Acts 13:1-4 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
What an exciting time for the Church! Christ had promised and prodded His followers to "go into all the world", and they had been forced to do so through persecution. But now the Holy Spirit was moving them to do something more intentional - to go on a mission. It was not that these were the most holy of the followers - maybe just more prepared. They had travelled together before, and Paul would have had a lot of sky miles already in our day and age. These two balanced on another in their personalities and approaches. But this really had as much to do with the church as them. The church was listening, so together they could hear the Holy Spirit say: "Set them apart and send them away." He was the one sending, not them. That explains the remarkable success of their journey.
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