Sending and Going in Acts
It's both being sent AND choosing to go.
I probably should have started with a Biblical framework for these pioneering posts, but as I get close to wrapping up, this is a great time to look back at Acts pioneers and see what we can learn.
As I review Acts for insights about how pioneers were sent out, I am surprised by how much personal autonomy those early pioneers had in their work. The Holy Spirit directly led, and churches did send people, but those were not the only two factors for the sending and going of kingdom workers. If you’re not familiar with these stories, be sure to read them as you read my thoughts.
Acts 11:19-30 is the story of the church starting in Antioch.
Everyday believers started this church with no permission or outside direction. Barnabas was sent by the Jerusalem church to see how this new church in Antioch got started. Then he went and sought Saul on his own. It seems that this is a both/and proposition: The church can send workers. And disciples can follow the ways of Jesus without needing any permission or authority to do so.
In the American church today, we often see a need for permission to be given. I think the church would be stronger if we had more moments like Acts 11:20-22. I can just hear the Jerusalem church in a ‘meeting’: “Wait, what happened in Antioch? Who started this church?”
Then, at the end of the story, the church in Antioch hears of a financial need in Jerusalem and self-determines to send help. They appoint Barnabas and Saul to deliver that gift.1
In Acts 12:25-13:4 Paul and Barnabas are sent out from the Antioch church for a specific work.
Follow me here:
Barnabas was sent by the Jerusalem church to strengthen the Antioch church.
Barnbas went on his own to find Saul.
The Antioch church sent financial aid with Barnabas and Saul back to Jerusalem by their own choice.
The Holy Spirit and the Antioch church sent Barnabas and Saul for ‘the work,’ which we see was a church-planting trip to unreached areas.
Do you see how many different ways people go and are sent?2
Acts 14:26-15:41 is about the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch navigating a major theological debate.
As you’ll see below, sending and going seem to be autonomous decisions made by Godly leaders in this story. I think we can assume they were abiding in Jesus, but there was no direct word from the Holy Spirit, like in Acts 13.
Paul and Barnabas are sent by the church in Antioch to visit Jerusalem and seek a resolution to a major theological question.
The apostles and elders, together with the whole Jerusalem church, sent Paul and Barnabas with a letter of instruction to clear up the theological debate they were having.
They also sent two leaders from the Jerusalem church to affirm the authenticity of what was being shared.
After a time, Paul (with Silas) and Barnabas (with Mark) go in two different directions on church-strengthening trips.
The Holy Spirit’s direct leading doesn’t come back until Acts 16:6, when Paul and his team begin to seek to share the Gospel in new places, and the Holy Spirit directly leads them. It seems that the main time the Spirit is directly involved in the sending is when he calls laborers to pioneer new work in unharvested fields.3
In Acts 18:22-23, Paul ends one journey and starts another.
As he finished his second journey, Paul greeted the Jerusalem church. Then he went to spend significant time with the Antioch church.
Then, again, he left on his own volition to do a church strengthening trip.
The movement in Ephesus was initially started by Paul revisiting the city; it wasn’t his first visit.
There is a lot more that could be written here (and in fact, if you’re bored you can read some extensive footnotes below.)4 But for now:
What is a simple list that all of these boil down to?
Reasons to be sent (by a church and/or by the Holy Spirit)
And/or Reasons to go (of your own volition)
Finding another coworker
Clearing up theological debates
Strengthening other churches
Planting new churches (this is the work that seems to be most distinctly led directly by the Holy Spirit… it comes out of believers/pioneers being in step with the Spirit)
The last two are the primary work of Paul on his journeys
Two final thoughts:
When you are a part of a church, be a part of that church. Use your gifts in that church, just like Paul and Barnabas did, wherever they were, either out with newly planted churches or back at their sending church.
Be okay with human agency (autonomy, pioneering). A person who says “I’m going to do this,” should get a green light from the church and leaders as long as it is part of the work of making disciples and that person is walking in the Spirit.
Additional notes on Acts 11:19-30:
Acts 11:23 “He [Barnabas] rejoiced and began to encourage them all to remain in the Lord” “Because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” May this describe us as Pioneers.
Acts 11:24 Out of this encouraging, and the ongoing reality of the church being the church, there were many new believers in Christ.
