Paul the Apostle and Barnabas were commissioned by the Antioch community, through the Holy Spirit, for this first missionary journey, while they were worshiping and fasting. 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 were called by God and not by men. 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.
was converted after Saul
(Paul), filled with the
Holy Spirit, rebuked the sorcerer Elymas who criticized their teachings and as a result became blind for a period.
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,
see time 7:26–11:54 in Bible Q&A • Episode 44.
See our free will explained 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 by God
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. The people then wanted to sacrifice
to them. But Barnabas and Paul explained to them that they were just human beings like themselves. They only brought the good news and told them
to turn from their way of life to the living God, who made the heavens,
the Earth, the sea, and everything in them. (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 went back
into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. (Acts 14:19–20).
This was a supernatural healing.
When they had preached the gospel in Derbe 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 (John 16:33) 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 14:24–28).
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).
See time 5:49–43:15 in Acts 15 (Part 1) :1-35 • The Error of Lawless Men.
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 (page 19)),
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).
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 it explained at time 25:46–31:04 in Bible Q&A • Episode 47 and in 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, they delivered the letter.
And when they had read it, they rejoiced in its encouragement. (Acts 15:30–35).
See also Paul the Apostle, The Book of Acts,
and Some stories closely related to the Gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.
