Barnabas, Antioch, and Saul

Introduction:

The writer of Acts has shown the mindset change Peter and the other apostles have gone through to understand the Gentiles as believers.

Cornelius and Joppa.

Peter and those who accompanied him answered the demands of the apostles and others when they returned to Jerusalem.

It might appear a turning point has come when the Jesus movement makes no distinctions between Jews and non-Jews.

Yet, we will see that latent conflict in place.

What characteristics does a believer have?

Through the example of Barnabas, we can think about this question.

Luke has referred to him twice: Acts 4:36-37, 9:27.

Barnabas will remind us of those characteristics.

Through his actions, we will also see Saul take on a teaching role away from the turmoil of Jerusalem.

An Uninformed Message

We must exercise caution in this section of the paragraph.

Its refers to those dispersed after the tribulation that happened to Stephen.

Luke provides an important detail because this likely means they may not have known about events in Joppa and Jersalem.

It seems most probable that they did not.

They passed through Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.

Those disbursed spoke only to Jews.

The chronology along with this practice reminds us that Saul’s events might not have had wide dispersion.

We may say the same about what Peter and the others have recently learned about the Gentiles.

The group who dispersed most likely traveled before Peter learned the Gentile lesson.

Conflicts can arise from non-obvious places.

Note the open question of: THE LORD

An Example of Genuine Believers

Luke has introduced Barnabas on two previous occasions.

Acts 4:36-37: he sold property and gave the money to the apostles.

Acts 9:27: he brought Saul to the apostles and explained his conversion to them.

Barnabas, we also know, is a nickname for a Jewish convert from Cyprus.

His nickname means: son of encouragement.

Word filtered to Jerusalem of the believing non-Jews in Antioch.

Antioch was the third principle city in the Roman Empire behind only Rome and Alexandria.

It had a sizeable population, perhaps, between 500k-800k.

It makes its first appearance in Acts here.

Luke once again gives Barnabas a positive introduction.

Rather than embittered about non-Jewish converts, he rejoiced and encouraged all their number.

Specifically, he encouraged them to remain with the Lord in the plan of their hearts.

We should consider that language.

Probably this simply means they should have unwavering loyalty toward Jesus as Lord.

This would appear in their lifestyles.

He did this, Luke explains, because he was a “good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”

Growth and the Need for Saul

A sizeable crowd also “was added to the Lord.”

Think about how this language mirrors Jerusalem from earlier in the work.

This motivates Barnabas, so it seems to travel to Tarsus to find Saul.

Here, he is not merely seeking Saul but trying to find out his location.

Saul’s whereabouts were not obvious, and they apparently were difficult to ascertain.

We do not know where he located him.

They traveled to Antioch where they taught the people for a whole year.

Notice the pattern again:

Gathering with the assembly.

Teaching a large crowd (note the similarity of language).

Here at Antioch, not at Jerusalem, they earned this Romano-Hebrew name.

Benevolence Between Churches

We get to see Luke pay little attention to chronology and more to love between churches.

He tells of an Agabus, described as one of the prophets from Jerusalem who descended to Antioch.

He “signified” a great famine about to be over the whole world.

Luke says this came about in the days of Claudius.

We know Claudius’s reign were marked by what Suetonius calls “assiduas sterilitates” (Cl. 18).

Josephus refers to it hitting Judea hard in somewhere between 45-47 AD. Most likely, the years 45-49 AD might have been a time of prolonged food shortages across the Empire.

Luke’s concern, however, to show how the disciples, especially those with financial means, decided to send to those brothers who dwelled in Judea.

They did this “for service.”

He also shows how trustworthy they found Barnabas.

It also marks the return of Saul, for now, to Jerusalem as part of this delegation.