Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Acts Chapter 11 mean?

Acts 11 continues the story of how the good news about Jesus came to the Gentiles and how the work of the apostle Paul begins. It’s a difficult transition. Hundreds of years before, the Jewish exiles in Babylon had managed to return with their religion and cultural identity mostly intact. Since that time, their land had seen several foreign rulers, including Antiochus Epiphanes who tried to destroy Judaism and all Jewish culture. He banned observance of their religion and sacrificed unclean animals on their altar. This led to the Maccabean revolt and renewed passion for keeping the Jewish law—especially the parts that included separation from Gentiles.

In Acts 11:1–18, Peter recounts to the church leaders in Jerusalem the events of Acts 10. God led Peter to a Gentile in Caesarea Maritima, a devout God-follower, who was ready to hear the news about salvation through Jesus. Peter had barely gotten started explaining to the man and his houseful of guests about Jesus when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles. Seeing no other option, Peter had them baptized into the church. The church leaders accept Peter’s account and the witnesses of the six men with him. In the next few years (Acts 15:1–35), the church leaders will have to figure out exactly what it means to worship with Gentiles.

Acts 11:19–26 gives the account of even more Gentiles coming to faith. When Saul persecuted the church in Jerusalem, the Jesus-followers fled (Acts 8:1–4). Many of them took the story of Jesus with them. Some Jews from Cyprus, an island south of modern-day Turkey, and Cyrene, in Libya, shared the way of salvation with Gentiles in Syrian Antioch, a major city near the Mediterranean coast where Syria meets Turkey. When the leaders of the church in Jerusalem hear, they send Barnabas to find out more. He realizes that many Gentiles do have faith in Christ—so many he needs help to teach them. Tarsus, where the disciples sent Saul after he’d come to faith and others were seeking to kill him (Acts 9:26–30), is just west of Antioch. Barnabas sends for Saul, and Saul’s work among the Gentiles begins.

Acts 11:27–30 seems like an unrelated addition, at first. Agabus, a prophet, travels from Jerusalem to Syrian Antioch and tells the young church there will be a major famine. The church in Antioch determines to support the church in Jerusalem. The story is more relevant than it appears. The chapter largely gives the origin story of Paul’s ministry. In many of the churches he traveled to, he exhorted the people to raise funds for the originating church in Jerusalem. Not only did the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem face this famine, the members had already sold what they had (Acts 4:32–37), and the church leaders no longer worked their trades as they once had. This little story tells us why even though Paul worked to support himself if doing so helped spread the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:7–9), he often exhorted the churches to raise money for the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–28; 2 Corinthians 8:1–6).

Acts 11 is the beginning of the transition of attention from the disciples, particularly Peter, to Paul. In Acts 12, James the brother of John is killed: the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred and the only one to have his death recorded in Scripture (Acts 12:1–2). Peter is arrested and an angel frees him (Acts 12:3–19) and Herod Agrippa I dies because he accepts worship appropriate only for God (Acts 12:20–25). From Acts 13 on, Peter is mentioned only once more, reiterating the story of the conversion of the Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima at a hearing requested by Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:7–11). The rest of the book of Acts records Paul’s evangelism to the Gentiles.

Chapter Context
Until the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), the story of Jesus’ followers remained mostly in Jerusalem. Saul started persecuting the church and the members fled, taking Jesus’ story with them. This included Philip who shared Jesus’ story with Samaritans and an Ethiopian official (Acts 8). Saul’s persecution even led to his own conversion (Acts 9). And Peter brought the gospel to a group of Gentiles (Acts 10). After one more story about Peter and rising persecution by the Roman government, the book of Acts will turn to Saul, who will use the Greek variation of his name, Paul, and his missionary journeys to southeast Europe.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

Jesus told the disciples they would bear Him witness in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost, thousands of Jews from all over the Roman empire heard Jesus’ story and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). After a mob murdered Stephen and Saul began his persecution, the Jesus-followers fled Jerusalem and took Jesus’ story into Judea, Samaria, and parts far north (Acts 7:54—8:4).

It has been perhaps ten years since Jesus’ ascension, and the church was still comprised of almost only those of Jewish ethnicity—until a Roman centurion received instruction from an angel to call for Peter to explain how to receive approval from God. As Peter shared Jesus’ story, the Holy Spirit fell on the centurion and his friends and family.

