Today many Christians criticize us, saying, “You are too proud. How can you negate all the denominations and all the Christians and say that only you have the vision?” Some brothers and sisters on occasion have been asked by others, “You say that the pastors are wrong, the pope is wrong, and everyone is wrong. Are you the only people who are not wrong? Are you the only ones who are right in following what you are following?” I believe sometimes such winds would even cause you to question yourselves. However, if we are clear concerning the vision in the Bible, we will have the confidence to say that we are in fact those who serve by following a vision.
In the book of Acts, after the Lord’s ascension, Peter and later Paul continued to serve in the ministry. In Acts 5, while Peter was ministering, the Jewish synagogue rose up to oppose the apostles and put them into prison (vv. 17-32). But the Lord’s angel at night opened the doors of the prison and, leading them out, told them to stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life. At daybreak the chief priests called together the Sanhedrin and asked for the apostles to be brought to them. When the officers arrived, they found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when they opened the doors, they found no one inside. While they were utterly perplexed, someone came and reported to them, “Behold, the men whom you put in the prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people” (v. 25). Then the captain with the officers went away and brought the apostles to the Sanhedrin to be tried.
After the Sanhedrin listened to the apostles, they wanted to do away with them. One Pharisee, Gamaliel, a teacher of the law honored by all the people, stood up and said, “Withdraw from these men and leave them alone; for should this counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you be found to be even fighters against God” (vv. 38-39). Gamaliel’s word was correct, but this does not mean that he had the vision. The only ones who had the vision were the apostles who were imprisoned and the simple ones who were following them.
In Acts 12 Herod began to persecute the church. He killed James and put Peter into prison. A large group of women gathered in the house of Mary, the mother of John, to pray for Peter. In the night the Lord’s angel opened the door of the prison and took Peter out. Peter went to the house of Mary and knocked at the door. A maiden came to answer (vv. 1-13). In the eyes of the Sanhedrin, the chief priests, and the Pharisees, these women were foolish. They would not go to the proper temple and would not abide by the tradition of their forefathers; they chose to follow a group of Galilean fishermen and mingle with them. Could it be that all of their forefathers were wrong? Could it be that David, Isaiah, and all the others were wrong and that these Galileans alone were right? Moreover, they had even been imprisoned. Yet the women were still praying for them and following them. It seems that they were too foolish.
Here we see two groups of people. The larger group was the Jewish religionists. The smaller group was those who followed Peter and the other Galileans in a simple way. Both groups were serving God, but whose service was under a vision? I am afraid that we have never thought about this matter. We need to see that not only was Peter’s service under a vision, but even the simple ones who followed him were serving under a vision.
In Acts 11 Barnabas took Paul along with him in his service and brought him to Antioch (vv. 25-26). This was something done according to the vision. In chapter 13 we find that one day the Holy Spirit spoke to those who were serving in Antioch, saying, “Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (v. 2). Here the Scripture puts Barnabas first. This shows that he was the leader. In recording their journey, the Bible puts Barnabas’s name first and Paul’s name second. When they came to Pisidian Antioch, however, and the need arose for someone to speak in the synagogue on the Sabbath, Barnabas had nothing to say. At that time Saul, who was called Paul, stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to preach the gospel and pour out his speaking like a torrent (vv. 16-41). From that time onward, the Bible reverses the order of the two men; it begins to refer to them as “Paul and Barnabas.” This shows that at that time the vision turned to Paul.
In Acts 15 after Paul and Barnabas returned from the conference in Jerusalem, they had the burden to revisit the cities in which they previously preached and to see the brothers again. At that juncture, Barnabas voiced his opinion; he wanted to bring Mark, his cousin, along with him. Paul disagreed, the two had a contention, and they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark and went another way, while Paul took Silas with him (vv. 36-40). From that time onward, the book of Acts has no more record of Barnabas. We believe that though Barnabas was still serving, his service was no longer governed by the vision. From that time, the ones who were serving under the vision were Paul and Silas, the one Paul had chosen.