Who sent Paul and Barnabas out from Antioch on their first missionary journey?
The Holy Spirit sent Paul and Barnabas out from Antioch on their first missionary journey. Scripture carefully points out that it was not the church that sent them, but the Holy Spirit. The Antioch church did not commission them; the Holy Spirit did.
Les explains that when Paul and Barnabas left Antioch on that first journey, Scripture is careful to emphasize that it was not the Antioch church that sent them, but the Holy Spirit. He notes this same principle appears in Corinthians 13. Les also connects it to Paul's defense of his apostleship: he did not come into that role because the Twelve ordained him or any other group ordained or taught him, but by the miraculous laying on of the Lord Jesus. The context further identifies Paul's traveling companions, including Dr. Luke, Timothy, and Titus, and his letter to the churches of Galatia.
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
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