Acts 11:19-30 "The Christians in Antioch"

Peter was travelling with 6 Jewish Christians who were titled “those of the circumcision” in Acts 10:45 … these were Jewish Christians who held tight to Mosaic Law and Oral traditions.

Today, we might call them ‘legalistic’.

When they saw the Holy Spirit poured out on the Gentiles… they were astonished… probably because Jews had a low regard for Gentiles… and here God was saving Gentiles.

In Acts 11:2, Peter returns to Jerusalem, and another group “of the circumcision” contended with Peter for eating with Gentiles.

From a Jewish mindset, Gentiles has enslaved them, oppressed them, and were wicked and idolatrous nations.

And, Peter was eating with them! Symbolically, becoming one with them!

Yet, despite multi-generational prejudices and hatred towards Gentiles… it was undeniable what God was doing.

Peter explained that he had supernatural experiences… a trance, vision and instructions from God.

And, Peter wrestled with God over the idea of eating clean and unclean things.

Peter shared the testimony of Cornelius seeing an angel.

And, the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius’ household… which paralleled Jesus’ words in Acts 1:5.

And, Peter said, “...who was I that I could withstand God?”

Acts 11:18 states, “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

When God moves it’s powerful.

This testimony changed the hearts of these Jewish Christians stuck in legalism.

We’ll come back to Peter in Acts Chapter 12, but today as we finish Chapter 11… the writer of Acts (Luke)… provides a parenthetical…

Showing how God was moving outside of Jerusalem… in the lives of the Christians scattered to the ends of the earth… and in particular in the town of Antioch.

The title of today’s message is “The Christians in Antioch.”

Let’s pray!

Acts 11:19 “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.”

In V19, Jews from Jerusalem were scattered… dispersed from Jerusalem into foreign lands.

The word “scattered” in Gk. is dee-as-pi´-ro diaspĕirō, meaning “to sow throughout.” It’s the root word for dee-as-por-ah diaspŏra… anglicized we say dia-spora.

A term used especially for Israelites who have been relocated to foreign lands.

You see this idea mentioned in John 7:35 after Jesus announced He would go. “Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion [diaspŏra] among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?”

Three of the major diasporas were:

740-722 B.C. when the Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and took inhabitants back to Assyria.

607-586 B.C. Babylonians destroyed the Southern Kingdom of Judah and took Jews to Babylon.

70 A.D. the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews throughout Rome.

And, there were several smaller diasporas, and this scattering in Act 11:19 is one such time.

What’s amazing is the Jews NEVER assimilate… they don’t lose their national identity. Which is unheard of. Most cultures would assimilate, but not the Jews.

Further, even though they completely lost their land in 70 A.D., after WWII in 1946 A.D. … 1876 years after not having a country… a large part of British owned Palestine…was given back to the Jews… and over time Israel has gradually reclaimed much their homeland.

No nation has ever reclaimed their homeland after exile for almost 2000 years.

But, God prophetically said He would gather the Jews… and for that to happen… they would need their land.

There are several OT prophetic verses that mention this re-gathering. One of the clearest… that we’ve looked at over the last several weeks… is Isa 11:12 “He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.”

The near or partial fulfillment is happening now. Israel got their land back in 1946, and since that time… many Jews have ‘made Aliyah’ (a term with great depth that we talked about in depth last week)… where they relocated back to Israel.

But the far or ultimate fulfillment of Isa 11:12 will happen after the seven year tribulation when Jesus returns and ushers in his literal kingdom on earth for 1000 years… the Millennial Kingdom… when Jews will truly gather from the four corners of the earth back to the land.

So, this scattering in Acts 11:19… it’s very familiar to the Jews.

And, what caused this scattering? Persecution. Which is something the nation of Israel has also experienced from it’s very foundation.

Consider Jacob and Esau. Jacob, later renamed Israel, exploited his brother Esau’s hunger… and the first persecution of Israel was the result.

In Gen 25:29-34, Esau made a promise to sell his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red stew.

