Acts of the Apostles: The Church in Antioch (Ep 143)

Introduction

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Jason: Thank you for listening and welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Jason McConnell. Today we're stepping into a remarkable turning point in church history. The rise of the church in Antioch. Let me tell you, this is one big plot twist You see when persecution hit, the early church believers scattered like seeds in the wind.

But here's a beautiful thing about God's kingdom, what the enemy means to scatter, God uses to plant, which should have silenced the gospel, ended up amplifying it. And just like Romans 10 17 says, faith comes through hearing the message. And an Antioch, a whole world that had never heard the name of Jesus is about to listen.

So let's jump into Acts 11 verses 19 through 30 and find out what happens when ordinary believers carry extraordinary faith. We're talking gospel expansion, cross-cultural unity, deep discipleship, and a brand new identity and generosity that shook the entire regions. And as we explore this together, my prayer is simple.

That you and I can see what God can do when his people simply say yes, even in unfamiliar places and uncomfortable moments. So let's step into the city of Antioch, where scattered people became a powerful church and where God showed the world that his plan is bigger, wider, and more amazing than anyone could have ever imagined.

Persecution and Scattering of Believers

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Now we'll get started in Acts: 11:19

And if you can imagine it, these weren't short strolls down the road. These were long, costly journeys, forced relocations born out of fear for their very lives. So let's read verse 19. Now, those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed, traveled as far as Venicia, Cyprus, and Antioch spreading the word only among Jews.

So here's where the beauty of God's sovereignty shines a bit. Whenever they're pushed, the gospel was pushed along with them. And if we go back to Acts eight verse four, it says, those who had been scattered, preached the word wherever they went. Now understand this, this wasn't a group of apostles or trained evangelists.

These were regular believers, moms, dads, merchants, fishermen, young people, people who hadn't planned for this moment, but decided to be faithful in it.

Antioch: A Diverse and Pagan City

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Jason: And culturally, Antioch was unlike anything. The early church had seen it. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire trailing behind Rome and Alexandria, and Antioch was founded around 300 BC by, uh, Cellis.

One of the inheritors of the, of Alexander the Greats Empire, and he liked to name cities built after his father Antioch. And he did this around 15 times. So this city of Antioch was actually Syrian Antioch or Antioch on the tis. And by first century it was populated with roughly about 500,000 people.

as of: 2022

Now, according to David Guzzis commentaries, one might say that Jerusalem was about, was all about religion. Rome was all about power. Alexandria was all about intellect, and Athens was all about philosophy. Adding to that, one might say that Antioch was all about business and immorality. In other words, Antioch was an utterly pagan city.

Now, big picture, this crowd, this crowded marketplace, was buzzing with accents from all across the empire. Jews, Gentiles, Romans, Arabs, Greeks, each worshiping different gods, following different customs and living different stories. It was, it was beautiful, confusing, loud, spiritually chaotic, and exactly the kind of place God wanted to plant something new.

Breaking Cultural Barriers with the Gospel

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Jason: But in verse 19, those scattered believers were still preaching only to Jews. Now, understand that's not, that's not criticism. It was a comfort zone. Evangelism. They shared with those who felt familiar, who shared similar backgrounds and beliefs, and that's just human nature. Yet, even in that early hesitation.

We see something pretty powerful. God redeems, painful season to advance his purpose. Not one tear, not one hardship, not one moment of confusion was ever wasted. They were scattered, yes, but they were also sowing seeds everywhere they landed. And when life scatters you, which it's gonna do, when circumstances shift, when you change jobs, when you move, when friendships transition, don't let your faith stay behind, carry that gospel with you.

tory might settle a bit, acts: 1120

Luke writes some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks, also telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. I love that phrase. Some of them, however, because with God there's always some of them, right? A group of believers from Cyprus and Cyrene arrived in Antioch and did something no one had ever done before they began speaking to Greeks, not fellow Jews, not Proselytes, not the religiously curious Gentiles, Greek speaking Pagans.

This was the first intentional evangelism to Gentiles after the story of Cornelius. And it wasn't even the apostles who did it. It was bold, unnamed, believers, heroes whose names heaven will know even if history doesn't. And culturally, this was pretty revolutionary. I mean, it really was. The Greeks in Antioch were steeped in idol worship philosophy and a worldview that was far removed from the God of Israel.

