235. THE GOSPEL SPREADS AMONG GENTILES

Barnabas "exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."

News of Peter's work with Gentiles was not well received by some at Jerusalem. They argued for the special privileges of the Jews and were critical of Peter associating with people whom they looked upon as being uncircumcised and therefore outside God's calling. Peter came to Jerusalem and carefully explained what had happened at the house of Cornelius. They could not argue against the evidence and accepted the fact that God had indeed called Gentiles to "repentance unto life".

The persecutions that had flared up at the time of the stoning of Stephen had one good effect. It helped rather than hindered the spread of the Gospel. Many brethren fled from Jerusalem to escape the persecutions, and carried with them the Gospel message. As Peter had said, "in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (ch. 10:35). Ecclesias sprang up in Gentile areas and in one city, Antioch, the Truth quickly prospered. Firstly Barnabas, then Saul used Antioch as a centre for the preaching of Christ to Gentiles.

Acts 11

PETER DEFENDS HIS ACTION IN BAPTISING CORNELIUS (verses 1-18).

Peter urged the six witnesses who had travelled with him from Joppa to Caesarea to continue with him to Jerusalem, that they could be called upon as eyewitnesses of what had happened.

No sooner had Peter met with the Ecclesia in Jerusalem than his critics accused him, "you visited and ate with the uncircumcised" (Acts 11:3). It was a charge that could not be lightly dismissed. The Jerusalem ecclesia was made up of Jewish believers and their Jewish upbringing made it difficult for them to accept what seemed to them to be a radical reversal of tradition. Peter could understand their concern, for he himself would have taken the same stand before the events at Caesarea had convinced him of God's calling going out to Gentiles.

So to an attentive audience, Peter carefully reported on his visit to the household of Cornelius. He explained in detail and in order what had happened. He appealed to the six witnesses who were with him to support the truthfulness of his report. He concluded by referring to the words of Christ, who had said that the time would come when he would baptise with the Holy Spirit. He described how the Holy Spirit "fell on them as on us at the beginning ... for as much then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (vv. 15-17).

His opponents could not answer that argument. Peter took the responsibility for the action from himself to God; so that if anybody wanted to argue the rights or wrongs of what had happened then they would have to argue with God!

This completely silenced the opposition. They quietened down and glorified God, saying: "then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (v.18).

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the controversy. The argument broke out again later and became like a wound that refused to heal. The apostle Paul was later constantly plagued by the same argument for Jewish privileges and exclusiveness.

PERSECUTION SPREADS THE GOSPEL (verses 19-21).

Wherever the brethren and sisters went, the Gospel was preached. They visited the synagogues and proclaimed salvation in a risen Christ. Some of them who were from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and found that their preaching was well received by Gentiles as well — so much so that we read, "the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" (v.21). Here was more evidence of God's hand reaching out to Gentiles. The response was expanding. It had started with a centurion of Caesarea, now it was gaining a foothold in the Grecian city of Antioch.

BARNABAS AND SAUL (verses 22-26).

It did not take long for news of these developments to reach the Jerusalem ecclesia. It was decided to send Barnabas to the new ecclesias scattered in the northern region and especially to Antioch. He would supervise the preaching work and if necessary call for assistance to be supplied from Jerusalem.

Barnabas was an ideal choice for the work. He would be familiar with the region, having been born in Cyprus (Acts 4:36). More than that, he was a warm-hearted brother who had shown generosity in giving to the poor in Jerusalem and courage in introducing the newly converted Saul to the ecclesia at Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). When he arrived at Antioch, he was immediately impressed with the growth of the Truth in that city. He knew from Peter's report that God was indeed calling Gentiles and here, in Antioch, was further evidence of that fact. He therefore rejoiced at the evidence of the grace of God shown in the growing number of converts to the Gospel.

He "exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (v.23). Barnabas was encouraging them to make their ac­ceptance of God's call a lifelong decision. Their new life in Christ's service had to have a definite objective. They were to be men and women with an ambition to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to seek first the Kingdom of God. If they did that then they would "cleave unto the Lord", which means to "abide with" the Lord and not to drift back to the hopelessness of the world from which they had come.

