Bj – The Church in Syrian Antioch 11: 19-30

The Church in Syrian Antioch
11: 19-30

42 AD

The church in Syrian Antioch DIG: Syrian Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. What might the apostles feel as they hear the gospel is taking root there? What was the nature of Barnabas’ character based on verses 22-26 (4:36-37 and 9:27-28)? From this profile, why did Barnabas recruit Sha’ul?

REFLECT: With whom do you associate that no messianic rabbi or pastor would normally contact? How might you share the gospel with those people? Would these people be comfortable in your messianic congregation or church right now? Why or why not? What would you consider evidence of the grace of God at work in your life? In your messianic congregation or church? What experiences have you had with people who take bold risks to share the faith of the gospel? Do they make you feel guilty? Annoyed? Challenged?

For Messiah’s stated purposes (1:8) the scattering of believers, especially Jewish Hellenistic believers, which seemed like a disaster, proved to be a great blessing because those who had been scattered, like seed, and went around proclaiming the Word (8:4). Now we pick up where 8:4 left off and find out where those who we scattered went and what they did.

Persecution scattered the early Hellenistic believers to the city of Antioch, the modern Syrian city of Antakiyeh, which became the home church for Gentile missions. It had a school of theology and became the church home of two church fathers, Ignatius and John Chrysostom. It was there that we see the first widespread evangelism of the Gentiles. As a result, Syrian Antioch became the center of Gentile Christianity, just as Jerusalem had become the center of the Messianic Community.

Seleucus Nicator founded the city of Antioch in 300 BC. Having previously served as an infantry general under Alexander the Great, he eventually assumed the title of basileus and established the Seleucid Empire over much of the territory in the Near East that Alexander had conquered. Antioch later became the capital of the Seleucid Empire. It was 300 miles north of Jerusalem and became part of the Roman Empire in 64 BC. Rome declared Antioch to be a free city with its own municipal government and became the third largest city in the Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, Egypt. Built on the Orontes River, it had a population of around 100,000 residents and had quite a reputation. It was called Antioch the great, Antioch the Beautiful, and the Queen of the East.

Antioch was made up of Greek speaking Syrian majority, with a large Jewish minority and probably more than a dozen synagogues. But it was a major city of pagan worship. Its patron god was Tyche, but being polytheistic, they also worshiped the Ashteroth, which involved immoral festivals and ritual prostitution. Only five miles away was the town of Daphne, which was the center of the worship of Apollo and Artemis, and it was noted for its pleasure seeking Temple. Syrian Antioch was such a wicked city that it was perhaps only overshadowed in its depravity by Corinth. It was so morally corrupt that the Greek writer Juvenal, wrote in his satire that “the sewage of the Syrian Orontes flowed into the Tiber River.” He was describing the degradation of Rome, but blamed it on Antioch.²⁴⁵

Jews had settled in Syrian Antioch since its foundations, being included amongst the military colonists who established the city. In line with the city’s political importance, its Jewish community ranked in status with those of Alexandria and Rome. The growth of the Jewish population was presumably stimulated by the material advantages the city offered, as well as its attractions as a major urban center. Many Jews appear to have emigrated from the land of Isra’el, Jews from Syria itself also tending to congregate in the capital – together with migrants from Babylonia and other parts of the Parthian empire.²⁴⁶

Paul was Luke’s source for this information on Syrian Antioch. This explains why Acts 11-14 focuses on the roles Paul and Barnabas play in, and as sent out by, the church at Antioch. It is also possible that Luke was born in Antioch, or had direct access through personal contacts in Antioch. As a result, this material is solidly based in that tradition.²⁴⁷

The birth of the Gentile church: This passage picks up where 8:4 left off, discussing the effect of those scattered because of the persecution of Hellenistic Jewish believers by Sha’ul of Tarsus that happened in connection with the stoning of Stephen. While some went to Samaria (8:5 and 25) and Caesarea (8:40 and 10:24ff), Damascus (9:10), Lydda, Joppa and Sharon (9:35-36), at the same time some displaced Hellenistic Jews traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, a city in modern day Syria, telling the message only to Jews (11:19). They spread the gospel as they went; however, it was only when they got to Antioch that they began to take the next step and evangelize Gentiles. Being Greek-speaking Jews, from predominantly Gentile areas, they were more open to witnessing to Gentiles than the native Palestinian Jews. Through their efforts, the first Gentile church was born.²⁴⁸

There were some of them, unnamed [Jewish] men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Syrian Antioch and began speaking to the Gentiles also, proclaiming the Lord Yeshua, not as Messiah, which would have no meaning to the Gentile mind, but as Lord (to see link click Aq – Peter Speaks at the Temple: A closer look at Luke’s use of the word Lord), an authoritative figure who is the final judge and through whom, if they had faith, would come forgiveness and inclusion into God’s people. Later, after the Gentiles had been taught about Yeshua’s role as the Jewish King of the Jewish nation to whom they had joined themselves by their faith (Romans 11:17-24), they could be expected to understand the fullness of the concept of Messiah.²⁴⁹ Some of the most significant work done for the Kingdom has been done by unknown witnesses who are obedient to Christ right where they are and where they do not attract much attention.²⁵⁰ The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord (11:20-21). Now that Peter had opened the door to the Gentiles (see Bg – Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius), we see a rapid expansion of the gospel (1:8).

It was these men who began what may be called the Gentile mission in Syrian Antioch. Looking at Acts 8-11 together, one gains the rather clear impression that Luke is presenting a complex picture of the origins of the proclamation of the Good News to Gentiles. It was not a mission originated by the leadership of either Jerusalem community or the Syrian Antioch church, but by ADONAI through a variety of means including Peter, Paul, these anonymous men from Cyprus and Cyrene, and perhaps even Philip.

Neither the salvation of the Ethiopian eunuch nor that of the house of Cornelius and his household prepared the Jerusalem believers for the widespread Gentile conversions at Antioch. News about the Gentile evangelism in Antioch reached the ears of the community in Jerusalem. Sending the right representative was essential. Sending a legalistic Pharisee would have spelled disaster. Barnabas, however, had all the qualifications for the job. Therefore, they sent him to Syrian Antioch to investigate and verify the report (11:22). This was a wise decision because Barnabas, too, was from Cyprus (4:36). Let’s pause and take a look at the role Barnabas plays in the book of Acts. He was an early model of a Jewish believer. He was the one who convinced the apostles of the genuineness of Sha’ul’s conversion. He also represented the apostles in the investigation into the church at Antioch. And as you see below, he was responsible for bringing Sha’ul to Antioch from Tarsus. He accompanied Sha’ul on his first missionary journey and defended Gentile believers at the Jerusalem counsel (see Bs – The Counsel at Jerusalem), which was a major role for Barnabas in the book of Acts.

When Barnabas arrived and saw the grace of God, he was thrilled. Thus, he verified their ministry of Gentile evangelism. He encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with heartfelt devotion. Such persistence was necessary in a city so given over to paganism. For Barnabas was a good man, and like Stephen, full of the Ruach ha-Kodesh and faith. And a large number was added to the Lord as he stayed and participated in Gentile evangelism (11:23-24).

Although Barnabas was thrilled with the great harvest the scattered seeds had ultimately produced, those Hellenistic Jews were obviously in a situation over their heads. They needed a specialist, an expert discipler. They needed Sha’ul. And right about then, Sha’ul probably needed them. Seven years after Sha’ul left for Tarsus (9:30), he returns on the scene. Then Barnabas left for Tarsus, a hundred miles north, to look for Paul. Why not send to Yerushalayim and ask for the deacon Nicolas, who was from Syrian Antioch (6:5)? Because Barnabas knew that ADONAI had commissioned Sha’ul to minister to the Gentiles (9:15, 22:21, 26:17). You recall that Barnabas befriended Sha’ul in Jerusalem (9:26-27), and no doubt the two of them often talked about Sha’ul’s special call from God.²⁵¹

Finding Paul, however, was no easy task. He had apparently been disinherited for his belief that Yeshua was the Messiah (Philippians 3:8), and forced to move from his home. The Greek word to look for (Greek: anazeteo) suggests a very lengthy search implying difficulty on the part of Barnabas. Eventually, however, Barnabas caught up with Paul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Syrian Antioch to co-minister with him. Barnabas had recognized Paul’s ability when he observed him preaching in Damascus, and was prepared to introduce him to the Antioch church, just as he had done earlier to the Jerusalem community. In this we see the bridge-building abilities of Barnabas, perhaps another reason the Jerusalem community wisely sent him to Antioch to help facilitate growth there.²⁵² For a whole year they met together with Messiah’s community and taught a large number (11:2526a). What a great team they must have made – Sha’ul the teacher and Barnabas the encourager. One taught the principles of a godly life and the other assured them they could do it with God’s help.²⁵³

Now it was in Syrian Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians (11:26b also see Acts 26:28).The word Christians in the Greek text is Christianoi, which could also be translated Messiah people, and was a term used in derision. The name Christianoi was applied to Gentile believers by Gentile non-believers. Why? Because Jewish believers would have called their Gentile brothers and sisters in the faith by the same term they used for themselves, people belonging to the Way (9:2); while Jewish nonbelievers of Antioch wouldn’t have thought enough about Gentile believers in Yeshua to give them a special name. But in time both Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua learned to bear proudly the name that began as a nickname (First Peter 4:16). The name non believing Jews gave to Jewish believers was Natzratim, or Nazarenes, that is, followers of the man from Nazareth. The word in modern Hebrew for Christians remains Notzrim.²⁵⁴

What is the difference between a Jewish Messianic believer and a Hebrew Christian? On the one hand, there are Jews who grow up in religious homes. They go to Shul, they may not be completely kosher like Orthodox Jews, but they are mindful of the commandments of Moshe regarding food. They go to Hebrew school. They observe the feasts. They are connected with the Jewish community and way of life. Then one day, whatever the circumstance, whether through interaction with a person or personal revelation, they are saved. Most likely by another Jew. If this person comes from an Orthodox background the reaction of the family can be severe. Many times they will be excommunicated. In extreme cases, they will be declared dead and a funeral held to emphasize the point. If this person comes from a Reformed Judaism (which has abandoned aspects of Orthodox Jewish worship and ritual in an attempt to adapt to modern changes in social, political, and cultural life), the reaction may not be as severe, but the problem still remains – where does this person go to worship? Do such people have to give up their Jewishness and go to church? No. Messianic congregations have a Torah procession, the parashah is read (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah), some have Davidic dance. They read from the Torah and the prophets, but they also include readings from the B’rit Chadashah. In short, they do not have to abandon their Jewish roots to follow Yeshua as their Messiah. They would call themselves Messianic Jews.

On the other hand, there are ethnic Jews who grow up in secular homes. They have no contact with the Jewish community. If their last name wasn’t Goldware, Levi, or Cohen, you wouldn’t even know they were Jewish. They don’t go to Temple, they either don’t know or don’t care about eating kosher, they didn’t go to Hebrew school and they don’t follow the feasts. Then one day, whatever the circumstance, whether through interaction with a person, most likely a Gentile, or a personal revelation they are saved. They have no Jewish roots to give up. Therefore, they identify with Christ and would go to church. They are Hebrew Christians, but would merely call themselves Christians.

The benevolence of the church: Now at the end of the first year of the co-ministry of Barnabas and Sha’ul, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Syrian Antioch. Now a prophet was one who received direct revelation from God. The early Messianic Community had prophets, like Judah and Silas (15:32), and the church at Antioch had prophets like Lucius the Cyrenian, Simeon called Niger, Manaen (13:1). For one to be a prophet one had to give a near historical prophecy. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Ruach that there was going to be a great famine over all the Roman world. The Greek word for world used here is oikouméne, which means the inhabited world, or the Roman world. Indeed, this took place during the reign of Claudius (23:34, 28:17), who was emperor from 41 AD to 54 AD.

Contemporary records demonstrate that a series of famines affected Mediterranean agriculture during his reign. In the winter of 40/41 AD Rome experienced such a lack of food that stores were only stocked for a week. This crisis continued at least into Claudius’ second year 41/42 AD. Yerushalayim’s status as the “navel of the earth” unfortunately does not include the advantages of a city endowed with natural resources or trading materials. The mountains yields only stone in large quantities and most raw materials are lacking. More significantly, Jerusalem naturally possesses only one real water source, the spring of Siloam (Second Kings 20:20; Second Chronicles 32:2-4; Nehemiah 3:15; Isaiah 8:6, 22:8-11; John 9:7ff).

In times of famine grain supplies were the first to be affected, and here too Tziyon is ill-served by its geographical location, the soil in the surrounding area is notoriously poor in quality. The City’s chief requirements had to be imported from Galilee, Samaria and the Transjordan. However, the capital produced fruits and vegetables, such as olives, dates, vines and honey. While Jerusalem enjoyed a high standard of living, her citizens also suffered from a higher cost of living than the rest of the country. In times of drought and famine, these prices soared and the City experienced special hardships. Any severe disturbance to the wheat and barley production and/or transport could cause the price to escalate more than sixteen times. Only a few exceptional urban centers in the ancient world depended upon foreign imports for their food. Unfortunately, Jerusalem was one of them. In time of need, aid from the diaspora provided a vital source of sustenance, and the diaspora communities felt a strong sense of responsibility to the believers in Judea.²⁵⁵

So the disciples of Syrian Antioch decided to send relief to those kedoshim (brothers and sisters) living in Judea, each according to his ability (Galatians 2:1-10). So the Messianic community in Yerushalayim sent Antioch a teacher in Barnabas, and the church at Antioch sent the Messianic community in Jerusalem relief from the famine. This is in keeping with Romans 15:25-27, when the Gentiles receive spiritual blessings from the Jews, they are obligated to share their material blessings with them. This they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Sha’ul (11:29-30). This is the first use of the word elders. They did not send relief to the apostles, but to the elders. This shows that Acts is a transitional book, and the leadership in Tziyon was being transformed from apostles, which ended with the death of John around 98 AD, to elders, which is a permanent office.

The final stage in the Lord’s command recorded in Acts 1:8 had been reached. The Messianic Congregation, being Jewish, had expanded from Jerusalem and Judea to Samaria and to the Gentiles in the most remote part of the earth, then becoming predominately a Gentile Church. The church at Syrian Antioch, begun in this chapter, was to play a leading role for several centuries. But of all its honors, one stands out. It was the church that Paul pastored and from which he was called by the Ruach ha-Kodesh to launch his missionary journeys (see Bm – Paul’s First Missionary Journey).

We are aware, Lord, that during times of hardship and cultural conflict, the people who know their God will be strong and take action. Those who are wise among the people will give understanding to many (Dani’el 11:32-33). May we not be those who are lulled to sleep by the times or driven to despair. May we instead be like warriors in battle trampling down the mud of the streets, fighting because You, Lord, are with us. They will be like mighty warriors treading down muddy streets in war. They will fight, because ADONAI is with them and will put horsemen to shame (Zechariah 10:5).²⁵⁶