Gospel Message in Antioch
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There is only the simple record of their ordination and of the bearing
that it had on their future work.
The circumstances connected with the separation of Paul and Barn-
abas by the Holy Spirit to a definite line of service show clearly that
the Lord works through appointed agencies in His organized church.
Years before, when the divine purpose concerning Paul was first re-
vealed to him by the Saviour Himself, Paul was immediately afterward
brought into contact with members of the newly organized church at
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Damascus. Furthermore, the church at that place was not long left in
darkness as to the personal experience of the converted Pharisee. And
now, when the divine commission given at that time was to be more
fully carried out, the Holy Spirit, again bearing witness concerning
Paul as a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles, laid upon
the church the work of ordaining him and his fellow laborer. As the
leaders of the church in Antioch “ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them.”
God has made His church on the earth a channel of light, and
through it He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not
give to one of His servants an experience independent of and contrary
to the experience of the church itself. Neither does He give one man a
knowledge of His will for the entire church while the church—Christ’s
body—is left in darkness. In His providence He places His servants
in close connection with His church in order that they may have less
confidence in themselves and greater confidence in others whom He is
leading out to advance His work.
There have ever been in the church those who are constantly in-
clined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize
that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have
too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather
than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his
brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for
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the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special
authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and
despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God.
Those who are inclined to regard their individual judgment as
supreme are in grave peril. It is Satan’s studied effort to separate such
ones from those who are channels of light, through whom God has