The example of Barnabas encouraged the new members of the ecclesia. It was not just his exhortation but his enthusiasm for the preaching of Christ that greatly assisted them. He was good in character, strong in faith, and keen in the activities of the Truth. Full of the Holy Spirit, he gave himself to the preaching work and as a result, "much people were added unto the Lord" (v. 24).

Barnabas was quick to realise that Antioch was becoming a fruitful centre for the preaching of the Gospel. The opportunities were there for the Truth to advance, but help was needed. And so he turned for help to Saul who had left Jerusalem for Tarsus. Barnabas travelled the short distance to Tarsus and finding Saul, brought him back to Antioch. Together they threw themselves into the work of preaching. For a full year they laboured together, teaching and building up the new ecclesia. Soon a large company of brethren and sisters developed. In Antioch they became known as the ecclesia of the Christ, or Christians. That title was given to the followers of Christ in the first century and served to identify the ecclesia from the erroneous religious beliefs surrounding them. Unfortunately that title does not represent the Truth today. Many churches claim to be Christian but they do not believe the Truth that was believed by the first century brethren and sisters. That is why we prefer to be known as "ecclesias", to identify ourselves with apostolic beliefs. We are called out of the religious confusion that is in Christendom today. And more than being separated from error, we dedicate ourselves to this precious Truth by a cleaving unto the Lord with purpose of heart.

FAMINE PREDICTED: HELP SENT BY BARNABAS & SAUL (verses 27-30).

An event occurred which gave the new Gentile believers an opportunity to show their love to their Jewish brethren.

A Spirit-guided prophet named Agabus prophesied a great famine throughout the world. This came to pass in A.D. 44 in the reign of Claudius Caesar. The ecclesia at Antioch realised that the poorer brethren and sisters in Judaea would be severely affected by the famine. They decided to take up a collection to help their Jewish brethren and sisters, and they called upon Barnabas and Saul to take their gift to Jerusalem.

So once again, Saul found himself back in the city of Jerusalem. But this time he was the bearer of good tidings about the advancement of the Truth amongst the Gentiles and as a token of the new Gentile believers' love for their Jewish brethren, he was also the bearer of a gift. Saul was on an errand of mercy, designed to bind the Gentile and Jewish ecclesias more closely together.

LESSONS FOR US:

Peter had reported the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles with the appeal that God had shown clear signs of His approval of Cornelius, and who was he, that he, Peter "could withstand God". With that his critics glorified God that the Gentiles were "granted repentance unto life". We too should glorify God that as Gentiles the call of God has reached out to us so that we might show repentance and enter upon the only way to life.

Persecutions caused the Gospel to spread as far a field as Antioch where it flourished. Under the capable and encouraging hands of Barnabas and Saul the new Gentile ecclesia grew. We like them, are given the exhortation to not only heed the call of God but to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart. If that attitude is shown by a community of believers, the ecclesia will grow in size and strength in the Lord.

The community of believers in Antioch became known as Christians which should not be applied to our ecclesias today, as it may be confused with the churches of Christendom who do not have the beliefs of the first century ecclesias. We are "ecclesias", called-out ones, believing the same precious gospel as did Barnabas, Saul and the Gentile brethren and sisters of Antioch.

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield)—Vol. 13, pp. 89-92

"Paul the Apostle" (W. H. Boulton)—Ch..5, pp. 32-37

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. a) Describe the visit of Barnabas to Antioch.

b) Describe the appeal of Barnabas to the new converts at Antioch.

2. How did the ecclesia at Antioch respond to the prophecy of Agabus?

3. The believers in Antioch became known as Christians. Why do we prefer to use the term "ecclesias" today?

ESSAY QUESTION:

1. Describe the work of Barnabas and Saul at Antioch. In your answer bring out the exhortations applicable to us.