There was no shared scripture, no shared traditions, no shared history. Yet these believers stepped across barriers anyway, and the gospel is not bound by culture, ethnicity, or tradition. The walls we build between one another will crumble under the weight of God's love. And then Acts 11, verse 21 says, the Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord the moment they stepped outta their comfort zone.

God stepped in with power and blessing. It's just another reminder that gospel is for everyone and it flourishes when we're willing to go beyond what's familiar and do the Lord's work. Understand we cannot turn anyone to the Lord without his help. We may be able to encourage him to turn to a person or a social club, or even a church without the Lord, but we cannot turn people to the Lord.

So you and I are called to share Christ boldly beyond our comfort zone, and that might mean reaching out to somebody with a different background, a different lifestyle, a different generation, a different worldview. You may be the only person in their life who speaks the hope of Jesus. Jesus gave us this mission in Matthew 28 19.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. Way back in Isaiah 49, 6, it echoes God's heart. I will make you a light for the Gentiles that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Sounds like Acts one verse eight, doesn't it? Paul celebrates his truth in Ephesians two, verses 13 and 14. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace. Ordinary unnamed believers carried extraordinary courage, and the hand of the Lord turned a pagan city into a powerhouse of faith. And we're just getting started, but let's move on to Acts 11, verses 22 and 23.

Barnabas' Encouragement and Leadership

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Jason: News of this reach the church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch when he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done.

He was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. So when this news of what God was doing in Antioch reach Jerusalem, the early church leaders didn't shrug it off or let rumors dictate the narrative. They sent Barnabas, a man whose reputation wasn't built on suspicion, but on encouragement.

Now, remember, Jerusalem at this time was still the center of the early church. Everything that happened outside of it felt new, unfamiliar. And a little bit unpredictable, but instead of reacting with fear or suspicion, they responded with discernment. And who better descend than Barnabas? If you go back to Acts eight, uh, four verse 36 we're told his nickname was the son of Encouragement and, and I love that that's a son of a criticism or doubt, or the son of, let's make sure it's safe before we get too excited.

He was the son of encouragement. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, verse 23 tells us he saw the grace of God when what it had done, and he was glad. In other words, he celebrated, he rejoiced. He encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with steadfast hearts. Culturally, this mattered. Barnabas was a Levi from Cyprus, which means he probably understood different cultures, languages, and customs better.

And he wasn't threatened by this diversity. He was equipped for it. That made him the perfect bridge between Jerusalem's, Jewish Christian leadership and Antioch's, fast-growing multi-ethnic community. Now, healthy churches need both accountability and encouragement. You need somebody to help things stay grounded in truth, but you need someone to fan the flames of what God is doing.

Too often we, we tend to. Wanna inspect with suspicion rather than grace. But Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 tells us to spur on one another towards love and good deeds and encourage one another. What if you and I became a Barnabas to someone, a person who doesn't just point out problems, but also recognizes evidence of God's grace and calls it out with joy?

Now, here's where Barnabas shows some real leadership in Acts 11 verses 24 through 26. It tells us he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus and to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.

So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

The Birth of the Term 'Christians'

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Jason: So Barnabas sees a thriving group of new believers, hungry to grow, eager to learn, but lacking deep biblical teaching. And Antioch didn't need a celebrity preacher.

It needed a disciple making team. So what does he do? He makes probably one of the more bold ministry decisions in the New Testament. He travels to Tarsus to look for Saul and understand the way this is written. It didn't just, he didn't just go find Saul. He had to labor easily search for him. And a good 12 years has passed since we last met Saul.

But I want you to think about this for a minute. Bar Abbis goes after the man who was once a persecutor of Christians, the man, many believers were still not quite sure about the man God had called but was still waiting in the wings. Barnabas didn't just affirm what God had done. He and invested in what God was going to do.

He brings Saul back to Antioch and together they spent an entire year teaching this young, multicultural church. It's in that environment, one shaped by teaching, encouragement, unity, and discipleship, that something pretty remarkable happens. The disciples were first called Christians. No longer disciples, not saints, not believers, not witnesses, not followers of the way, not Nazarenes, but Christians.

