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Acts 13:1-5 – The Beginning of “Being witnesses…to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Pt.2

An Inspiring Description of the People God Used to Reach the World!

Who does God use? Anyone! From anywhere! With any level of skill, talent, personality, or giftedness. God uses those who have put their faith in Christ and who, out of a grateful heart, have committed their lives to use their skills, talents, and giftedness to be witnesses to the world and to make disciples. But the most amazing part of seeing God’s plan fulfilled is that He has chosen to use people! God wants you and me to be the ones who witness to the world (Acts 1:8 NKJV). God has “given us the ministry of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:18b NKJV) to declare how someone can have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. He commissions us to “make disciples” and then celebrate the spiritual conversions by “baptizing them” in His name (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)! In all of His infinite wisdom, power, and strength, God is building His Church, and He has divinely chosen to use people - you and me – to fulfill this great mission.

Just as was mentioned in our previous devotional over Acts 13:1-5 pt 1, the citizens of Antioch were of various cultures and reflected a good cross-section of the Roman world as a whole. It was not uncommon to meet people of all backgrounds and nations in Antioch. Thus, it is no surprise that the believers listed in Acts 13:1 are identified in unique and diverse ways. Some of the individuals are identified only by a singular name, which assumes the first-century reader was familiar with the person. Some are identified by their full name (two names), assuming they might not have been widely known to the first-century reader. And some are identified by their home cities to provide further information about the person. This information allows today’s reader to become familiar with the person(s).

It is significant that these details are provided in the very first verse of Acts 13, as the chapter serves to describe the launch of the Christian effort to spread the Gospel to the world. This information on the cultural diversity of the believers in Antioch confirms that God determined to launch this expansive, evangelizing phase of the church into a diverse world. It also serves as a glimpse of how God’s Church, as a whole, will ultimately be filled with “all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV).

To better understand the people mentioned in Acts 13 NKJV, it is helpful to know a little bit about how one got his/her name(s). In the first century, one’s name would be different depending on the area where s/he lived. A Roman family would provide a birth name, a name of their tribe/province/heritage, and occasionally a descriptor name or some notable quality. Various provinces around the Roman world may have opted for only two names (usually their birth name and their father’s first name). Slaves would usually only receive one name. It would often be a name the master gave the slave that would serve as a descriptor of what he did or his work ethic (e.g., “Onesimus” means “useful/profitable” in Philemon verse 10 and is only identified by this one name).

The diverse and multicultural group of believers and Christian leaders listed in Acts 13:1b NKJV included, “Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”

1. Barnabas was actually named “Joseph Barnabas.” Barnabas means “an encourager.” He was a Levite by birth, which implies he had a good grasp of the Old Testament. He was born on the island of Cyprus (Acts 4:36-37 NKJV).
2. “Simeon” (Greek: “soo-meh-OWN”; English: “SIMMY-enn”) was also named Niger (Greek: “knee-GAIR”; English: “NIGH-jer”), which means “dark/black”, which probably referred to his dark complexion. Some have speculated that Simeon was from the African country of Cyrene. If so, he most likely was a Jewish man who very well could have been converted while in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). It is unclear whether he was “Simon the Cyrene” who carried the cross of Jesus on His way to Calvary.
3. “Lucius of Cyrene” (Greek: “LOO-key-oss”; English: “LOO-see-us”) was from the city of Cyrene on the African continent.
4. “Manaen” (Greek: “ma-na-AIN”; English: “ma-NAY-en”) is said to have been “brought up” with Herod the tetrarch. The Greek word that is translated “brought up” could mean that he was “nursed or raised” or simply a very close family friend. His testimony of conversion must have been extraordinary as he was exposed to the early days of Christianity knowing he was extremely close to the man who would someday kill James, the brother of John (Acts 12:1-4 NKJV) and kill other believers (Acts 12:1). Manaen was familiar with the Jewish teachings and traditions along with the political landscape and how it intersected with the Jewish people. In fact, we see him again in Acts 21:16 connecting with Paul and the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.

5. “Saul.” Saul’s full birth name was “Saulos Paulus.” “Saulos” (SOW-loss) was his Hebrew/Jewish name given to him at birth. “Paulus” (PAUL-loos) was his Latin/Roman/Gentile name.

