‘Light to the Gentiles’: Paul’s First Missionary Journey

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  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.’  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off…For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’ And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.”-Acts 13:1-3, 47, 49 (ESV.  Read Acts 13).

With the 13^th chapter of Acts, the focus changes from the Jerusalem Church as the major center of Christian outreach to the Antioch Church in Syria, and from Peter as one of the major leaders to Saul, who from Acts 13:9 forward was called by his Gentile name, Paul.  Know that these brief devotionals from the account given by Luke in Acts are in no way an in-depth Bible study of the impassioned and marvelous account of God’s work to have His word spread.  I hope you (as I) detect the excitement, dynamics and urgency with which God-called missionaries shared the word to the Gentile world.  We see the Great Commission (Acts 1:8) in action here.  God chooses leaders, the church ordains them, prays for them, sends them out, supports them.  The pattern for our missionary endeavors, even to the present day, is seen in the revealing presentation of the Acts of the Apostles.  Note the cosmopolitan nature of the people mentioned in Acts 13:1.  These prophets were from, as we say, ‘all over’: Barnabas from the island of Cyprus: Simeon (Niger—“black”) from Africa; Lucius from Libya, North Africa; Manaen from the court of Herod Antipas; and Saul, although a strong and well-trained Jew, was a dispersed Jew from Tarsus.  Called prophets, these leaders in the early church were both foretellers—giving what was revealed to them of God’s plans for the future—and forthtellers—telling forth the Word of Life).  The church while praying and fasting made the decision to choose Barnabas and Saul to send forth as missionaries (our word to designate them, not the church’s word at that time).   

To summarize a marvelous story, I note only the barest facts about this first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, with John Mark along for part of the journey.  It was approximately, date-wise, from about 46-48 A. D. and lasted roughly a year and a half.  They went the 15 miles from Antioch in Syria to the coast, and at the port city of Seleucia they set sail going southwestward to the island of Cyprus (Barnabas’ homeland).  They preached in the synagogues of the Jews at Salamis and across the island to the west side to Paphos (about 90 miles of travel).  There the proconsul Sergius Paulus, the highest-ranking Roman official in the province, sent for Barnabas and Paul.  But Bar-Jesus (Elymas) the magician, fearing that his business might be curtailed if Christianity took hold, objected.  Paul confronted him, and the man became temporarily blind (also symbolic of the blindness of his magic).  The proconsul believed.

Again they set sail from Paphos and went northwestward to Asia Minor to Perga in Pamphylia. They didn’t remain long in Perga, but on the return trip they would spend more time there. John Mark left the missionaries and returned to Jerusalem (reason not given here in Acts).  They went northward to Antioch of Pisidia.  As was Paul’s custom, they found the synagogue in Antioch, and on the Sabbath Paul, on invitation of the elders, stood to give “a word of encouragement” to the gathered worshipers.  Read Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:16-41.  It has three distinct parts:  a brief sketch of major Old Testament history (13:16b-25); God’s provision of redemption through Jesus Christ (13:26-37); and an invitation to believe (13:38-41).  Extremely knowledgeable on Hebrew history and the writings of the law and the prophets, Paul laced his powerful sermon with appropriate scriptural quotations, emphasizing:  “by Him (Jesus) everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (13:39).  The people left the synagogue, asking to hear more!  During the week, Paul and Barnabas encouraged and taught the people.  The next Sabbath “the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (13:44).

But as the Word took hold and people believed, Satan attacked and his opposition came from the Jewish leaders who “were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (13:35).  It was then Paul quoted from Isaiah 49:6:  “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (13:47b).  Many believed at Antioch and turned to the Way.  But persecution became rife (from the Jewish sector) and Paul and Barnabas left Antioch, shaking the dust from their feet as Jesus had taught the disciples to do when the people did not receive the message (see Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, Luke 9:4).  But despite the opposition, the excitement could not be squelched:  “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (13:52).

We still have our Mission Boards and agencies that appoint, affirm and send out what we call “career” missionaries.  But in addition to those who go under board appointment and support, our churches have volunteer missionaries and teams that go out to bear the good news. These have been invaluable to the spread of the gospel and for support on the field for regular missionaries.  For example, very recently our church has reached out with our associate pastor of music going with Georgia’s Sons of Jubal on a music mission to North Korea and China. A team from our church went to Queens, New York to witness, teach and minister.  In July eight will join a larger team going to Ghana, Africa to work in “Coast for Christ” ministries, and another team will go this summer to the coast of Georgia to work in a needy area of Brunswick.  These support teams strengthen each individual Christian involved and provide needed hands and voices for the Lord’s work at the mission sites.  And upon their return, as with Barnabas and Saul, they encourage and inspire the church members to greater mission support.  God works in marvelous ways (even in these days) to allow us to participate as “lights to the Gentiles” (to unbelievers).  Praise be to God that we can all be a part of God’s plan to reach the world for Him—and even more so “as we see the day of the Lord (His second coming)  approaching.”  Praise be to God!