People who looked, acted and loved so much like Jesus that outsiders had to come up with a new term to describe them. Now, understand IAN. The IAN and Christians means the party up. So a Christian, Christian was of the party of Jesus. Now, soldiers under particular generals in the Roman Army identified themselves by their general's name, by adding the IAN to the end.

So soldiers under Caesar would be cesareans. Now, the term Christians cristianos was not originally a badge of honor. It, it was a snide label from, from the soldiers and others to use to mock these followers of Jesus. But in a diverse city like Antioch, where ethnicity divided nearly everything, this new name reflected a deeper truth.

Their identity was now in Christ, not in culture. That means discipleship creates identity. We become like the one we follow. Just like Jesus said in Luke six, verse 40. The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Commit to intentional discipleship.

Grow deeper, not just wider. Let your life be shaped by scripture, community prayer and obedience as Colossians two verses six and seven says, continue to live your life in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in faith, and then understand that one of the greatest marks of discipleship appears love.

John: 1335

Prophecy of Famine and Generosity

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Jason: Let's read Acts 11, verses 27 and 28. During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus, stood up through the spirit and predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. This happened during the reign of Claudius. Alright, so prophets arrive in from Jerusalem to Antioch, and among them is this guy named Agabus.

Now Luke tells us that Agabus by the spirit predicted a severe famine that will spread over the entire Roman world during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Now, other historical records do confirm that Claudia's reign was actually marked by a succession of bad harvest and scarcity in a number of areas, including Rome, Greece, uh, and Egypt, as well as Judea.

But now in our modern time, a famine certainly sounds tragic, but it could be manageable. We think in terms of food banks, refrigerated trucks in international aid, global charities. But in the ancient world, a famine was catastrophic. There were no global supply chains, no emergency shipments, no government safety nets.

A failed harvest didn't just mean food was scarce, it meant life itself was in jeopardy. Now, culturally, Judea was especially vulnerable political instability between the Jewish leaders and the and the Roman. Often resulted in heavy taxation, disrupted crops, and poor harvest cycles. So a famine predicted during claus's rain was particularly dangerous for the Jewish believers in that region.

But I want you to notice this. God reveals the plan ahead of time. And of course, it's not to frighten his people, not to try to overwhelm them, but to prepare them. And we see this wisdom echoed in Proverbs 22, verse three. The prude sees danger and take re takes refuge. The simple keeps going on to pay the penalty.

Jesus also promised in John 16, verse 13, but when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in all the truth. This prophetic word was more of an invitation than a warning. It was a call to readiness, a chance to embody the compassion and unity of Christ before the crisis arrived. Look, guys, God's gonna nudge at your heart in seasons of prepare preparation.

And when that happens, we should. We should listen. Maybe he's prompting you to slow down, build prayer habits, prepare spiritually, invest wisely, or strengthen relationships before a storm comes. God's warnings are always rooted in love and the response of the church in Antioch. I was absolutely awesome.

Acts 11 verses 29 and 30 tells us the disciples as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did sending their gifts to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. Check that out guys. They didn't take a poll. They didn't debate who deserved what. They didn't ask what's in it for us.

They simply heard a need and they gave. This becomes one of the earliest records. Recorded acts of organized Christian charity A, a gentle majority church sending relief to a Jewish majority church. Something unheard of In the ancient world, ethnic groups did not support one another. Religious groups did not cross boundaries.

Every city, even the cities, rarely shared resources, but Christians do because Christ did. Look at how, uh, John, first, John three verses 17 and 18, challenges us. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need, but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be with that person? Let us not love with words or speech, but with action and in truth.

And the Antioch, Christians didn't wait for abundance. They simply gave from what they had. They also didn't give blindly. They entrusted their gift to Barnabas and Saul showing wisdom, accountability, and, and a partnership. And Jesus reminds us why this kind of giving matters in Matthew six verse 19 through 21.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where the moss in vermin destroy it, or where the thieves break in and steal it. But store up your for yourselves treasures in heaven. Where mos in vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there, your heart will also be look true.

Discipleship produces generous compassion because when you truly follow Jesus's generosity becomes your instinct. So give generously. Not out of guilt. Not out of pressure or comparison, but out of a spirit-led compassion. Ask God, where can my generosity bring your love to life? No gift to too small when it is given with Christlike love.

