Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews. 20 There were some Cypriots and Cyrenians among them, however, who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas [to go] to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart, 24 for he was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
The evangelist reintroduced the Jewish converts who ran from Jerusalem up the Mediterranean coast as a result of the persecution of the Church (Acts 8:1b). They preached the Word to Jews in Phoenicia, the island of Cyprus, and in Antioch where there was a strong Jewish community. Some Gentiles from Cyprus and Cyrene in North Africa went to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The large number of Gentile converts indicated the Divine hand at work.
When the Church in Jerusalem heard about the great things that were happening in Antioch, they sent Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37), a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, to encourage the community and to create a bond with the Church in Jerusalem. Barnabas then brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch because of the large number of Gentile converts and together they taught the new community for a year. The disciples of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch because that was the first place where the followers of Christ and the Jews could be identified as two distinct sects.
Almighty God, teach us to love you and serve you with all our heart and being. Let the works of our hands be pleasing to you and deliver us from all wickedness and evil as we lead others to your kingdom. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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