Word has gotten out. Peter may be the foremost of Jesus’ closest twelve followers, but the division between Jew and Gentile is hundreds of years old and not easily breached. He will have to answer to the home church in Jerusalem for what he did (1 Peter 3:15–16).

“Word” is from the Greek root word logos which means an idea, a doctrine, or a message. John 1:1 identifies Jesus as the Word of God. Here, before the New Testament books had been widely spread, the “word of God” does not explicitly imply written Scripture; it refers to the total message God means to give mankind. This includes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Savior, that He resurrected after His death, and that He is the core of salvation.

Context Summary
Acts 11:1–18 describes Peter defending his actions in Acts 10. The Holy Spirit led him to share Jesus’ story with a house filled with Gentiles. As he had barely started, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles and Peter had them baptized into the church. Now, he has returned to the church in Jerusalem and has some explaining to do. Despite Peter being the most prominent of Jesus’ twelve disciples, the legalistic Jews have already gained significant influence in the church. It’s a good reminder we must always follow God and be ready to defend our response to His leading.

Verse 2. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying,

Until this point, probably less than ten years after Jesus ascended into heaven, the church has been comprised of almost all Jews and proselytes. Philip did evangelize a town in Samaria, and Peter and John validated their salvation (Acts 8:4–25). And Philip converted an Ethiopian official on his way home (Acts 8:26–40). Yet these were mostly examples of Gentiles seeking out the gospel, rather than Jewish Christians introducing them to it. For the most part, the church members practice Judaism. They believe Jesus is the Messiah and see Jesus-worship as a natural extension of their native faith.

Of the two major Jewish sects, Pharisees had an easier time accepting Jesus because the Sadducees categorically denied the resurrection of the dead. However, they maintained their rigid legalism and adherence to the Mosaic law. Those known as the “circumcision party” were probably originally Pharisees. They had a hard time accepting that Gentiles could be accepted into the church without also converting fully to Judaism—that is, the males would have to be circumcised. They held these beliefs so tightly, they dared to attack Peter, the preeminent apostle of the church. Later, they will have even more trouble with Paul (Galatians 2:11–14; Philippians 3:2; Titus 1:10).

The “circumcision party’s” hesitancy in accepting that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not from works (Ephesians 2:8–9) causes major disruptions in the early church (Acts 15). But their resistance also gives the early church leaders the opportunity to solidify the importance of grace in Christian theology. Considering Jesus’ harsh words and warnings to the Pharisees during His public ministry (Matthew 23:1–36), it’s only by the grace of God any of them were saved to begin with.

Verse 3. “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Peter has returned to Jerusalem after witnessing the Holy Spirit fall on a houseful of Gentiles (Acts 10:44–48). The scene is reminiscent of Pentecostwhen the Holy Spirit first fell on Peter and dozens of other Jesus-followers (Acts 2:1–4). Now, Peter has returned to the church in Jerusalem where he is being accosted for his actions.

By this time, Jews of every spiritual variety have accepted that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe He brings forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. Some of these converts are still very legalistic Jews, often referred to as “the circumcision party” (Acts 11:2). They may be former Pharisees. They don’t necessarily have a problem with Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit, but they do object to the idea of Gentiles remaining Gentiles, rather than also converting to Judaism. Specifically, they want Gentiles to be circumcised and to follow a kosher diet.

Peter is familiar with these beliefs: he held them as well until very recently (Acts 10). God sent him a vision of different types of animals—some allowed to be consumed as food by the Mosaic law and some not—as a metaphor to teach him that Gentiles are welcome to the church as they are. The moment the vision ended, three Gentiles arrived where he was staying and invited him to visit a Roman centurion. Peter greeted the centurion with the somewhat ungracious explanation: “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28).

In Judaism, what you eat, how you eat, and who you eat with have serious theological implications. The Pharisees were horrified when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15–17) and when the disciples didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:1–5). Jesus explained that food goes in one end and out the other—it can’t make you unclean. And He wasn’t afraid to eat with those Judaism considered “unclean,” like tax-collectors and other “sinners.” It is the heart that determines if a person is unclean.

