The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-01

the great commission. Sixteen OF
more years had elapsed since the
commission was given. The gospel
had been preached In many places
and the apostles had witnessed" for
the Lord in many localities; but SO
far as the record shows, each man
went as he was directed, or as he
thought it best for him to go. No
system or concert of action is appar-
ent. But the time has come when a
more advanced step is to be taken.
AS being members of the church
at Antioch, five men are named, who
are called prophets and teachers. Of
the five, the first and last named
Barabas and Soul, were engaged in
teacheing in last Sundays lesson.
Whether the other three were proph-
cts, or whether the two words do
not mean practically the same thing,
it is well not to be too positive.
These men "ministered to the
Lord'-that is, they were using the
gifts with which they were endowed
to the glory of God. The word con-
veys the idea of an ordinary public
service. "And tasted" Probably
the whole church tasted. "The Holy
Spirit said" we are not informed as
to how the will of the Spirit was
impaired or whether it was the whole
church, or only to those ministering
brethren, that the message came.
| But it seems that as the church acted
together as a whole, the obligation
was equally felt by all. Separate
me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work
whereunto l have called them" 1t
seems entirely probable that the fast
ing and prayer of the Antioch church
was in reference to this very mat
| ter. Saul knew the work to which
he was called. Possibly, he had pre-
maturely undertaken it. To Barn&
bias, and likely to the whole church
he had communicated what he pro-
foundly felt to be his duty. What
more natural than for the church to
have made inquiry of the Holy Spirit?
So far as he knew these were the
| busiest men in the church-the very
men whose service were most essen
tial to it's success. They were also
by natural ability, education and train
work to be found in all the churches,
| But we may be sure God has no place
on the foreign field for the man or
woman who can find nothing to do
at home. We certainly understand
| that the Spirit calls men into the
mission field. Mistakes are doubt
less sometimes made, when, carried
away by the burning eloquence OF
persuasive speaker, immature boys
and girls offer themselves to work
on the foreign fields.
when they had tasted and prayed,
and laid their hands on them, they
sent them away" Evidently, it was
a solemn setting apart for the specific
work-we would call 1t ordaining
them. Being "sent" implied a sup
port while gone. Led by the Spirit,
thew went down the river to Seleu-
cia-the sea port of Antioch-from
whence they sailed to Cyprus. This
island is about one hundred and forty
miles long, and is five miles wide at
the eastern end. It widens out till
in the broadcast part it is about sixty
miles fide. 1t is rich in minerals,
the interior is mountainous, and con-
tains the famous Mt. Olympus of the
ancients.
The first notice we have of Barna.
bas is that he was "Levite, a man
of Cyprus" He became prominent
just after Pentecost. Some of the
men who preached to the Greeks at
Antioch, 1t will be remembered, were
men of Cyprus. Hence the inquiry
may arise as to why the missionaries
| went Inere tlrSt. BarnaDa5 may nave
had sufficient reasons for going to
his old home first with the good news
But all speculation is silenced by tile
statement that they were led by the
Spirit. They went through the island,
beginning at Salamis, and preachine
in the synagogues of the Jews. Sud.
denly John Mark comes into the mar
alive. Some think he was already in
Salamis, others hold that he started
with them from Antioch.
At Papnos, the capital city, they
encountered the renegade Jew, Bar
Jesus. Like Simon Magus of Samq-
ria, he was a sorcerer, and doubtless
had considerable influence over Ser