Scripture
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Observation
In Lystra, Paul comes upon a man lame from birth. Paul sees he has faith to be healed, so he commands the man to stand up, which he does.
The crowd sees this and proclaims that Paul and Barnabas are gods in human form. Then priests from the temple of Zeus bring sacrifices to worship the apostles. Paul and Barnabas are shocked by this, and say they are not gods but messengers of the one true God.
Some Jews from Antioch in Pisidia come and stir people up so that Paul is stoned and left for dead.
Paul and Barnabas go to Derbe then back track through the other towns they had preached in, appointing elders in each place. They finally return to their base in Antioch in Syria where they report all that God has done.
Application
One of the responsibilities of apostles, then and now, that is rarely mentioned is the grace to appoint elders in a locality.
Often apostles are seen as church planters or missionaries who go from place to place preaching the gospel before moving on. Others from different faith traditions see them as like bishops who are appointed to oversee a geographical area.
But there is more to apostles than this. Paul and Barnabas, having prayed and fasted, appointed elders in each church, then handed the work over to them.
This was no vote at a synod or an administrative decision. It was something seen as the work of the Holy Spirit, a spiritual process soaked in prayer and fasting.
The elders, once appointed, took full responsibility for God’s work in that locality. The apostles maintained a relationship of fatherly love and and advice, but the elders and the churches were autonomous.
Prayer
Thank you Father for apostles and elders, and other God- appointed leadership in the church. Amen.