This discussion will continue. Paul and Barnabas—and Peter—will have to fight for the rights of the Gentiles to retain their non-Jewishness in a council in Jerusalem. The council will decide to ask Gentile believers to refrain from sexual immorality and food that has been sacrificed to idols or that still has blood (Acts 15:19–21). The decision has less to do with what is required of the Gentiles and more about what would bring enough peace that Jewish believers would feel comfortable eating with Gentile believers. Even Peter will forget that Jesus died to reconcile sinners to God, but also people to each other (Galatians 2:11–14; Romans 11).

Verse 4. But Peter began and explained it to them in order:

Peter is the most noted of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He seems to be responsible for the largest number of Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Acts 2). He is not the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, but he holds a lot of authority. But he and the members of the Jerusalem church are also Jews. That is, they practice the same tenets of Judaism which they’ve always held. They see Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, and they consider Jesus’ teaching, sacrifice, and resurrection to be the fulfillment of the promises of Judaism.

This is why the Holy Spirit had to give Peter an elaborate vision and a direct order before he would go with three strangers to the home of a Gentile (Acts 10:9–20). Under the traditions and rules which grew from Old Testament laws, Jews do not mix with Gentiles. They do not visit them or have close friendships, and they especially don’t eat with them. Peter did follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. He entered the home of a Roman centurion and found a houseful of attentive listeners. Because of Peter’s obedience, those Gentiles accepted Jesus as their Savior and received the Holy Spirit.

When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the legalistic Jewish Jesus-followers, called “the circumcision party,” were critical (Acts 11:2). The “circumcision party” did right by directly addressing their concerns (Acts 11:3). Peter did better by graciously explaining (1 Peter 3:15–16). Both sides valued unity enough to listen to each other. That commitment to unity led to a resolved conflict (Acts 11:18).

Like Peter, here, our actions should be honorable and Spirit-led enough that a straightforward explanation is all it takes to clear things up. And we should be open to the Spirit’s leading and admit when we’re wrong.

Verse 5. “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.

Peter is in Jerusalem, explaining to the church why he ate with Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima. He starts his story in Joppa, where he had been called to raise Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36–43). He was staying at the home of a tanner named Simon and went to the rooftop to pray. Simon lived in Joppa, near modern-day Tel Aviv. In this verse, Peter is specifically repeating the events given in Acts 10:9–11.

On the sheet are several different types of animals, including reptiles and carrion birds which the Mosaic law forbids as food (Acts 11:6). A voice tells him to kill and eat. When Peter refuses, the voice tells him God has made unclean things clean (Acts 10:12–15).

Vision is from the Greek root word horama. It typically means the image of a prophecy one sees while still awake, like Peter and the sheet of non-kosher food (Acts 10:9–16). Dreams is translated from the Greek root word enypnion and essentially means a prophecy received while sleeping. Prophesy is from the Greek root word prophēteuō. It means “to declare information given by revelation from God.”

Peter’s vision taught him that as Jesus had declared all food clean (Mark 7:19), He likewise declared all people clean—not that all are saved, but that no person should be thought of as spiritually “unclean” and beyond God’s salvation. Peter should welcome all the people from the four corners of the world—or sheet—to his table. In the church, the strict segregation of Jew and Gentile is nullified (Romans 10:12).

Verse 6. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.

Peter is relating a vision he had to the church leaders in Jerusalem. He had been in Joppa, near modern-day Tel Aviv, on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner. While praying, he got hungry and asked for some food. Before it arrived, he had a vision of a large sheet drifting down from heaven (Acts 10:9–11).

The original account in Acts 10:12 merely says the sheet had “all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air”; Acts 10:14 infers some of them were not allowed as food per the Mosaic law (Leviticus 11). Here, Peter gets more specific. The law forbids pretty much every meat-eating animal, including carrion birds and birds of prey, anything with paws, and pigs. The law also forbids “the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon” (Leviticus 11:29–30).

When Peter was traveling with Jesus, he saw the Pharisees criticize Jesus and His disciples several times for their eating habits. First, because Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors (Mark 2:15–17). Another time because the disciples were plucking wheat kernels on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28). And again, because the disciples didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before they ate (Mark 7:1–5).

