Acts 11:19-26 Barnabas and Saul at Antioch
“Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Acts 11:27-30 Relief to Judea
“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
“Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”
When Stephen was stoned, believers scattered everywhere in the known world, including Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Although the Jewish believers began by preaching only to Jews, there were other believers from Cyprus and Cyrene who felt no such restrictions and preached to everybody, including the Greeks.
When church leaders in Jerusalem heard about these conversions, they immediately dispatched Barnabas, a Jewish believer from Cyprus, to investigate these reports. Also nicknamed as “Son of Encouragement,” Barnabas is thrilled by the numbers of new believers and encourages them. But Barnabas also remembers Saul of Tarsus, that fiery Jewish scholar who is currently at Tarsus. Saul is a fine linguist and apologist, and Barnabas knows that he will be a big help at Antioch. Barnabas himself is no mean scholar; however, he is humble enough to realize that Saul’s scholarship far outstrips his. Saul and Barnabas spend an entire year in Antioch teaching new converts. The term “Christian” is first applied to believers in Antioch.
One of the amazing things about Barnabas is his humility. Barnabas is a scholar with a great deal of experience in the Christian faith, and he has been teaching and preaching extensively. Yet, Barnabas has no qualms about going to Tarsus and bringing Saul back to Antioch to teach as well. Certainly, Barnabas realizes that Saul has more learning than he does, and that Saul will undoubtedly outshine him. But Barnabas is far more concerned about the Kingdom of God being advanced than about personalities. How many of us, if put in the same position, would demonstrate this same degree of humility and willingness to involve someone else more talented than we are?
“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
There are several things about this small story. First, when prophets come from Jerusalem to Antioch, people believe them, to the extent that when the disciples in Antioch take up a collection, people give willingly. Next, the disciples in Antioch select Barnabas and Saul to carry the collection to Jerusalem. Obviously, Saul and Barnabas have established themselves as highly responsible and accountable; otherwise, those in Antioch would send their contributions with someone else. Finally, these contributions also mark the first time that converts outside Jerusalem send relief to church headquarters, sharing resources with church leaders. Church members are beginning to realize that they belong to a larger fellowship and not merely to something confined to their immediate area.
There’s a horrible story about a selfish old man who prayed, “God bless me and my wife, my son and his wife, us four, no more. Amen.” One of the fundamental laws of the Kingdom of God is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. We have no idea whether the believers in Antioch were any richer than those in Jerusalem. Given the fact that many of these people had had to flee to Antioch, they might have had very little. Yet these people were willing to share their resources with others. May God help us, so that we will also be willing to share without worrying about our own poverty.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be humble enough to recognize when others have more talents to contribute than we do. Also help us to be generous, knowing that You bless those who bless others. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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