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Scripture Reading: Acts 12:25; 13:1-12
The section of Acts concerned with propagation (2:1 — 28:31) has two main parts: the propagation in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria through the ministry of Peter’s company (2:1—12:24) and the propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the ministry of Paul’s company (12:25—28:31). In this message we shall first consider the initiation in 12:25 and then begin to consider 13:1-12.
Acts 12:25 says, “And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having completed the dispensing, taking along with them John who was surnamed Mark.” Acts 12:1-24 is a parenthetical section, a record of Peter’s persecution. Acts 12:25 is a continuation of 11:30, which, with the preceding verses from 11:22, is a narration of Paul’s full initiation into his apostolic ministry. We have seen that Paul was saved by the Lord directly (9:3-6) and was brought into the identification with the Body of Christ through Ananias (9:10-19). Later he was introduced to practical fellowship with the disciples in Jerusalem through Barnabas (9:26-28). Later, also through Barnabas, he was initiated into the Lord’s move in spreading the gospel of His kingdom to the Gentile world (11:25-26; 13:1-3). The passage from 11:19 to 12:25 is a transitional record between Peter’s apostolic ministry to the Jews in chapters two through eleven and Paul’s apostolic ministry to the Gentiles in chapters thirteen through twenty-eight (see Gal. 2:7-8).
In 13:1-12 we see the Lord’s move among certain of His gifted ones. Here we do not have a new beginning — we have a new turn in the Lord’s move. The beginning had already taken place in Jerusalem, and the stream flowed from there to Antioch. Now at Antioch there is a new turn.
Jerusalem was a center of the Jewish religion. Antioch, however, was a center for the Gentile world. As such a center, Antioch was strategic. Therefore, this city was chosen by the Lord for a new turn of His move on earth, the turn to the Gentile world.
Acts 13:1 says, “Now there were in Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Prophets are those who speak for God and speak forth God by God’s revelation. They sometimes speak with inspired prediction (11:27-28). Teachers are those who teach the truths according to the apostles’ teaching (2:42) and the prophets’ revelation. Both prophets and teachers are universal as well as local (Eph. 4:11).
When the flow started with the one hundred twenty in Jerusalem, only typical Jews were involved. But according to the record in 13:1, the prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch were from a number of different sources. Barnabas was a Levite, a Cyprian by birth (4:36). Niger, whose name means black and should denote a Negro, was probably of African origin. Lucius the Cyrenian was from Cyrene in North Africa. He may have been a Jew if he was the Lucius in Romans 16:21, who was Paul’s kinsman. Manaen was the foster brother of Herod and was governmentally related to the Romans. Hence, Manaen must have been Europeanized. The Herod in 13:1 was the one who killed John the Baptist (Luke 9:7-9). It was the Lord’s sovereign doing that the foster brother of John the Baptist’s murderer became one of the leading functioning members in the church. Finally, 13:1 mentions Saul, a Jew born in Tarsus and taught by Gamaliel according to the law of Moses (22:3).
The five prophets and teachers recorded here were composed of Jewish and Gentile peoples with different backgrounds, education, and status. This indicates that the church is composed of all races and classes of people regardless of their background, and that the spiritual gifts and functions given to the members of the Body of Christ are not based upon their natural status.
Here in 13:1 the Lord set up a pattern. From Antioch the Lord’s move turned to reach the Gentile world, and in the Gentile world there are many different kinds of people, people of different cultures, races, and status. Therefore, at the very beginning of this turn the pattern was established to indicate that the churches are composed of all races and classes of people.
Among Christians today, boards and committees are appointed to raise funds to support certain activities. In addition, there is a great deal of organization. But in Acts 13 the situation is very different. Here we do not see boards, committees, fund raising, or organization.
According to 13:1, there were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch. We need to find out in what way these prophets and teachers were produced. There was neither seminary nor ordination. How, then, were Barnabas, Niger, Lucius, Manean, and Saul produced as prophets and teachers?
In Ephesians 4:11 Paul says that Christ, the Head of the Body, has given four categories of gifts to the Body: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. These gifts are raised up by the Head and given by Him to the Body. They are not produced in a human way by education, selection, or ordination. Rather, among the saints who love the Lord and seek Him, some are gradually manifested to be evangelists, prophets, or teachers. They are produced by their manifestation in their Christian life and living. For example, in chapter seven Stephen was manifested to be a great teacher, and in chapter eight Philip was manifested to be an evangelist. Then in chapter nine Paul was manifested first as an evangelist and then as a teacher. However, when he was in the church in Antioch, he was not carrying out an evangelical work but was doing a teaching work. Acts 11:26 says that he and Barnabas “were gathered in the church and taught a considerable number.” This indicates that both Barnabas and Saul were teachers. Perhaps the other three named in 13:1 — Niger, Lucius, and Manean — were prophets. Paul, of course, also had the gift of preaching, but in Antioch he functioned as a teacher.
