Lesson Twenty-Two: The Church at Antioch

Supplementary Materials

The Scattering Continues (11:19) Luke returns to the persecution that began with Stephen's death (Acts 8:1-4). The scattered believers continued preaching: "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." Location Description Phenice (Phoenicia) The coastal region north of Palestine, including Tyre and Sidon. Ancient trading centers. Cyprus A large island in the Mediterranean. Barnabas's homeland (Acts 4:36). Later visited on Paul's first journey. Antioch The third largest city in the Roman Empire (after Rome and Alexandria). Capital of the province of Syria. About 300 miles north of Jerusalem.

Note: Initially, these scattered believers preached "to none but unto the Jews only" (11:19). The breakthrough to Gentiles would come next.

Antioch: A Strategic City Antioch of Syria was an ideal location for a major church:

Note: This is Antioch of Syria, not to be confused with Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:14), which Paul visited on his first missionary journey.

The Gospel Reaches Greeks (11:20-21) "And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the

hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." Key observations:

• "Men of Cyprus and Cyrene" — Hellenistic Jews from the diaspora, comfortable with Greek culture
• "Spake unto the Grecians" — Greek-speaking Gentiles (not Hellenistic Jews). This was a bold step!
• "Preaching the Lord Jesus" — The same message preached everywhere: Jesus is Lord
• "The hand of the Lord was with them" — Divine approval and blessing on their work
• "A great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" — Massive response; note both believing AND turning (repentance)

Barnabas Sent to Antioch (11:22-24) When news reached Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to investigate. Why Barnabas? Why Barnabas Was Ideal Scripture From Cyprus — understood Hellenistic Acts 4:36 culture "Son of encouragement" — would build up Acts 4:36 the new church Had vouched for Saul — open-minded, Acts 9:27 willing to accept change "A good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of Acts 11:24 faith" Generous spirit — had sold land for the Acts 4:37 church

Barnabas's Response (11:23-24) When Barnabas arrived, he:

• "Saw the grace of God" — He recognized God's work among the Gentiles
• "Was glad" — He rejoiced rather than criticized or questioned
• "Exhorted them all" — He encouraged and strengthened the believers
• "With purpose of heart... cleave unto the Lord" — He urged wholehearted commitment

Result: "Much people was added unto the Lord" (11:24). Barnabas's encouragement produced growth!

Barnabas Seeks Saul (11:25-26) "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch." This was a pivotal moment. Consider what Barnabas did:

• He recognized the need — The growing church needed more workers
• He remembered Saul — Who had been in Tarsus for perhaps 8-10 years since Acts 9:30
• He traveled to find him — Tarsus was about 100 miles from Antioch
• He "sought" (searched for) Saul — The Greek word suggests diligent searching; Saul may not have been easy to find
• He brought Saul back — Recruiting him for the work at Antioch

Key Point: Barnabas was not threatened by Saul's gifts. He recognized that the work needed Saul's abilities and was willing to share the spotlight. What a model of humble, effective leadership!

A Year of Teaching (11:26) "And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people." Barnabas and Saul spent a full year teaching in Antioch. This shows:

• The importance of teaching — New converts needed grounding in the faith
• The investment of time — A whole year of sustained instruction
• Regular assembly — The church gathered together consistently
• Reaching "much people" — The church continued to grow during this time

"The Disciples Were Called Christians" (11:26) This is the first occurrence of the name "Christian" in the New Testament. It appears only three times:

The Meaning of "Christian"

Why at Antioch? In Jerusalem, believers were seen as a Jewish sect. In Antioch, with many Gentile converts, they were clearly something new — distinct from both Judaism and paganism. They needed a new name, and the name they received identified them with Christ.

The Famine Relief (11:27-30) Prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch, and one named Agabus predicted a famine:

Element Observation "Prophets from Jerusalem" New Testament prophets who received direct revelation from (11:27) God "Agabus" (11:28) Appears again in Acts 21:10-11 predicting Paul's arrest. A true prophet. "Great dearth throughout all A widespread famine; "world" = Roman Empire the world" (11:28) "In the days of Claudius Claudius reigned AD 41-54. Historians confirm multiple Caesar" (11:28) famines during his reign. "Every man according to his Proportional giving — each gave as they were able (cf. 1 Cor. ability" (11:29) 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:12) "Sent... to the elders" (11:30) First mention of elders in the Jerusalem church; relief delivered to local church leadership "By the hands of Barnabas Trusted messengers; this is likely the visit mentioned in Gal. and Saul" (11:30) 2:1-10

Significance: The Gentile church in Antioch sent aid to the Jewish church in Jerusalem. This demonstrated unity across ethnic lines — the Gentiles were not just recipients of the gospel from Jews; they were partners who gave back. The gospel creates one family.

Key Cross-References

Lessons from Acts 11:19-30 1. Persecution spreads the gospel — what man intends for evil, God uses for good. 2. Encouragers are essential — Barnabas built up the church rather than criticizing it. 3. New converts need teaching — Barnabas and Saul invested a full year in instruction. 4. We wear the name of Christ — "Christian" identifies us as belonging to Him. 5. Good leaders develop other leaders — Barnabas sought out Saul and shared the work. 6. Churches should help one another — the Antioch church sent relief to Jerusalem.