The early church fasted to seek God, hear the Holy Spirit, and prepare for the work he called them to do. In Acts 13:1-52, the leaders of the church in Antioch are worshiping and fasting when the Spirit tells them to set apart Barnabas and Saul. After more fasting and prayer, they send them out on the first missionary journey. Along the way, the missionaries face spiritual opposition, preach about Jesus, and urge new believers to rely on God’s grace, which is exactly what fasting trains us to do.
Setting the Scene in Acts 13:1-52
Acts 13 is a major turning point. Chapters 1-12 mostly follow Peter in Jerusalem and Judea. Chapters 13-28 mostly follow Paul as the gospel spreads across the Roman world. In the previous chapter, God rescued Peter from prison, Herod Agrippa died, and Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch with John Mark (Acts 12:1-25). Now the church at Antioch becomes the launching pad for global mission.
In the Bible, fasting means intentionally going without food, or sometimes other basic needs, for a season in order to focus on God. It runs all through Scripture. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28), David fasted while his son was sick (2 Samuel 12:16), Esther called for a fast before approaching the king (Esther 4:16), Daniel fasted as he sought God’s understanding (Daniel 9:3), and Anna fasted and prayed in the temple (Luke 2:37). Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry (Matthew 4:1-2).
Fasting Is a Timeless Discipline
Luke introduces the leaders of the church in Antioch, and then mentions their fasting without any explanation at all.
Acts 13:1-3 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Look at this leadership team. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus. Simeon was called Niger, a Latin word meaning “black,” suggesting he may have been from Africa. Lucius came from Cyrene in North Africa. Manaen had grown up with Herod Antipas, the ruler who executed John the Baptist. And Saul was a former Pharisee from Tarsus. It was a remarkably diverse group, united by Jesus.
Luke doesn’t pause to explain why they were fasting. It was simply a normal part of their life with God. Jesus spoke about fasting the same way.
Matthew 6:16-18 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Notice that Jesus said “when you fast,” not “if.” He assumed his followers would fast. Christians have held different views about how often and in what way to fast, and the New Testament never gives a fixed schedule. But it’s clear that fasting is a healthy discipline that Jesus expected, as long as it’s done for God rather than for show.
Fasting Helps Us Hear the Spirit and Prepares Us for Ministry
The Greek word translated “worshiping” in Acts 13:2 is leitourgeō, which gives us the word “liturgy.” It describes serving or ministering to the Lord. As these leaders set aside food to focus on him, the Holy Spirit spoke. Luke doesn’t say how. Most likely it came through one of the prophets in the church. Most Christians today don’t hear the Spirit audibly. More often, he leads through Scripture, inner conviction, and the wise counsel of other believers. And any leading we sense must line up with God’s Word, since not every spirit comes from God (1 John 4:1).
The Spirit’s message was clear: set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work he had called them to do. Then the church fasted and prayed again, laid hands on them, and sent them off. Luke says they were sent by both the church and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:3-4). Just as Jesus fasted before his ministry began, Barnabas and Saul began theirs with fasting. Later, they would appoint elders in new churches “with prayer and fasting” too (Acts 14:23).
Fasting Equips Us for Spiritual Battle
Barnabas and Saul sailed to Cyprus, Barnabas’s home island, and preached in synagogues from Salamis to Paphos. In Paphos, the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus, wanted to hear the word of God. But a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, also called Elymas, tried to turn him away from the faith. Luke calls Sergius Paulus a proconsul, the correct title for the governor of a senatorial province like Cyprus. Inscriptions mention members of a Sergius Paullus family of senatorial rank in this period, and many scholars connect one of them to this governor.
Acts 13:9-12 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
This is the first time Luke calls Saul by his Roman name, Paul. From here on, he uses it consistently, and Paul takes the lead. The irony is striking. Paul, who was once struck blind on the road to Damascus, now announced temporary blindness on a man who was trying to keep someone else from seeing the truth. The governor believed, amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Jesus taught that some spiritual battles require focused dependence on God. After his disciples failed to drive out a demon, he said this kind can come out only by prayer (Mark 9:29), and some manuscripts add “and fasting.” Either way, prayer and fasting go hand in hand in Scripture as ways to seek God’s power instead of relying on our own (Should Christians Today Fast?).
The Message of Grace
From Cyprus, the team sailed to Perga, where John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13), a decision that would cause trouble later. Paul and Barnabas pressed on to Pisidian Antioch, a different city from the Syrian Antioch they started from. In the synagogue, after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders invited them to speak. Paul walked through Israel’s history, from the exodus to King David, and showed how God fulfilled his promise of a Savior in Jesus, who died and rose again.
Acts 13:38-39 Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
That is the heart of Paul’s message. Forgiveness and being made right with God come through faith in Jesus, not through keeping the law of Moses. Many people wanted to hear more, and Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue in the grace of God (Acts 13:43). If you want to know how to receive that grace yourself, start here: How can I become a Christian?
The next Sabbath, almost the whole city came. Some synagogue leaders were jealous and opposed them, so Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:46-48 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Paul quoted Isaiah 49:6, where God calls his servant to be a light for the Gentiles. The mission Jesus gave in Acts 1:8 was now reaching the ends of the earth. Even when Paul and Barnabas were driven out of town, they shook the dust off their feet, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:51-52).
What This Means for Us
Fasting isn’t about earning God’s favor or punishing ourselves. At its core, it creates space, physically, mentally, and spiritually, to draw near to God and remember how much we need him. Every hunger pang becomes a reminder to pray. That’s why it fits so well with Paul’s message of grace. Fasting trains us to depend on God rather than ourselves.
You may not feel called to be a missionary, but every believer is called to serve God somewhere. If you’re facing a decision, a new season of ministry, or a spiritual battle, consider setting aside a meal or a day to seek God. Start small, stay humble, and use the time to worship and pray. You may find that the Spirit’s voice becomes clearer.
The Takeaway
Why did the early church fast? In Acts 13:1-52, believers in Antioch worshiped and fasted, heard the Holy Spirit, and sent Barnabas and Saul on mission. Fasting is a timeless discipline that helps us hear the Spirit, prepares us for ministry, equips us for spiritual battles, and trains us to rely on God’s grace.
