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Antioch: And They Were Called Christians
Antioch was a bustling metropolis in Roman Syria during the first century A.D. known as a nexus of trade between the populous regions of Persia, Europe, Babylon, and India. It was a fairly large city, boasting a population of half a million people and an alluring hotbed of dissipation and vice, a trademark of all major Roman cities. Moral license was built into Roman religion and further propagated by the wealth and affluence that many of the large Roman trading cities enjoyed.
In the midst of this urbane and epicurean metropolis Christianity dared to raise its head. In the aftermath of Stephen’s martyrdom, many Christians fled Jerusalem. Persecution was rife throughout Judea forcing these new Jesus-followers as far afield as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. As they traveled they took the good news of Jesus with them raising up small congregations of new believers wherever they went.
The little church in Antioch soon grew to incorporate not only Jewish Christians but greeks as well. This was a new phenomenon; this cohabitation of Jews and Greeks within the same spiritual body. But it was a phenomenon that God had ordained and while it did create a unique set of challenges it shattered racial divides, setting the stage for the multicultural expansion of the church.
The rapid growth of the work coupled with its diversity and complexity prompted the leaders in Jerusalem to send Barnabas to the new church. A seasoned and profoundly spiritual man Barnabas was uniquely equipped to help the church navigate the new realities being birthed within its community.
Barnabas proved to be just the man for the job. Under his wise leadership, the church thrived and expanded. The growth was so rapid that Barnabas felt the need for help and he knew exactly where to find it. In Acts 11:25-26 the Bible says “Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch”
This was a turning point in Saul’s ministry. He had been out of the public eye for about three years at this point, having spent some time in Arabia before returning to Tarsus. Barnabas’ call catapulted Saul into his lifework as a missionary to the Gentiles.
Saul and Barnabas worked in Antioch for about a year, teaching, evangelizing, and training the new believers to not only be disciples but to make disciples. It was in Antioch that these zealous Jesus-followers picked up a name that would stick with them over the centuries. The Bible puts it simply and succinctly in Acts 11:26; “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”
The church at Antioch was soon full of spiritual men who were gifted as prophets and teachers. Acts 13:1 says “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaean which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul”
While they were serving God and fasting and praying the Holy Spirit spoke to the church and placed a special calling on Barnabas and Saul saying “Seperate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called then” (Acts 13:2)
The church then performed the solemn service of ordination by laying their hands on Saul and Barnabas thereby equipping them and setting them apart for the gospel ministry.
When Saul was first converted he went off on his own, ever the zealous maverick, to preach the gospel to everyone and anyone he could find. His zeal aroused suspicion and murderous intent forcing him to flee into obscurity. But when the time was right God sent Barnabas to call him out of hiding and into the work that God had called him to do. When Saul and Barnabas went out as missionaries they were not only sent by God but by the church as well.
As important as Paul’s calling was, the timing of when he embraced that calling was just as important. Often we have grand plans for our lives and a timeline for how we want it all to happen but God’s plans might not only be different but might also run on a different time schedule to ours.
Paul was chomping at the bit to reach his Jewish brethren but God had called him to be a missionary to the gentiles. Paul was ready to preach and die right out of the gate but God needed to prepare him first before he sent him out. Preparation takes time and Paul may not have been willing to set aside time for growth so God did it for him. God is wiser than we are. Where we want results and action immediately God is willing to wait patiently for the right time, the right place, and the right people before he acts. God’s timing is always perfect as are his purposes for our lives. May we learn to wait for Him and to be led by Him in all that we do.