Esau had rights to a double portion which also included Messiah coming from his line, but he despised these things.

D.L Moody said, “No food except the forbidden fruit was as dearly bought as this broth.”

God doesn’t condone Jacob’s deceitful nature…

But, Jacob valued the significance of the birthright… to have a place in the Godly line… he looked to the far reward.

Where Esau valued his belly… he looked to the immediate fulfillment of his flesh.

There’s a lesson in that for us today.

Don’t live just to feed your flesh today… live for eternity.

In light of scattering and persecution, Esau became hateful towards Jacob.

In Gen 27, Isaac gives the double blessing to Jacob… and acknowledges to Esau, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”

Esau was devastated and hated Jacob… he even vowed to kill him upon his father’s death.

Jacob would flee to his Uncle Laban in Haran… which may have been the earliest micro scattering…

Israel scattered to a foreign land because persecution knocked at his door.

And, since that time, Israel has known persecution… and scattering.

So, here in Acts… as these Jewish believers experienced scattering and persecution… this was a repeat story.

Jews are a hardy people… and even today as nations come against them… they look to the many victories God has blessed them with… like Esther over wicked Haman… The Feast of Purim.

The persecution mentioned here in Acts 11:19, ties back to Acts 7, where Stephen confronted the Sanhedrin. Under the weight of conviction… the Sanhedrin cast Stephen out of Jerusalem and stoned him to death.

And we were introduced to Saul, who in Acts 8:1 was attributed to the great persecution that befell the church.

But, we must remember that in Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “...you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

But, the church was stagnant in Jerusalem. They weren’t going out.

So, was this persecution brought on to shake things up? Because the church was too comfortable in Jerusalem, and neglected God’s command?

Which raises the question… if the disciples had been obedient to Jesus’ instruction in Acts 1:8, would they have faced the persecution in Acts 8:1?

And, how does that apply to our lives today?

Better to be obedient to the Holy Spirit, than to have Him shake things up.

Because of this persecution, the church was scattered… fulfilling Acts 1:8… they went throughout Judea and Samaria… and beyond.

I have a map of Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch mentioned in V19… areas where the early Christians fled to and carried the Gospel to following persecution.

Phoenicia is a region on the Mediterranean Coast north of Israel… and only mentioned three times in Acts.

But, the Bible mentions the city of Sidon 35x and it’s people, the Sidonians, 15x.

Sidon was a city on the Phoenician Coast… often paired with Tyre. “Tyre and Sidon.”

The people were a bad influence on Israel. In 1 Ki 11, King Solomon is mentioned loving many foreign women including Sidonian women.

1 Ki 11:5 reads, “For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians...”

Ashtoreth or Astarte was a Canaanite goddess and companion to Baal… she was the goddess of war, eros love, and fertility.

So, you can imagine how depraved the worship practices were in Sidon.

Jesus traveled here to cast a demon out of the Syro-Phoenician's daughter. This is the woman to said to Jesus, in Matt 15 “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

Jesus replied, “O woman, great is your faith...”

Had word spread in this area of how Jesus touched the lives of this woman and her daughter?

Was this done to prime Phoenicia for the early church to preach the Gospel?

Cyprus is a Mediterranean Island where Barnabas was from.

We will encounter this island further on Paul’s missionary journeys.

Of greater significance is Antioch of Syria… not to be confused with Antioch of Pisidia in Asia Minor where Paul visits during his first missionary journey in Acts 13:14.

Antioch in Syria (modern Antakya, Turkey) was a principal city built around 300 B.C. by Seleucus I in honor of his father Antiochus.

Antiochus… Antioch.

The population of this city was about 500,000 people… making it the third largest city in the Roman Empire, behind Rome and Alexandria.

Antioch was a cosmopolitan city… diverse in people groups and rich in trade… so they experienced special treatment by Rome.

Such as developed public works, harbors, and trade advantages.

The people were intellects, political, rich and powerful… and caught in the things of the world...

Gambling, brutal sports, chariot races, brothels and exotic banquets.

