Describe the circumstances in Antioch which led to the commissioning of Paul and Barnabas for their missionary journey

Those who formed the nucleus of the church in Antioch were
teachers of importance and honour. Among them were Paul and Simeon Lucius. As
they were worshipping and giving thanks to God, the Holy spirit directed that
Paul and Barnabas should be set apart for the work which He (God) had appointed
to them.

After the apostles had prayed and fasted, they laid hands on them
and sent them off. They travelled down to Selucia and from there, they went to
Cyprus. They preached to the people of Salamis in the Jewish synagogue when
they got there. From Salamis, they went down to the island. On the Island, they
went to the residence of the proconsul named Sergius Paulus who gave them
invitation so that he might hear the word of God.

There, they met a Jewish false magician named Bar-Jesus who
opposed their preaching. He did not want the Jewish
officials in the Synagogue to listen to the word of
God which Paul and Barnabas wanted to preach. However, Paul, filled with the
Holy Spirit looked at him and described him as an enemy of all righteousness
who wanted to stop and make crooked the straight paths of the Lord.

In the course of this, Bar-Jesus was cursed and immediately, he
became blind. He sought for the help of people to lead him about. When the
proconsul saw what happened, he believed in the teaching of Paul and Barnabas.
From Paphos, Paul and Barnabas sailed to Perga in Pamphylia.