In this moment, Antioch becomes more than a church. It becomes a family. A family so transformed by the gospel that it bridges cultures, it lifts burdens. Prepare us for storms together, this is the heartbeat of kingdom living.

Modern Application of Antioch's Lessons

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Jason: As we begin to wrap up today's journey through Acts chapter 11, we turn the spotlight from ancient Antioch to our world right now because the beauty of this passage is that Antioch wasn't just some historical church.

It was a model, a building block, a blueprint, a movement, a living picture of what happens when everyday believers take ge Jesus seriously. So the question really becomes, what does a modern Antiox style church look like? What does it look like when in your life, in your home, your workplace, in your circles of friends?

Let's try, I'm gonna try to break down the DNA of this movement in small little chunks, starting with the Gospel's expansion. So first, we have to share Christ boldly in our everyday lives. The believers in Antioch didn't have platforms. Microphones certainly didn't have social media, but what they did have was courage.

The courage to speak the name of Jesus wherever life scattered them. Modern gospel expansion isn't always about preaching. It's about conversations, kindness, invitations, and just authentic faith lived out in front of people who desperately need hope. James one, verse 22, calls us to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

You don't have to be a theologian to share Jesus. Just be faithful wherever you are. Second, embrace and dis and disciple people who are different from you. Antioch was a melting pot, and the church didn't retreat from it. It embraced it. Jews and Gentiles began worshiping together. They served together.

They grew together. A world divided by that's dividing itself by ethnicity, politics, generations, and backgrounds. The church has to look different. Why? Because Jesus breaks down barriers. Galatians three verse 28 reminds us there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male, nor, and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

A modern Antioch church is a mosaic. Not uniform, but unified. So third, commit to intentional growth. Barnabas and Saul didn't entertain the Antioch Church. They taught it for an entire year. This was Bible study, real community account accountability, spiritual discipline, everything needed to grow deep roots.

Today we see too many believers living on spiritual autopilot. Maybe they're sage but not growing. Maybe they're informed, but not transformed. Antioch shows us a better way. Philippians two verses three and four calls us to humility and intentionality. It says in human, in humility, value others above yourself.

Not looking to your own interest but to, but each of you to the interest of the other. Be purposeful in your discipleship and don't get stuck in autopilot. Fourth on my list is to live as a Christian and be recognizable by love, not by labels. In Antioch, believers were first called Christians, not because they announced it, but because their lives revealed it.

They looked like Jesus and their compassion and their unity and their bold faith. In our culture, Christian can become a label, a title, or even a cultural category, but biblically it meant followers of Christ. People who carried his heart into a divided world, look, your identity isn't your past. It's not your politics or your job or your family background.

If you belong to Jesus, your identity is Christ himself. And then finally, let generosity become a spiritual reflex. When, when the famine was prophesied, the disciples gave without hesitation. When they saw a need, they acted. Generosity wasn't an act or even a, a seasonal campaign, it was who they were. A modern Antioch church is tenderhearted, quick to serve, slow to judge, and generous in ways the world can't explain.

So this week I want to challenge you. Don't let this episode be another one you just listened to. Let it become a moment of obedience. Of course, not obedience to me obviously, but obedience to God. Choose one of these Antioch like opportunities and act it out. Uh, you could share Christ with someone. God puts in your path.

Uh, you could encourage a believer who's growing weary. You can serve cross-culturally and love someone different than you. You can give generously to meet a real world need. Or you could join a discipleship group or maybe start one with a friend or coworker. Look, one step, one act of obedience, one spark.

That's all it takes, because movements don't start with crowds. They start with individuals who say yes to Jesus.

Conclusion and Call to Action

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Jason: As we close today's episode, let's take a moment to breathe in the beauty of what we just seen in Antioch. This wasn't a church built by famous apostles or spiritual superheroes. It wasn't built by people with titles, platforms, or credentials.

It was built by ordinary believers, unexpected friendships, and extraordinary grace. Believers scattered by hardships. Barnabas arriving with encouragement, Saul stepping into his calling, Gentiles receiving the gospel, and a community rising up with compassion and generosity that crossed borders. Only God could weave a story like that, and the truth is he's still weaving that story today.

e move. Remember back in Acts: 1121

Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care. God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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