What does Acts 13:4 mean?

The leaders of the church in Syrian Antioch, on the north end of the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, have followed the Holy Spirit's guidance. They have commissioned Barnabas and Saul to travel and spread the news of Jesus' offer of forgiveness (Acts 13:1–3). Antioch is about twenty miles inland on the Orontes River. The port city of Seleucia is five miles north of the Orontes River's mouth and acts as the harbor of Antioch which is one terminus of the Silk Road.

Cyprus is the same island as today, east of Syria and south of Asia Minor. Barnabas is from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), as are many of the Jewish Jesus-followers who first brought Jesus to the Gentiles in Antioch (Acts 11:19–30). Ironically, those Jews arrived at Antioch because they were fleeing Saul's persecution of the church (Acts 8:1–3).

With Barnabas and Saul is Barnabas' kinsman, John Mark (Acts 13:5; Colossians 4:10). While on Cyprus, the team will share Jesus' story in the Jewish synagogues and rescue a proconsul from the influence of a false prophet. Saul, in particular, will make a major change as he not only switches to the Roman form of his name, Paul, but takes the lead in the ministry. By the time this group leaves the island, they will be identified as "Paul and his companions" (Acts 13:13).