The Roman satirical poet, Juvenal, protested against Antioch saying, “The sewage of the Syrian Orontes [river] has for long been discharged into the Tiber.”

Meaning Antioch was so corrupt that it impacted Rome, more than 1,300 miles away.

Many of the people practiced cultic religions… strange fertility & mystery religions… with degraded practices.

There was also a large Jewish community… amongst which many would become Christians in the early church.

One of the first deacons was Nicholas from Antioch (Acts 6:5).

This city would become the base for Paul’s missionary journeys…

And from 200-800 A.D., Antioch was the center for Christian theology.

So, an important city, and fertile ground for all things… spiritual and fleshly alike.

When the Jewish Christians first arrived in Antioch, we see in V19, they preached “the word to no one but the Jews only.”

As we saw in previous chapters… in general… Jews favored Jews… and avoided Gentiles.

Yet, God’s will was for the gospel to go to “the ends of the earth”… and it would…

Acts 11:20-21 “But some of them [some of the scattered Christians] were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”

So, Christian Cyprians and Cyrenians from Northern Africa… came to Antioch and preached the gospel to the Hellenists.

And, we don’t know a single one of their names.

Could this have been Simeon Niger and Lucius of Cyrene who we will meet in Acts 13:1? Perhaps…

But, God just saw it more fit to record their deeds… how they were busy about His business.

Their names… not so important.

There are times in life when you are doing the Lord’s work, and you need to be ok with NOT getting a pat on the back.

Otherwise… who are you working for? God or man?

What’s the motive behind your service?

Consider Col 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Serve the Lord… wait for His reward… salvation… the Bema Seat… God has rewards in heaven stored up for us…

In V19-20, notice the method for how they evangelized in these highly pagan areas. They ‘preached the word’ to the Jews. They ‘preached the Lord Jesus’ to the Hellenists… the Greeks.

It seems they may have had a different approach based on their audience.

More word and apologetics to the Jews as they were familiar with the OT… a little more life of Jesus to the Greeks.

Regardless… to both audiences they preached. They proclaimed or announced the truth of the Gospel.... the good news of Jesus Christ… that He is the Savior of all mankind.

In Rom 1:16, Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

The gospel message is powerful… it’s available for all… and relevant to all.

The gospel has the power to save… no matter your background… your brokenness…or your lifestyle.

The people of Antioch were a worldly and pagan mess… and a religious mess… and the disciples approached this diverse group… Jews and Gentiles alike… with the gospel.

Trust the power of the Gospel… if God puts you in the position to share it… open your mouth. Do your part.

Rom 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Just let it loose...

Spurgeon said, “The Word of God is like a lion. You don't have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.”

And as you abide in Jesus through daily disciplines… the Holy Spirit will draw to remembrance the exact word you studied… and the lion will be let loose… as His word leaves your lips.

Your part is daily abiding… and when the time comes… speak. He will do the rest.

Beyond preaching the word and Jesus… we know the early church had a very simply focus on key disciplines that would prepare them to preach.

Their daily disciplines are outlined in Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Doctrine through God’s word; fellowship with other believers; breaking of bread or communion; and prayers.

If the Lord ‘added to the church daily those who were being saved’… to a group of disciples faithful to those disciplines… then why should our focus be any different?

“But this is a different age and time!”

Yes, the world is moving much faster… and look at where our speed has gotten us. Look at where we are as a country!

Too much Martha, and not enough Mary… who did the better part to slow down and sit a Jesus’ feet.

Christian… do you slow down daily to sit at His feet in prayer and fellowship in His word?

The Bible is the power of God… it’s the love letter from God… it the mission and vision of God.

And, it’s for you… and it’s for today.

How much better would our world be if slowed down… put aside ALL the distractions… and meditated on Jesus… rested in Jesus… soaked in His word?

Now, in V20, this term “Hellenists” is confusing… especially when you compare it to the Hellenists in Jerusalem in Acts 6:1.

In Acts 6, Hebrew Jews and Hellenists Jews… Jews from Greek areas of the world, disputed over fair treatment of their widows.

