Acts 13:1-3 THE WORK Responding to the direction of the Holy Spirit, there were a number of teachers in the Antioch assembly who were recognized by their gift and they ministered to the needs of the saints. These men were from different walks of life and different nationalities. Two were from African nations. Two were educated by different philosophers. One was taught in the house of Herod of Galilee and one at the school of Gamaliel, a very prestigious school of learning. Barnabas from Cyprus was a noted person among the assemblies of Jerusalem and Antioch for his heart for the people and his ability to encourage the saints. This variety of gifted men must have been a great asset to the assembly. God gifts people as He sees most fitting to the need of a local assembly. The ministry a teacher gives, and the effectiveness of his teaching among the people of God is one way divinely given qualifications are recognized by the others in the assembly. The work of God isn't done by just a few of one nationality, once culture or one family. The diversity of need in a work makes the diversity of gift, racial background and culture suitable to the need.
Differences in people does not hinder the work of God, but rather expands the work. We should never allow differences because of ethnic or racial background to interfere with the work the Lord intends to be done. When we look upon the people of the Lord as God sees them, that will override prejudice, preconceived opinions and cultural barriers to where we can honestly appreciate each other and have open and heart-felt fellowship together. In order to reach lost souls and effectively connect with believers, we need to be able to rise above any previous barriers made by men.
It is interesting that the Holy Spirit did not direct the oversight of the assembly at Antioch to designate a special destination for Barnabas and Saul to go to. Neither did He limit the kind of labor in which they were to be engaged. Rather it was "the work" to which they were sent. This was not a general call to do what they wanted. The Holy Spirit took them from the work they were sharing with others and sent them to the special work He had for them. Service for God is not a private matter. When one is doing what God has given them to do, waiting for the guidance of God may open other doors of service. Spiritually minded, and spiritually guided brethren will confirm in a positive way or confirm in a negative way what a person has an exercise about. Saul knew what the Lord had for him to do right from the beginning of his Christian life. Ananias of Damascus had been told by the Lord Saul was to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel even before Saul was baptized. Involved in a call to spend all of one's time in the work is an assurance in one's self that this is what God wants for me. This is God's will. But more are involved than one. Others in the assembly in which one is found will have a similar assurance that God want them to send called ones to "the work" with the "right hand of fellowship." This keeps any commendation from being a religious form of mans' ordination. Such a worker is sent out to "the work" by divine appointment and confirmed by those who have the mind of God about the matter.
Serving the Lord without accountability is not scriptural. God calls individuals and they are assured of the backing in prayer and interest by the Lord's people as they are sent out by the Holy Spirit. Assemblies of Christians who send out laborers into the harvest, pray for God's blessing on the work they are going to do and ask the Lord to prosper their work. The laborer has to be careful to use the gifts he has been given and how those gifts are used. He must be careful to not misuse the authority God gives to carry on the work. When a person leaves to serve in different places, they still represent the assembly from which they were sent. It is wrong to "lay hands" on just anyone who just wants to do what he wants to do. There should be reason on the part of others to believe God has called a person to do their work in a proper manner and persevere in that work - not to quit.
Those who go forth to further the work are "recommended to the grace of God" for the work set before them. To insist on the Lord's servant remaining in one place is not implied or demanded. To forbid a person to stay in one place is not demanded either. "The work" in one person's hands may be quite different from that of another person. Each called and sent out person needs to do what they do "as unto the Lord, and not unto men." The results of any work depend on God. The principle of outreach often is one "plants," another "waters, but in every case, it is God who gives the increase.