's about following The Golden Rule, see The Sermon on the Mount.
See also Jesus and the Law.
The apostles and elders thought it good to write to them, and they decided to send
Paul, Barnabas, Judas Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, to Antioch with the following letter: "The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For
it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:22–29, Gal 2:6–9).
When they had been sent away, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation, delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced in its encouragement. (Acts 15:30–35).
See also Paul the Apostle.