But, here in Acts 11:20… it would seem that these Hellenists are not Jews, but simply Greeks… as in Gentile Greeks.

The word Hellenists Gk. Hĕllēnistēs means “Greek-Speaking Jew -OR- Grecian.” So, this word can refer to either group.

Thus, context is king.

The NASB differentiates well… in Acts 6:1 “Hellenistic Jews” is the translation… while in Acts 11:20 “Greeks” is the translation.

And the context supports this notion, because in Acts 11:19… the word was being preached to “no one but the Jews only.” V20 BUT (note the word ‘But’… it stands in contrast…) the Christian men from Cyprus and Cyrene spoke to a second group… Hellenists… Greeks… Gentiles.

And, they were all blessed. V21 “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”

God was with them… and not one believed… not two… but a great number believed and turned to the Lord…

Jews and Gentiles according to Gal 2:12…

The make-up of the Antioch church was very diverse… the first of it’s kind.

How it should be… How it will be… every nation, tribe and tongue according to Revelation.

And, what a blessing… God saw fit to record a great number believed…

But, sometimes God notes just one person being saved, like the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8…

Because both are significant. Even when just one is saved… it’s significant.

Lk 15:7 Jesus said, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

My God will leave the ninety-nine to find that one lost sheep… and that doesn’t make a lot of sense… until you are that one.

In Lk 15:10…Jesus concluded the parable of the lost coin saying, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

God’s all about the lost and found. Anyone here once lost and now found?

I was… I was soo lost… but as soon as I turned to Him just one inch… there He was…

Answering my first prayer…

Redirecting me away from Mormons when I first started to seek Him…

Guiding me to salvation through my born again uncle.

If you’re here today and you don’t know the Lord… know He cares for you… He will go great lengths to find you… and He rejoices when you turn to Him.

It’s not about religion, and it’s certainly not about Calvary Chapel.

God’s not looking for Baptists, Methodists, Calvary Chapel…ites.

Listen to Jesus’ own prayer… what has been dubbed Jesus’ ‘last will and testament’

John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

And, He’s loved you that long too.

Jesus was all about the Father’s will, but the one time He expressed His desire… it was for you. It was to be with you in heaven.

All you have to do is confess and truly believe the Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

If you let go of your life now, and give it to Him… He gives you… blessings beyond measure for all eternity.

It’s a great exchange. “Our sins are laid on Christ and his righteousness is laid on us.”

I invite you to pray with me after service and there will be joy in the presence of the angels of God over you!

Continuing to VSS 22-24.

Acts 11:22-24 “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. 23 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. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

Word of the great number of people believing in Antioch made it’s way back to Jerusalem.

And, just like in Act 8:14 when the apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to investigate Philips work in Samaria… where multitudes were saved…

Now, the church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas over 400 miles North… an 11-14 day journey… to Antioch to investigate… and to encourage them.

They sent Barnabas… a man with the gift of encouragement… or exhortation as mentioned in Rom 12:8.

Barnabas was his nickname. His real name is Joses or Joseph according to Acts 4:36.

His nickname described his spiritual gift as Barnabas means “son of encouragement.”

In Acts 4, he encouraged the church financially with a land sale and donating all the proceeds to care for the needs of the church.

In Acts 9, Barnabas encouraged Saul through friendship… by vouching for him to the Apostles.

Here in Acts 11, he encourages the believers in Antioch in word… to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.

If you have the gift of exhortation… we need to hear your voice.

I don’t have that gift. I have the gift of risk mitigation… people don’t want to hear my voice…

But, sometimes you don’t want an action plan… sometimes just a listening ear and and encouraging voice soothes the soul.

I’m waiting for some of the ladies to say, “Amen.”

If you are an encourager… we need to hear your voice.

Many grow weary doing good, but they are able to press on when you exercise your gift… so please be like Barnabas and exercise your gift.

And, what precipitated this encouragement? Look at V23 “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad...”

Barnabas was pleased with what he saw in Antioch… because what he saw was the grace of God.

