Both Paul and Barnabas had been laboring as ministers of Christ, and God had abundantly blessed their efforts; but neither of them had previously been formally ordained to the gospel ministry by prayer and the laying on of hands. They were now authorized by the church, not only to teach the truth, but to baptize, and to organize churches, being invested with full ecclesiastical authority. This was an important era for the church. Though the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile had been broken down by the death of Christ, letting the Gentiles into the full privileges of the gospel, still the vail had not yet been torn from the eyes of many of the believing Jews, and they could not clearly discern to the end of that which was abolished by the Son of God. The work was now to be prosecuted with vigor among the Gentiles, and was to result in strengthening the church by a great ingathering of souls. {LP 42.2}

Både Paulus og Barnabas havde arbejdet som Kristi tjenere, og Gud hade velsignet deres anstrengelser rigt; men ingen af dem var tidligere blevet formelt ordineret til evangeliets tjeneste ved bøn og håndspålæggelse. De blev nu bemyndiget af menigheden, ikke blot til at undervise sandheden, men døbe, og organisere menigheder, iført fuld gejstlig autoritet. Dette var en betydningsfuld æra for menigheden. Skillemurens nedbrydelse mellem jøder og hedninger ved Kristi død, gav hedningene evangeliets fulde privileger, var forhænget alligevel ikke revet bort fra mange af de troende jøders øjne, og de kunne ikke klar se helt ned til enden det som var ophævet af Guds Søn. Nu skulle arbejdet opfølges med livskraft iblandt hedningen, og skulle resultere i at styrke menigheden med en stor indsamling af sjæle.