So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off — the church formally commissions the apostles through prayer, fasting, and the laying on of hands (epitithemi ton cheiron), a gesture linking Old Testament priestly ordination with New Testament apostolic sending. The corporate act ratifies what the Spirit has already initiated, grounding missionary work in congregational discernment rather than individual ambition. This establishes the principle that the local church is the sending body, not independent wanderers.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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