Day 1120: First called Christians - Acts 11 vs 19 – 30

19-20 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21-22 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. 24-26 And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

27-30 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. Acts 11:19-30 English Standard Version

We see how that those who'd been scattered through persecution did not remain silent, but went about preaching Christ. What had been a time of grief for the early Church was turned into a time of blessing by God. Upon reaching Antioch, a city regarded by a Jewish historian as the third most important after Rome, some of them began to preach to gentiles. And when news of their conversion reached Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent to investigate. What are we told about Barnabas in vs 24?

He was clearly the right man for the job! Good, faithful, and full of the Holy Spirit. When he saw God's grace at work even among gentiles, he rejoiced. And, as another translation puts it, “he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” He didn't want their decision to follow Christ to be something that would quickly fade, but urged them to hold fast onto the Lord.

We read that followers of Jesus Christ were first called 'Christians' in Antioch. Concerning this, Matthew Henry commented that: “The proper meaning of this name is ‘a follower of Christ’. It denotes one who, from serious thought, embraces the religion of Christ, believes his promises, and makes it his chief care to shape his life by Christ's precepts and example. Hence it is plain that multitudes take the name of Christian to whom it does not rightly belong.”

So it was that Barnabas set off to find Saul. Having been converted on the way to Damascus, Saul had initially stayed there. But after threats against him, the disciples there sent him to Jerusalem. Once again he faithfully testified to Christ. When those who heard him were planning to kill him, fellow believers helped him escape, and sent him to Tarsus. And it was here that Barnabas found him, and took him to Antioch. Together they taught those who'd come to Christ for a whole year. We see the importance of giving new converts the sort of teaching that would help them “with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord.”

Verses 27-30 tell of prophets who came to Antioch, and of one of them, named Agabus, being led by the Spirit to warn of a world wide famine. These were men with a gift that the early Church experienced, and had probably been sent from Jerusalem to help the new converts grow. The people of Antioch were quick to respond with gifts for Christians in Jerusalem, for whom such a famine would be a deeper burden. Those who had been called Christians, put into action what a Christian should be.