Acts 11:19-30
19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
27 During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch.28 One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) 29 So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 30 This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
________________________________________________________________
Now, even before Saul (Paul) begins his ministry to the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit is breaking down the wall of separation and starting the process. “Some of the believers in Antioch began preaching to the Gentiles. . . .” And there is so great a response that it gets the attention of the church in Jerusalem and so they send Barnabas to check things out. It’s all part of the Holy Spirit’s plan.
This leads Barnabas to go and get Saul and bring him to Antioch, and together they teach the growing church for a year. So what started spontaneously with a few believers preaching to the Gentiles launches Saul into his role in God’s plan–to preach to the Gentiles. Saul didn’t know this at the time–he just made himself available. Maybe the Holy Spirit works best when plans are open to change.