Acts 13:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

NIV: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'

NASB: While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.'

CSB: As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

NLT: One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.'

KJV: As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

NKJV: As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

The leadership of the church in Syrian Antioch is praying and fasting. It's not clear if they are doing so because of a specific need but "while" fasting probably means it's a regular practice. The group includes several prophets and teachers including Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul (Acts 13:1).

The Bible does not require Christians to fast, and individual fasting was not common in the Old Testament. Still, fasting from food can be a way to discipline the body and symbolically remove oneself from the distractions of the world and focus on God. While the men are fasting and worshipping, they are submitting to the Holy Spirit, willing to do what He commands.

Barnabas has the gift of prophecy; that is, he admonishes and encourages in truth. Saul is a teacher. Later, Saul will write to the church in Corinth that teaching is of a lower rank than prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:28). It isn't until Acts 13:9, when Saul is in the middle of confronting a false Jewish prophet on behalf of a Gentile ruler, that he is called by his Greek name, Paul. And it isn't until after that significant event that his name precedes Barnabas' (Acts 13:13). Even then, Barnabas is still recognized as Saul's superior in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:12, 25).

Although the Holy Spirit honors the prayers of the leaders of the church in Antioch by giving specific guidance, we shouldn't assume that God will always tell us exactly what to do. Sometimes He has a specific plan for us, but more often His "plan" is for us to live our lives considering what the Bible teaches. Not all of us are called to fulltime ministry, but we are all called to live for Christ wherever we are.

Acts 13:1–3 is a segue from Peter, the church in Jerusalem, and the evangelistic efforts in Judea and Samaria. This transitions to Paul and the expansion of the mixed Jewish / Gentile church in Syrian Antioch to modern-day Asia Minor. Peter and the Jerusalem church will only be mentioned again in the context of Paul's story (Acts 15:1–35; 21:17–26). Saul takes his Gentile name, Paul, as the worldwide church shifts to become a largely Gentile institution. The last stage of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8—to spread His story among the Gentiles—takes center stage.

Acts 13 transitions Luke's account (Acts 1:1) fully into a record of Paul's ministry to spread the news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary journey. They teach about Jesus' offer of forgiveness of sins on the island of Cyprus and in the district of Pisidia in modern-day south-central Asia Minor. Along the way, they face opposition, desertion, and persecution: themes that will follow Paul throughout his life. But they also experience the joy of watching the people they'd least expect come to a saving faith in Jesus.

The first chapters of Acts, save for a quick account of Paul's conversion (Acts 9:1–31), cover the ministry of the apostles, particularly Peter. Those passages also detail the spread of the news about Jesus from His followers. That message goes to the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 2—7) and Judea (Acts 8:26–40; 9:32–43), the Samaritans (Acts 8:4–25), and God-fearing Gentiles (Acts 10—11). Now, Paul's contribution to the ''end of the earth'' portion of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8 begins, as he and Barnabas start their first missionary journey. Luke will record two more of Paul's journeys (Acts 15:36—18:22 and 18:23—20:38) before settling in on his return to Jerusalem, arrest, and sea voyage to Rome (Acts 21—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.