• It is important to note that, unlike what is commonly purported today, “Saul” was not his evil, sinful, prior-to-salvation name. God did not rename Saul to Paul (like He did with Simon to “Peter (Rock)”). God did not switch his name to Paul after salvation, nor choose to avoid calling him Saul after his salvation. In fact, Paul is referred to as Saul over a decade after his salvation in the book of Acts, chapter 13, verses 1, 2, 9. The most significant occurrence is in Acts 13:9 when referring to him 10 years after his salvation, “When Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:9a NKJV). “Saul” is just as honorable a name as “Paul” (see “Want to Dig Deeper?” below for more details and to learn the reason why there is confusion).
• “Saul” is the most familiar name to most of the group. He was a persecutor of Christians (Acts 9:1-2 NKJV), he miraculously encountered Jesus (Acts 9:3-9), he was feared by the Christians (Acts 9:13-14), he was called “Brother Saul” in Acts 9:17 NKJV, he immediately connected and fellowshipped with other believers (Acts 9:17-19 NKJV), then he “Immediately preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20 NKJV). “Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22 NKJV). And He had been ministering in this fashion for 10 years, leading up to Acts 13.

Most of these people listed above are not too popular. But God uses the usable, not necessarily the popular! God used them to teach the believers how to apply the established Old Testament Scriptures and show how they point to and are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And God used them to support believers in sending them out to literally reach the world with the Gospel.

Not only were these believers diverse in their backgrounds, but most importantly, they were Spirit-controlled. Notice the Scriptures identify these people as either being “filled with the Holy Spirit” or hearing from the Holy Spirit three times in the first nine verses of Acts 13:

• Acts 13:2 NKJV– “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said...”
• Acts 13:4 NKJV– “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia...”
• Acts 13:9 NKJV– “Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him.”

Their hearts were pure, their sins were confessed, they focused upon God’s will and not their own will to be done, and the Holy Spirit was able to guide them and provide them with wisdom and boldness to be used to fulfill His purposes.

And as a result, they “ministered to the Lord” (Acts 13:2a NKJV). This phrase is an extremely significant phrase in Acts 13, for it is the result of one being Spirit-controlled. And it is also the way you can know that God will use you in His work to build His Church. The word “minister” is not the most used word in Scripture when talking about ministering to someone. The word “ministered” (Greek: “layt-tour-GAY-oh”) is taken from a Greek word where we get our word “liturgy.” And this word “minister” is the same term and concept used of the priests who served God in the Tabernacle and offered Him the sacrifices as their worship to God (Exodus 28:35, 43; 29:30; 30:20; 35:19; 39:26 NKJV). Thus, when the believers in Acts 13 NKJV “ministered to the Lord,” it means they got to the point where everything they said and did was done as an offering of worship and praise to the Lord! Whether big or small, spiritual or mundane, in front of crowds or in front of none, they functioned in their daily lives in such a way that every action was their spiritual offering of worship to God! They produced daily offerings of worship to the Lord!

And immediately after they offered every action as an offering of worship to the Lord, God was able to use them in supernatural ways! God used them to launch a massive escalation and swift expansion of His Church. “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.’” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2-3 NKJV)! These are the types of people God uses to reach the world!

Ponder & Pray Today…

Reflect on how God has saved so many people from so many diverse backgrounds and journeys. First, think about your own background and how God saved you. Take time to remember some major moments in your life (where you grew up, who raised you, the people you met that influenced you, the various locations you lived, the jobs you had, etc.), any moment that influenced you, that contributed to making you the person you are today. And then think about how God saved you and at what point along that journey. Now, think about the believers with whom you currently fellowship. Are they the same as you or not even close? Are their stories different in little or major ways? Then, take a moment to thank God for loving and saving you and your friends even though you are so different.

Pray and thank God for being the God who loves the diverse, multicultural world. In your own way, thank Him for saving you and thank Him for saving your friends that you fellowship with every week. Then tell Him you want a heart for people that reflects His. And tell Him you would like the Holy Spirit to do regular spiritual check-ups in your heart to remind you to love others as He loves you (John 13:34).