What should it look like when workers are sent to places where God is already at work?
Acts 11 provides us some answers to this question. After persecution broke out against the early church, many believers in Jerusalem scattered to other regions within the Roman empire (Acts 8:1–4). Some of these believers landed in Antioch—a major city at that time—and began sharing the Word of God with both Jews and Greeks there (Acts 11:19–21). As a result, “a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21). When a report of this gospel growth reached the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
Here we see that Barnabas arrived at a place where the Lord was working in great power, and what he does there can be instructive for us.
Consider verse 23: “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” Several things stand out here.
Barnabas Came
First, Barnabas “came” to where the Lord was at work. The text does not specify the precise reason why the Jerusalem church sent him out. However, the context of the passage makes it clear that his coming was in response to the report of many people—including Greeks—coming to faith in Antioch. This report undoubtedly surprised church leaders in Jerusalem who were not expecting such a reception of the Word among non-Jewish people. Thus, part of the reason for sending Barnabas to Antioch was likely to investigate this astonishing incident of gospel growth.
Barnabas Saw
Second, Barnabas “saw.” He went with eyes open, eager to see what God was doing. This is an important precedent, for it is easy for us to overlook the many ways that God is—and has been—at work in a given location. Yet Barnabas didn’t miss it; he “saw.” This example should encourage all who cross borders for the sake of the gospel to do so with eyes to see what the Lord is already doing among other peoples.
And what was it that Barnabas saw? The text tells us that he saw “the grace of God.” Practically, what he saw was that many non-Jewish people had believed the gospel message and turned to the Lord. This was a major advance! That the gospel was breaking through significant cultural barriers and bearing great fruit among the Greeks was no small matter. It was an astonishing development.
Yet note how Acts 11:23—instead of stating that Barnabas witnessed such a breakthrough of gospel advance—simply states that Barnabas saw “the grace of God.” The implication is subtle yet clear: Such gospel growth can only be attributed to the powerful working of God’s grace. It is not human might or ingenuity that drives gospel growth; it is the gracious and powerful working of God’s Spirit. When Barnabas saw this great advance of the gospel up close, he knew he was seeing the grace of God—which led him to a specific response.
Barnabas Rejoiced
Third, Barnabas, upon seeing such gospel advance, “was glad.” His first response was not to critique; his first response was to rejoice. There were surely areas of weakness in this burgeoning young church at Antioch, as there are in any newly planted church. Yet instead of launching immediately into a critique of its shortcomings, Barnabas rejoiced in how the grace of God was at work among them.
This is a helpful precedent for us to consider. It is easy to hear of gospel advance in other regions and immediately respond in a cynical, suspicious way—to question whether such gospel growth is legitimate or healthy. It’s even easier to do so when one merely “sees” from afar, without witnessing up close how the gospel is bearing fruit. To be fair, not all reported growth is legitimate. Sometimes the methods of gospel workers can undermine true gospel advance and the planting of healthy churches. It is thus all the more important for us to follow Barnabas’s example to “come” and “see” how the gospel is moving forward. If we do, we might find much to celebrate.
When Barnabas came and saw first-hand what God was doing in Antioch, he couldn’t help but to be “glad”—glad that the word of God was going forth and being honored (2 Thess 3:1).
Barnabas Exhorted
Finally, Barnabas “exhorted” the new believers in Antioch. The Greek word for “exhort” (parakaleo) can mean to encourage or urge someone toward specific actions. In this case, Barnabas urged them “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” This work of exhortation aimed to strengthen this young church in the faith. Barnabas wanted the believers in Antioch to be rooted firmly in the Lord, growing in grace and knowledge. Yet his teaching seems to have had an outward orientation as well. That is, Barnabas’s exhortation of these believers likely helped stoke further gospel advance. Right after the author of Acts highlights this teaching ministry of Barnabas in Antioch, he records that “a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).
This precedent of Barnabas should encourage Great Commission workers to be committed to teaching the Word, and to do so with the aim cultivating both theological depth and evangelistic breadth.
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So, what should it look like when workers are sent to places where God is already working?
Based on the precedent of Barnabas in Acts 11, we should go with eyes to see and celebrate the grace of God at work, and with the aim of strengthening and furthering that work. Let our hearts not be closed off to what God is doing and let us not be overly critical of what we see. Rather let’s be glad in what the Lord has done in various fields and seek—through the ministry of the Word—to further strengthen and promote such gospel growth.
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