As mentioned, Antioch was a hot spot for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And, yet despite all it’s worldliness and cultic practices…

God did not rain down fire from heaven…

He rained down grace… and then He reigned in the hearts of the people.

Grace Gk. charis could be defined as “blessing, favor, or kindness.”

I like this definition of grace, as contrasted to mercy:

“God shows both mercy and grace, but they are not the same. Mercy withholds a punishment we deserve; grace gives a blessing we don’t deserve. In mercy, God chose to cancel our sin debt by sacrificing His perfect Son in our place. But He goes even further than mercy and extends grace to His enemies. He offers us forgiveness, reconciliation, abundant life, eternal treasure, His Holy Spirit, and a place in heaven with Him some day when we accept His offer and place our faith in His sacrifice. Grace is God giving the greatest treasure to the least deserving—which is every one of us.”

I love that definition!

And, the people in Antioch, in their sinful lifestyles, were enemies of God… yet through faith in Christ, they were saved.

And Barnabas witnessed the grace of God in reconciling the people of Antioch to Him.

And, he was glad… which is saying it mildly… he rejoiced.

And in V24 we see Barnabas described… “...he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”

Which made him the perfect person to represent the church.

May that be said of all of us. If we live that way… I suspect the our generosity and our lives that are full of the Spirit and faith…

… will impact our town too… and we will experience what is said at the end of V24 “And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

People notice when you live this way, and they notice when you don’t.

There’s a daily spiritual battle… and the victory is won when you abide in Jesus… and lost when you abide in anything else.

Only Jesus leads to victory.

Continuing to VSS 25-26…

Acts 11:25-26 “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 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.”

In Acts 11:25, Barnabas set out to Tarsus to seek Saul.

The word “seek” in V25 means “to seek carefully; to search out.” Barnabas had to find Saul, but he was determined.

So, he heads to Tarsus.... Saul’s hometown.

Why seek Saul?

We could speculate it was Saul’s intimate knowledge of both Roman and Jewish cultures, having been born in Roman Tarsus… yet studied under Rabbi Gamaliel.

Or, his Roman citizenship… with it’s own privileges…such as freedom to travel throughout the Roman empire.

But, maybe it was something else… maybe as Barnabas in V23 “had seen the grace of God” in Antioch…

He knew he needed a minister who also experienced the grace of God.

And, Saul was such a man… in 1 Cor 15:9-10 Paul wrote, “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain...”

When you experience God’s grace in your life… how can you not extend grace to others?

If you walk in the Spirit, you will extend grace. If you walk in the flesh, you will not.

Condemnation is not a spiritual gift.

Barnabas sought out Saul, because he was a man of grace, and a man of cultural understanding… perfect for Antioch.

Besides those reasons… Saul was waiting on the Lord!

In Acts 9, after Barnabas vouched for Saul in Jerusalem… Saul’s boldness about Jesus and his disputes with Grecian Jews almost got him killed.

So, in Acts 9:30, the Christian brethren escorted Saul to safety in Tarsus… where he waited on the Lord.

Between Acts 9 and Acts 11 spans a time of roughly 7 years. Saul was waiting 7 years.

In Acts 9… Did Ananias, who prayed over blind Saul, share the prophetic words from the Lord about Saul in Acts 9:15?

The Lord said to Ananias “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.”

Yet, Saul has been waiting 7 years.

Did he wonder, “When exactly will I bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel?… Will I bear His name…? Did God forget me?”

I felt called to plant a church in Indiana, and after a year and a half, I began to have doubts this was the Lord’s will.

He taught me many things in that year and a half… including that I could wait longer on Him and not lose heart.

And I’m confident Saul learned many lessons during those 7 years.

And, now in V26, it would seem Saul learned his lesson well… for we read “So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.”

Barnabas and Saul… now at Antioch together for a solid year…

The “assembled with the church.” They were not lone ranger Christians.

They assembled. Gk. sunagō meaning “to bring together.”

And, what was brought together? The church. Gk. ek-klay-see´-ah | ĕkklēsia meaning “a calling out, or assembly.”

