Paul and Barnabas in Antioch
Open Your Bible
Acts 13:1-52, Isaiah 49:6, Galatians 3:10-14
BY Bailey T. Hurley
I was sitting in a circle of women discussing the topic: why is it important to read our Bible? There were a variety of answers like “knowing God more” and “having consistent disciplines.” But one gal responded: “I feel like I am not a good friend if I have not spent time in God’s Word. If a friend needs a wise word of advice, how am I going to serve her well if I cannot speak God’s Truth over her? If a friend is going through a tough time, how can I encourage her without being familiar with the Word of God? I want to be someone who is so fully-immersed in the Bible that speaking the gospel over my friends is providing exactly what they need in the situation.”
This response really stuck with me. Not only was I convicted, but I wondered how I could serve others better if I rehearsed the gospel more often.
Paul is a master at rehearsing the story of salvation and sharing it with large crowds of people. He is able to recount the history of God’s people, recite Old Testament scriptures from memory and clearly communicate the message of salvation in Jesus. So, when Paul and Barnabas are called on to speak a “word of encouragement” (Acts 13:15) to the people in Antioch, they are prepared.
Our encouragement should come from the story of God and our salvation in Jesus. God’s saving power is what gives us reason to rejoice just as the people of Antioch rejoiced that day: “They rejoiced and honored the Word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed” (v.48). Yet, this picture of Paul and Barnabas bringing the gospel to the people of Antioch feels so far from my personal experience. My level of “gospel fluency” (a term coined by author Jeff Vanderstelt) is severely lacking. Like becoming fluent in a foreign language, to be “gospel fluent” is to be able to interpret all of life through this new lens.
43 thoughts on "Paul and Barnabas in Antioch"
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Amen Arina !
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SarahJoy your words really stood out to me this morning. I am guilty of speaking in an unkind way to myself all the time. I’ve heard from a secular therapist that self love and talking gently to yourself can be a huge agent of change and now I wonder if we don’t have something better in the love of Jesus! I’m going to practice telling myself about it for the next week. Thanks
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Brooke P I thought the same thing! So many memory verses from the pat few months were in this section of Acts today. Those words felt so familiar and stood out from the page so to speak. I pray I will spend even more time reading the Word and memorizing it, as it really is life giving. Brooke P I am still praying for you and for other requests mentioned here.
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I need to work on my “gospel fluency” because I am unable to confidently and with out hesitation tell of my Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, I love Him and I know about Him and have asked Him to be my One and Only Savoir. Yes, I have received the Holy Spirit but that doesn’t mean I’m “gospel fluent”.
Lord help me to dive deep into Your Word and become “gospel fluent” so I can spread the Great News of Christ’s Salvation and the Holy Spirit. Remind how important it is to be in Your Word daily. Amen.
Sisters, dive in to the Word, spread the Great News and be blessed. -
Thank you Rhonda J. So glad your father is now at home.
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I also feel that my “gospel fluency” is greatly lacking. I was raised in the church, accepted Christ when I was 13, rededicated my life when I was 21, and have now been in ministry with my husband for 28 years – yet, I feel that I lack greatly in my gospel fluency. I want to have Christ on my mind and heart every day, throughout the day and that it would be so natural to speak the truth of the gospel to others.
I am also a licensed hairdresser and have been cutting this elderly woman’s hair for a year or two now. She was raised Catholic, is 94, blind in one eye and lives alone. During my prayer time that morning, before going to cut her hair, I asked God to give me the courage to share the gospel with her. All through the hair cut I wondered how to bring it up to her. By the time I was done I had still not brought it up, so asking God to give me boldness, I asked her if anyone had ever shared the gospel of salvation with her – no one had so I asked her if I could share it. She willingly obliged. I explained and she listened, at the end of it all she said, “thank you you said that very well, that’s very nice.” I explained that she could pray anytime, anywhere and ask Jesus to be her Lord and Savior…Please pray with me for Ida, that she will receive Christ before it is to late, and that God would help me to become fluent in the gospel.
@Rhonda – praise God for answered prayer and that your dad is home from the hospital!
@Traci – praying for Tanner that God would renew his spirit and that by some miracle he will be able to get the stem cell transplant…I have a son the same age – my heart aches for you.
@Nanak – praying you have relief from your pain and able to endure the flight and to be able to enjoy the time with your family.
@Taylor – continuing to pray for you – may God give you the strength to get up early enough to regularly spend time alone with Him.Blessings to all my SRT sisters – have a wonderful weekend!
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I am still not good at having scripture in my memory bank. I try my best to hide His Word in my heart in hopes when I need to speak that I’m ready. I guess it’s a good thing for smart phones so when I don’t remember something, I look it up. BUT it’s so much better when it’s already in my heart.
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KATHY A, I am still learning, growing, and understanding these things… I think we only become fully immersed when we make God our first priority. When He is first in our lives, our actions, our thoughts, our words etc… then the Holy Spirit tends to overflow & spill out from us, without us even realizing it!! And I think how we accomplish that is by letting go, and letting God.. all He asks of us is that we love, know & submit to Him, He does the rest!! We just need to be willing (like David, who was a man after God’s own heart) Does that make sense? I hope it does…like I said, I’m still learning, growing & understanding too! Bless you sister!! ❤️
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