Chapter
13, part 1
 |
| Paul's 1st missionary journey |
The New Church at Antioch
1. Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who
had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
"Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them."
3. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them
away.
In chapter 11 of Acts, we began to learn of the new
church at Antioch. Luke said that after the martyrdom of Stephen, persecution
broke out in Jerusalem and some arrived at Antioch, preaching only to Jews (Ac.
11:19). However, after Peter´s experience in Caesaria with the Roman centurion,
Cornelius, a great breakthrough came and evangelists, from the isle of Cyprus
and from the African nation of Cyrene, began to preach to Greek-speaking
Gentile people (Ac. 11:20). Luke records that a great number of Gentiles turned
to the Lord (Ac. 11:21). There began the history of the church in Antioch,
after the salvation of Jews and Gentiles.
We learned that Barnabas was sent to Antioch from
Jerusalem (Ac. 11:22). He encouraged the new believers (Ac. 11:23) and, through
his anointed evangelism, many more were added to the Antioch church (Ac. 11:24).
Soon, Barnabas left for Tarsus, looking for Saul, as Tarsus was Saul’s native
city (Ac. 11:25), and Saul joined him in the edification of the Antioch church
(Ac. 11:26). In the last chapter, in fact, in the closing verse, we learned
that they had returned to Jerusalem from Antioch, bringing with them an
offering for the believers there (Ac. 11:30).
Now, they return to Antioch and take John Mark, who is Barnabas’ nephew
with them. Mary, Mark’s mother, is probably Barnabas’ sister, for had she been
his sister-in-law, his father, being Barnabas’ brother, would be mentioned (Ac.
12:25).
Besides Barnabas and Saul, prophets from Jerusalem began
to gather in Antioch (Ac. 11:27). The first verse of this chapter 13, mentions
also Simeon Niger, Lucius from Cyrene (possibly, one who evangelized Antioch earlier…
11:20), and Manaen, interestingly a close acquaintance of Herod Antipas, who
assassinated John the Baptist and joined with Pilate in Christ’s trial. Manaen
is now a Christian and leader in the church at Antioch, along with these four
others, who were prophets and teachers. It is another verse that shows that
prophecy was a ministry in the New Testament church, composed of Jews and
Gentiles (see also Acts 2:17, 18; 1 Co. 14:1; Eph. 4:11, 12).
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