They assembled with the assembly. So, if you’re not assembling… are you part of the assembly?

Heb 10:24-25 states “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Time is short… the Day approaches… If you are going it alone, who will take note of you to stir up love and good works and encourage you?

These are good reasons to be part of the church assembly.

V26 closes with “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

In Antioch were disciples. Barnabas and Saul were fulfilling the Great Commission to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matt 28:19).

I’ve heard it said that a student desires to ascertain what you know, whereas a disciple wants to become who you are.

In Antioch… they were disciples.

Thus, they were labeled “Christians” Gk. Christianŏs meaning “followers of Christs.” Some say, ‘little Christs.’

Christ: Christŏs… followed by the suffix ianŏs which means “belonging to the party of.”

This suffix often denoted one who was the slave of another party.

Some say this was a derogatory term assigned to Christians by non-believers that Christians adopted because Jesus never used the term “Christian”…

Plus, the suffix ianŏs lends support to this theory…

And, the word Christian is only used 3x in scripture…

Here in pagan Antioch.

In Acts 26:28, Herod Agrippa says to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” So, spoken by a pagan.

And, Peter uses this term with the context of suffering. 1 Pet 4:16 “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”

I cannot say for sure this was a derogatory term, but FOR SURE… it was a term.

They were “of The Way”… “Christianŏs.”

Something was different about them… many were Jews… not Judaic religious, but a variant.

Something stood out about them… they ‘were in the world, but not of the world.’

What was it about these Christians that others noticed and gave them nicknames pointing to Jesus?

I could preach a whole sermon on the characteristics of Christ, but let me just ask this instead…

Is there enough of a Jesus in your life… that people notice a difference?

Or, do you look like everyone else in the world?

Something to ponder. Take a walk with that this week.

Wrapping up… VSS 27-30

Acts 11:27-30 “And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 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. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”

Luke now tells us of a difficult time that befell the church… a great famine.

This was prophesied by one of the prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch named Agabus.

Agabus was a true prophet… we will encounter him again in Acts 21 at Philip’s house in Caesarea.

Agabus predicts a great famine during the days of the Roman Emperor Claudius Caesar… who reigned from 41-54 A.D.…

This was not a worldwide prediction. “World” in V28 in Gk is defined at “the inhabited earth”… meaning the Roman world.

And, and number of secular historians speak about a variety of famines that plagued Rome during Claudius’ reign.

Suetonius, Tacitus, and Josephus all testify of famines during this time.

The disciples responded by each giving to a relief effort… “each according to his ability.”

Some can give more then others, and that’s ok.

More important is that God wants us to give not out of obligation, but cheerfully.

2 Cor 9:6-7 states, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

This is the first mention of elders in the church, and notice they are receiving finances.

Paul advised Timothy that overseers (1 Tim 3) must not be “greedy for money.”

So, here in Acts… we trust the money is in good hands with the elders.

And, this will not be the last time they receive support from Gentile cities. Paul writes of collections for the poor saints in Jerusalem in Rom 15, and 1 Cor 16.

The church in Jerusalem sowed into the lives of others, and when they were down, their church family abroad sowed into them.

And, that’s how the church should operate.

Final note… notice Barnabas and Saul were entrusted to deliver the relief funds…

And, notice it’s “Barnabas and Saul.” Barnabas is the leader, but starting in Acts 13 the order is “Paul and Barnabas.”

More sowing and reaping. As Barnabas sowed into the life of Saul… Saul would be raised up to lead, and was transformed into Paul.

Good leaders know when to lead and when to step back to let someone else lead.

Many great lessons from the life of Barnabas today.

Read ahead… Acts 12 next week… Peter will step back on the scene.

Let’s Pray!

When God’s people are faithful… gracious… encouraging… and full of the Holy Spirit…

What can’t we accomplish for the Lord? A great many people were added to the Lord under Christians of that caliber.

Stand out… be a Jesus Freak… a Christian… a follower of Christ…

Let people see the difference in your life this week.

God bless you as you go!

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