As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
All Commentaries on Acts 13:2 Go To Acts 13
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
As they were ministering to the Lord. Mr. N. and some others translate, offering up sacrifice. There are indeed good grounds to take this to be the true sense, as the Rhemish translators observed, who notwithstanding only put ministering, lest, (said they) we should seem to turn it in favour of our own cause, since neither the Latin nor Greek word signifies of itself to sacrifice, but any public ministry in the service of God; so the St. Chrysostom says, when they were preaching. (Witham)
Separate me. Though Paul and Barnabas are here chosen by the Holy Spirit for the ministry, yet they were to be ordained, consecrated, and admitted by men; which loudly condemns all those modish and disordered spirits, that challenge and usurp the office of preaching, and other sacred and ecclesiastical functions, without any appointment from the Church. (Bristow)
Consider, says St. Chrysostom, by whom they are ordained: by Lucius, of Cyrene, and Manahen, rather than by the Spirit. The less honourable these persons are, the more signal is the grace of God."