Acts 11:25-6 Barnabas went to seek out Saul to join him. As far as we can tell this was Barnabas’s idea and actions that brought this about.
Acts 11:26 The two of them spend an entire year in Antioch with the church. It becomes their “home base” for future church-planting trips.
Note that Barnabas and Saul spend significant time there, and through their teaching and the mutual disciple-making that is happening, the believers are so closely aligned with Jesus that they are called “little Christs” (Christians).
Acts 11:27 Prophets come from Jerusalem to Antioch. The Word is totally silent on if this was initiated by the Jerusalem church, the Holy Spirit, or the prophets themselves.
Additional notes on Acts 12:25-13:4:
Acts 12:25 Barnabas and Saul spent some time with the Jerusalem church. They left when the delievery job was done and picked up a coworker from the Jerusalem church - John Mark.
Acts 13:1 Five leaders are specifically mentioned in this church. They are said to be prophets and teachers.
Not to pick on any specific church leadership paradigm (or maybe to pick on both) but where is the APEST? We’re missing apostles, evangelists, and shepherds.
And if this is a biblically healthy church, why doesn’t it mention pastors or elders? (Just stirring the pot a bit.)
Acts 13:2 Was this meeting a special time of prayer and fasting, or a random instance of it? During this time, the Holy Spirit directly calls out Barnabas and Saul for a task.
Acts 13:3 The church supports this call and sends them out.
Acts 13:4 The Holy Spirit also sends them out.
Additional notes from Acts 14:26-15:41:
Acts 14:26 Paul and Barnabas return to the Antioch church, where they were sent out from.
Acts 14:27 They reported what God did on their journey. (Notice they give God the credit!)
Acts 14:28 They spend “a long time” there.
Acts 15:1 Unauthorized messengers (believers?) from the Jerusalem church come to Antioch and begin teaching that all believers need to follow the laws of Moses.
Acts 15:2-3 Paul and Barnabas are sent by the Antioch church to seek a resolution for this theological question.
Acts 15:3 They visit other believers/churches along the way.
Acts 15:4 Paul and Barnabas are received by the church at Jerusalem, and specifically the apostles and elders who are there.
Acts 15:12 Paul and Barnabas who had relationships with the Jerusalem church, but as far as we can tell, no formal position there, were given an equal platform to share their theological concern.
Acts 15: 24 The Jerusalem church had ‘some of their number’ who went to another church with false teaching. It is very interesting to me that at no point is their a condemnation of these people as being false believers. (Paul later calls them “false” in Galatians 2:4).
Acts 15:32-33 Judas and Silas joined the church in Antioch for a season, utilizing their gifts but then the Antioch church sent them back.
Acts 15:35 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch as part of the church, teaching and preaching, along with others also.
Acts 15:36 Paul decides to depart on a second journey, specifically for the purpose of strengthening the churches that had been planted on the first journey.
Acts 15:37-40 To put it in modern language: Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement on personnel.
Acts 15:40 The church sends Paul and Silas, and they visit the other churches from the first journey.
Additional footnotes from the Epistles:
Letters to the Corinthians
In the letters to the Corinthians Paul talks about Titus, Timothy, and Apollos. He considers them coworkers in the Gospel work he is doing. We know he had a lot of direct influence on Timothy and Titus. And yet, Paul also gives them a lot of autonomy. Look at these verses:
1 Corinthians 4:16 & 16:10: Paul is sending Timothy to the church to help teach what Paul himself would have taught were he there. But then in 16:10 he says if Timothy comes… He leaves Timothy with freedom to choose.
1 Corinthians 16:12 - Paul wanted Apollos to visit the Corinthians, but Apollos did not want to come.
2 Corinthians 8:16-24 - Titus wanted to visit the Corinthians by his own choice, along with an unnamed brother. But at the same time, Titus was appointed by the churches to do the work. Titus is a ‘partner and fellow worker’ among you.
In Galatians 1:18-2:14 Paul comments on the theological disagreement.
v18 Paul went to Jerusalem to visit Peter.
v8 Paul stands for the Gospel.. No works required… and Peter and James agree.
v11 Peter comes to Antioch, just for a visit, but his lifestyle hurts the fellowship, so Paul calls him out. (v14 It seems like he doesn’t follow Jesus’ instructions for church discipline, he just starts with the whole group.)