Acts 12:20–25 & 13:1–3
Teaching Notes
At the end of Acts 12, we witness the sobering fall of Herod Agrippa I. Having already struck at the church to win favor with the Jews, Herod now turned his political maneuvers toward the people of Tyre and Sidon, who depended on Judea for food. When they came seeking peace, Herod seized the chance to display his power. Arrayed in shimmering royal robes, seated on his throne, he delivered a public address. The crowd, eager to flatter him, cried out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Instead of correcting them and giving glory to the Lord, Herod accepted their worship.
In that moment of arrogance, judgment came—an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he died in excruciating pain, eaten from within by worms. Even the historian Josephus records his death, confirming Scripture’s account. Herod’s prideful grasp at glory ended in humiliation, while Luke immediately records that “the word of God grew and multiplied.” Earthly rulers rise and fall, but the gospel continues to advance, unstoppable by political power or human opposition.
From there, Luke shifts the story north to Antioch, which becomes the new center of gospel mission. The church there was blessed with a remarkable group of leaders—Barnabas, a man full of faith and encouragement; Simeon called Niger, likely of African descent; Lucius of Cyrene, perhaps one of the first evangelists to preach to Gentiles; Manaen, who astonishingly had grown up alongside Herod Antipas in the royal household; and Saul of Tarsus, once a fierce persecutor of Christians, now transformed into a bold teacher of the gospel. This diverse team, drawn from such different backgrounds, reflected the unifying power of Christ in His church. Their ministry began not with strategy or planning, but with worship. Luke describes them as “ministering to the Lord” through prayer and fasting. It was in that posture of dependence that the Holy Spirit spoke clearly: “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
In response, the church prayed and fasted again, laying their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sending them out. This commissioning marked a major turning point in Acts, as the Antioch church stepped into its role as a sending base for world mission. From this moment forward, the narrative follows the journeys of Paul and his companions as the gospel moves intentionally into the Gentile world. What began in Jerusalem was now spreading to the nations, carried forward not by human strength, but by the direction and power of the Holy Spirit working through humble, obedient servants.
