This is Saul’s (Paul’s) first missionary journey. There are some truths here that servants who share the gospel should always remember.Read Acts 13-14 here
I’m not sure our view of what missionary work is actually like is always accurate. On one hand, those who share the Gospel in the early days of Christianity were wildly successful. So successful in fact, that the Jews in those areas became insanely jealous and tried to kill them. So the missionaries suffered, but it wasn’t because God wasn’t blessing their ministry, it was because God was blessing their ministry to overflow. That’s a new thought for me.
Another fact I hadn’t grasped until today is that the childhood friend of king Herod Antipas was a believer and a teacher in Syria. In fact, it appears that many wise and learned men were among the leaders of Christianity. This wasn’t just a group of uneducated people who were looking for some way to shake of their feelings of inadequacy. There were popular and powerful people who also recognized the validity of the Gospel. Undoubtedly their influence (as they were carried along by the Spirit) helped shape the ministry.
Paul and Barnabas are set apart during a time of prayer. I’m sure that’s important to note. I wonder how many leaders are set apart today only after prayer?
Barnabas grew up on Cyprus, so it’s a natural place to begin the ministry. After arriving on the eastern side of the Island they traveled to the west, and then took a ship north and slightly west to the northern part of the Mediterranean coastline. Their path through that area resembles a large arc, which took about 3 years. They then retraced their steps and went back to Antioch in Syria. There was also and town called Antioch in Pisidia, which was in Galatia, the area of the northern Mediterranean Sea. When I first became a Christian I thought Galatia and Galilee were somehow related…they aren’t at all.
The biggest problem that Paul and Barnabas have is the jealousy of the Jews. Ironically, they are Jews themselves, preaching a Jewish message about a Jewish man who was prophesied to be the Messiah…of the Jews.
On the darker side, it appears that the Jews also had sorcerers…I don’t think we should dismiss the power of satan, he is nothing to be trifled with. He is however defeated by Jesus Christ, and his power has limits, as is shown here. Bar-Jesus is defeated in his attempt to keep the Governor away from believing. I am reminded today that nothing is powerful enough to stop the message of the Gospel from being heard. That doesn’t mean that the hearers will respond in faith, that is up to them…but they will hear it, because satan cannot stop that from happening.
Neither can he stop a person from realizing the folly of their life apart from Christ, and he cannot prevent them from confessing their sins and receiving Jesus.
I hope this knowledge encourages and inspires you as you continue to pray for people in your circle of friends and family who don’t know Christ, and who seem to be prevented from hearing the message.
Faithfully,
PR