The five mentioned in 13:1 were not produced as gifts in a human way. On the contrary, they were produced by their gradual manifestation among the saints. Eventually, the saints recognized that these ones had certain gifts. Then by their gifts they became gifted persons.
In the Lord’s recovery today we should follow the pattern in Acts 13 not to have a human way of producing preachers. We do not take the way of human selection or organization. Instead, we look to the Lord that He would produce something out from His Body. The way we take is not organization — it is organic. If some brothers and sisters serve the Lord full time, this should be done not in the way of organization, but in the organic way of the Body.
Recently, hundreds of saints in Taipei consecrated themselves to serve the Lord full time. We told these saints that we do not follow the way of organization. Our way in the Lord’s recovery is organic; it is the way of life. What matters is how the saints grow in the Lord and how the divine life develops within them to produce a certain ability for functioning. This is the organic way based on the growth and development of the divine life within us. We all need to see this.
It would be degradation to leave this organic way and take the organizational way. To do that would be to fall back into the practice of traditional Christianity. Therefore, we should abandon that organizational way, the way of human control and methods of raising money. The Lord’s ministry is to be carried out apart from organization and human methods of finance.
Not long ago, I told the saints in Taipei who had given themselves to serve the Lord full time not to discuss the matter of finances or fund raising. In 1949 when the co-workers under the leadership of Brother Nee decided to send me away from mainland China, no funds were given to me, and I did not know where to go. Eventually, according to the Lord’s leading, I went to Taiwan, and I went there without any human means of support.
The situation was very similar when I came to the United States. When I came to this country, no one supported me financially. In fact, some of the brothers in the United States thought I was being supported by the saints in the Far East, and those in the Far East thought I was being supported by the saints in the United States. As proof that I was not supported by human means, the brother who helped me to prepare my income taxes in 1964 told me that during the entire year the church in Los Angeles gave me a total of six hundred dollars. Perhaps you are wondering how I lived. I can simply testify that I lived. How did I live? I lived in the way of the sparrows and the lilies. My point in sharing this is that in serving the Lord full time, we should not be concerned about finances. The Lord will not allow us to starve.
In chapter thirteen of Acts there is no discussion about fund raising or about how much to pay Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas did not say, “Brother Paul, be assured that I will take care of your living expenses.” Likewise, Paul did not say, “Brothers, you lay your hands upon me, but how about my traveling expenses? How will I be able to live? You send me out, but who will support me? How will you send money to me?” The way in Acts 13 is certainly much different from the practice of many Christian groups today.
Allow me to give you a testimony concerning the publishing work in this country. In 1963 we began to publish a little magazine The Stream. We began this work with only two hundred dollars. During the past twenty-one years, there has been a great development in this publication work. The Lord has used this publication ministry, and many have enjoyed the printed materials. Today this work has three offices — one in Anaheim, one in Irving, and one in Taipei — and many saints work for this publication ministry full time. All this is the Lord’s doing; it was accomplished without organization or fund raising.
If the Lord leads you to serve Him full time, be encouraged to take His way. Do not talk about money or organization, and do not consider your position, rank, or title. Forget all such things and be assured that the Lord will take care of everything.
For the Lord’s move in carrying out His recovery today, there is the need for a good number of full-time workers. This is especially true in the United States. In this country there may be as many as nearly one hundred churches, but we do not have enough full-time workers to meet the need. The Lord’s move has been severely restricted by this shortage. There certainly is the need for full-time workers.
How will the needed full-time workers be produced? Certainly not by the way of human selection. Rather, they will be produced through the saints growing in life and then being manifested according to what they are. Then certain ones will be led of the Lord to serve Him full time, and they will take His leading by faith. Those who follow the Lord in this way should not be concerned about their living expenses. They should simply leave this with the Lord. Moreover, they should not care for position, rank, or title. They should be concerned only for the Lord’s move and desire to be in His move.
As one who has been serving the Lord full time for more than fifty years, I can testify that such a serving one should not be concerned for either finances or position. From the time I gave up my job in 1933 to serve the Lord, I can testify that I never considered my position, rank, or title. Throughout the years I have known only one thing — to labor day and night. I do not care who I am, and I do not care for position, rank, or title. I want others to refer to me simply as “Brother Lee.” This name is sufficient. I am only a laboring brother. Our desire is to follow Paul to labor for the Lord’s interest and to care for all the churches.
I hope that those who read this message will pray concerning the need for full-time workers. Will the Lord lead you to serve Him full time? Perhaps He will lead you in this way.
There is a great need for full-time workers not only in the United States but also in Latin America and Europe. Many countries in Central and South America have been opened to the Lord’s recovery. There are many churches in Mexico and Brazil; there are also churches in Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Although there are so many churches in Latin America, there are very few full-time workers. Surely there is the need for a good number of saints to be willing to serve the Lord full time, trusting in Him to meet the need. There also is the need for full-time workers in Europe.
We all need to bring this matter to the Lord. Do not make any decision in a light way. Rather, pray, open to the Lord, and seek His will. May the Lord meet the need for full-time workers for the spread of His recovery on the earth today.
