Study #8 Acts 11:19-30
Recap
In our last study, we examined the conversion of Cornelius, which was the third conversion, in a trilogy of conversions. Luke gave special attention to these conversions because they show how the Gospel is moving beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. The good news of Jesus and the new community he is making is for everyone! There aren’t barriers like they used to be. The barren are blessed, the oppressor is welcomed with open arms, and the Gentiles are grafted in.
Each of these stories ends with an incredible conversion and baptism, as the outsiders are not welcomed in as part of the new family of God.
These conversions are best summarized by the disciple's words in 11:18, where we read “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
God’s spirit is on the move, bringing about repentance in all peoples. It is the best kind of repentance because it leads to life, or as Jesus would call it, an abundant life.
Introduction
Our reading this week is akin to a mid-season finale; it wraps up some of the current stories but also paves the way for what’s next. We get a glimpse at the results of Stephen’s martyrdom, we see the gospel preached by many unnamed people to Gentiles, we pick back up with the converted Saul, and for the first time, we see the name by which this group of people will be called throughout history - Christians.
The Greek word Christianos directly translates to mean “kinsman of the anointed.”
It is noteworthy to reflect on why the church was first given the name Christians here in the city of Antioch. As we have seen, up until this time, the church has been primarily comprised of Jews. The gospel message was the announcement that the thing the Jewish people had been waiting for (the coming of the Messiah and God’s kingdom) had arrived.
To the Gentiles looking in from the outside, they wouldn’t have understood that something different was happening; they would have just believed that these strange, peculiar people (the Israelites) were having a disagreement about theology and splintering off into factions based on their theological leanings.
The city of Antioch was a major metropolitan city. It was both extremely diverse and radically divided by its diversity. Much like our world today, it was divided by race, by socio-economic status, and by gender.
But it should be noted that at that time, most people tended to practice the religion of their culture. For the most part, Romans worshipped the gods of Rome and Egyptians the gods of Egypt. It’s important to remember that in most cases, you wouldn’t identify a person by their religion, but you would know their religion by their cultural heritage. They weren’t worshippers of Osiris; they were just Egyptians.
Then came the Gospel. As we have seen in the past few stories, the Gospel moves beyond culture, race, and nationality. The Gospel has no barriers. So as the gospel began to spread in Antioch, a racially diverse city, a problem began to arise. All these different cultures were intermingling. Eating with one another, moving beyond their cultural boundaries, and calling one another brothers and sisters, even though there could be no way for that to be true. So the name Christian was used to call those Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, and Jews who now intermixed in a way that had never been seen.
The God whom they worshipped was more important than the colour of their skin, their gender, how much money they had, or whether they were slaves or free. A whole new category for identity had to be made for these cross-cultural, inter-racial groups of Jesus followers.
The name Christian marked a whole new category of people - a holy (set apart) nation, you may say.
With that in mind, let’s dive into our reading for today.
Read Acts 11:19-30
(Remember - First read out loud, either one person reads the whole thing, or separate it by verses. After you read through the passage out loud, take a little bit of time to re-read it individually, noting and marking verses, words or phrases that stand out in the story.)
Three Quick Questions:
Is there anything that stands out to you as we read through the passage?
Did you learn anything new or surprising about Jesus or God’s character?
Are there any other stories or passages in the Bible that Luke may be subtly referencing? Why is Luke connecting this story to that passage?
Diving Deeper
In verses 19-21, we read of the spread of the gospel as a result of the persecution that broke out.
What do you find significant about how the Gospel message moves?
(Do you think it is important that Luke doesn’t share the names of any of the people who went out preaching the Gospel in this section? Why?)
What was it that helped the people have success in bringing people to the Lord?In verse 22, we read about how the church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas. This is actually the second time we have met Barnabas in Chapter 4. We meet Barnabas and learn that his real name is Joseph, but he was called “Son of Encouragement - Barnabas.” In this section, we see how Barnabas lives up to his name - he encourages them to remain true to the Lord.
What does this teach us about what the gospel needs to grow?
If you would like to share about some Barnabas in your life. What did they do to encourage your faith?In verse 25, we see that Barnabas goes and gets Saul, bringing him to Antioch.
Why do you think he did this?
Why couldn’t Barnabas just have done it alone?We mentioned earlier why the name Christian came about, but what do you think were the identifying marks of these early Christians?
How could we have the same identity markers today?In verses 28-30, we learn that a famine is about to hit the Roman world.
What is the disciples' response?
And what does it teach us about how the Gospel calls us to respond to natural disasters or other crises?
Benediction
Brothers and sisters, remember, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
For you were baptized into Christ
And have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Therefore, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for all of us are one in Christ Jesus.
So let us go into the world to love and serve the lord as Jesus’ hands and feet. Procliaming the gospel of the risen Lord in word and deed.
Amen
