“And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 13:3 Mean?
"When they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." The first missionary journey begins not with a strategy meeting or a fundraising campaign but with fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands. The church sends its best leaders into the unknown with nothing but spiritual preparation.
The three acts — fasting, praying, laying hands — form a sending protocol. Fasting creates space for God's voice. Prayer directs the mission to God's purpose. The laying on of hands transfers communal blessing and authorization. The church doesn't just approve the mission; it physically participates in the commissioning.
The phrase "sent them away" (apoluo — to release, to let go, to set free) uses the same word for releasing a prisoner or freeing a slave. The church releases Barnabas and Saul from local ministry to global mission. The releasing is an act of generosity: giving away your best people for someone else's benefit.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does your community send people into mission — with spiritual preparation or institutional process?
- 2.What would fasting and praying before a major decision change about the outcome?
- 3.Are you willing to release your best people for someone else's benefit?
- 4.What does the laying on of hands add that a committee vote doesn't?
Devotional
Fasted. Prayed. Laid hands on them. Sent them away. The first missionary journey begins with four actions: two internal (fasting and prayer) and two external (hands and sending). The preparation is entirely spiritual. The launch is entirely communal.
Notice what's missing: no budget discussion. No strategy presentation. No target demographic analysis. No fundraising timeline. The church at Antioch sends its two most gifted leaders into the unknown with fasting and prayer as their only preparation.
The fasting says: we're serious enough to sacrifice food for this. The praying says: we're dependent enough to ask God for direction. The hands say: we're invested enough to physically touch and bless. The sending says: we're generous enough to release our best.
The word 'sent away' is the word for releasing — freeing someone to go. The church doesn't just permit the mission. It releases its leaders into it. The letting go is an act of faith: we're giving up our best teachers, our strongest leaders, our most valuable people — because the world needs them more than we do.
How does your community send people? With fasting and prayer? With the laying on of hands? With the generosity of releasing your best? Or with a committee vote and a modest check?
The quality of the sending shapes the quality of the mission.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when they had fasted and prayed,.... Not when they had done fasting and praying, at the time the Holy Ghost made an…
And when they had fasted - They were fasting when they were commanded to set them apart. Yet this probably refers to an…
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them -
1. They fasted: this was probably done by the whole…
We have here a divine warrant and commission to Barnabas and Saul to go and preach the gospel among the Gentiles, and…
This verse implies a solemn dedication service at the end of the ministration and fasting with which the devotions of…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture