Wednesday: The Church in Antioch
Motivated by Cornelius’s conversion, Luke briefly interrupts his account of Peter’s ministry to show the gospel’s initial progress among the Gentiles.
Read Acts 11:19-26. What happened when some Jerusalem refugees came to Antioch?
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This section of Acts Chapter 11 refers back to Paul’s persecution in chapter 8. Thus, while the previous developments were taking place in Judea and elsewhere, some of the Hellenistic believers who were forced to leave Jerusalem were spreading the gospel way beyond the borders of Judea.
Luke gives special attention to the great city of Antioch, in Syria, where refugees began to preach to their fellow Jews and to the Hellenists, and many of them were accepting the faith. Jesus’ commission in Acts 1:8 was then being realized through the efforts of these Hellenistic Jewish Christians. They were the ones who became the real founders of the mission to the Gentiles.
Because of the church’s success in Antioch, the apostles in Jerusalem decided to send Barnabas to evaluate the situation. Noticing the great opportunities for the advancement of the gospel, Barnabas sent for Paul in Tarsus, feeling he could be a vital helper.
Barnabas was right. During the year he and Paul worked together, large crowds, mostly Gentiles, could hear the gospel. The enthusiasm with which they spoke about Jesus Christ made the believers there become known for the first time as “Christians” (Acts 11:26). That they “were called” Christians indicates the term was coined by those outside the church, probably as a form of mockery, while the believers preferred to refer to themselves as “brethren” (Acts 1:16), “disciples” (Acts 6:1), or even “saints” (Acts 9:13). By the time Acts was written, “Christian” had become a common designation (Acts 26:28), and Luke seems to approve of it. “Christian” means a follower or an adherent of Christ.
| What does it mean to you to be called a “Christian”? What about your life is truly Christian? That is, how differently do you live from non-Christians on the things that really matter? |
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The word "Christian" has always had stereotypes associated with it. There is some evidence that the term was first used as a form of mockery to designate the offshoot movement from the Jewish faith.
Today many unchurched folk often use the term as a form of derision. Currently in Australia we have just completed a Royal Commission into the coverup of sexual abuse in institutions. Much of the evidence was against the practice of Christian churches in placing the reputation of the church above the needs of the victims. It is small wonder that when you tell someone you are a Christian you get showered with accusations of hypocrisy or worse.
We need to claim back the original meaning of Christian - a follower of Christ. It is not a case of winning arguments and debates. It is not about protecting the reputation of the church. It is about following Jesus, openly and transparently.
We can only retrieve the primary meaning of Christian if we live like Jesus, even when it hurts us.
You are correct. Unfortunately, the christian church went to a totally different direction from its beginning. History tells it all. And after a long distance away from the real purpose of being called christian (all certainly closely watched by Christ Himself), God has been calling for His people everywhere, from "a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,..."(Rev 7:9).
Really, to be called christian may wrongly refers to a different meaning than its real meaning, but God is calling for people to wash their clothes in the Lamb's blood, to be impregnated with His power and to live a brilliant life! His call is being heard!
Your comment is right on point.
But we must not overlook the fact that Jesus Himself was God in human flesh and also sinless and flawless. But we as humans can never equal that pattern and also we need to be sanctified after we come to Jesus. And Sanctification is a work of a lifetime. So what does it really mean when we say that as Christians we need to live like Jesus lived? Jesus did not need a Saviour but we do.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35
The key message of Christianity is that we love one another as Christ loved us. It is spelled out over and over in the Gospels. And that means that we have to get the focus right. In the context of this discussion, that means that we care more for the individuals who have been hurt by the church system, than the reputation of the church or its public image.
We may not feed 5000 with some child's sack lunch, or raise someone to life who had been in the grave 4 days, but we can have the faith of Jesus, who surrendered His will completely that He might do the will of God in every word and action. This we are promised we can do through faith.
We can be perfectly and completely forgiven if we repent fully, and then by God's grace may "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;"(Titus 2:12). Study the Beatitudes closely and see what Jesus taught about this. Don't forget the last verse of Matt 5, which is part of this sermon. We can believe it or deny it, but Jesus spoke it.
There will never be found an excuse for even one sin.
I agree forgiveness means repent and repent means forgiveness. John the Baptist never said forgive and be forgiven and be baptized. I do believe because it was understood in his day that asking for forgiveness of God meant you were heart broken enough, and you were sorrowful enough for your sin to expect Him to “lead you not into temptation.” Matthew 6:9-13. If you ask, he is faithful and just to forgive you. 1 John 1:9.
In Antioch Barnabas was called a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
By his work many were added to the Lord
YET, Barnabas leaves to find Paul and brings him to Antioch.
They both stood and worked hard shoulder to shoulder establishing the church.
Barnabas understood the principles of working together in the ministry of the gospel.
Many want to break away from the church but it is not so in the working of the gospel.
We must plow together and encourage one another in the work of the Lord.
This gospel proclamation began with the prophetic calling will come to an end with the trumpet of the Lord. Amen
Isaiah 4:1 states: "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach." This prophecy speaks of the day when many shall take the name of Christ, while following their own desires and having a doctrine of their own reasoning that conforms with the world, which in most cases is contrary to the teaching and example of Jesus. It is such "christianity" that has brought much woe into the world, and at the very least, will mislead any soul who looks to others rather than to Christ.