The “circumcision party” that is questioning Peter about why he ate with Gentiles are probably former Pharisees who now worship Jesus (Acts 11:2). In fact, they may still consider themselves Pharisees, since Jesus-worship is the natural fulfillment of Judaism. If Peter, who watched Jesus interact with Pharisees and their overly rigid food laws, needed a vision to understand the kosher laws are lifted, these legalistic Jewish-Jesus-followers are going to need a lot more convincing.

Verse 7. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’

To this point, the church in Jerusalem is made of Jews and proselytes to the Jewish religion. The “Hellenists” mentioned in Acts 6:1 are not ethnically Greek; they’re Jews who lived outside of the traditionally Jewish regions of Judea and Galilee. Hellenized Jews were more familiar with the Greek language and culture. Many of the people who heard Peter preach on the day of Pentecost had similar backgrounds (Acts 2:7–11).

The “uncircumcised” with whom Peter ate in Caesarea Maritima, however, were Gentiles. Their host was Cornelius, “a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort” (Acts 10:1). That means Cornelius and at least some of his soldiers, friends, and family are Roman. Jews do not eat with Gentiles. Although Jesus had told the disciples they would be His witnesses “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8), they didn’t really understand that meant Gentiles would be part of the church.

So, when Peter was praying on a rooftop, waiting for a meal, God gave him a vision of a sheet lowering from heaven containing all types of animals, some clean and some very much against the Mosaic law regarding food. Peter is explaining to the church leadership that God told him to eat these unclean animals. After the vision, when three messengers came to take Peter to Cornelius, Peter realized the vision was about the food, but it was also about people with whom he ate the food. Both the food laws and the laws against associating with Gentiles are lifted; it’s hard to say which revelation is hardest for people like Peter to accept (Acts 10:9–23).

Verse 8. But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

Peter is with the church leaders in Jerusalem, defending himself against charges that he ate with uncircumcised men—Gentiles. The charges are true, but there are extenuating circumstances.

Peter had been in Joppa, now called Jaffa, praying on the rooftop of a tanner named Simon. He fell into a trance and watched as a sheet filled with different kinds of animals lowered from heaven. Some of the animals were carnivores and reptiles, which are forbidden for Jews as food. A voice told him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter refused. He had never eaten any food that violated the laws given in Deuteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11, and he had no intention of starting (Acts 10:9–16).

“Common” comes from the Greek root word koinos. As Peter uses the term, it means something crass, low class, or unrefined. It’s also used for anything that hasn’t been dedicated for use in worshiping God. “Unclean” is from the Greek root word akathartos. Things that are unclean do not adhere to the Levitical law; in the case of food, they aren’t kosher. “Unclean” doesn’t mean sinful; many unpreventable physical conditions made a person unclean. But since the Babylonians took the Jews into exile and then Antiochus Epiphanes tried to destroy Judaism and Jewish culture, the Jews became very careful about obeying the Mosaic law. Even though Peter follows Jesus, he’s still a Jew.

Verse 9. But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’

In this echo of Acts 10:15, God is telling Peter that the food laws are lifted (Mark 7:19). God had presented Peter with a selection of animals to eat, including many which the Mosaic law forbade. Peter refused, saying he had never eaten anything unclean and he wasn’t about to start. To him, he was still a Jew. Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and worshiping Him was the fulfillment of Judaism. As far as Peter was concerned, the Mosaic law still stood (Acts 10:9–16).

God wasn’t only talking about food, however. He was talking about whom Peter should eat food with. As soon as the vision finished, Peter was invited to another city to share Jesus’ story with a room filled with Gentiles. According to tradition, Peter shouldn’t have even entered the house. But he understood from the vision that God had declared these Gentiles clean, and he was not to question God’s decision (Acts 10:19–33). Later, he will say that God “made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). It is by grace we are saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). It is not by our actions, our diets, or our ethnicities. If we have accepted Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, we are made clean.

This is important for us to remember. Earlier, Jesus had defended His disciples when the Pharisees attacked them for not ceremonially washing their hands before eating. Jesus pointed out that food, which goes in one end and out the other, cannot make a person unclean with God. Darkened, sinful hearts that result in sinful attitudes and actions make a person unfit to worship God (Mark 7:1–23). If the language may be excused, no amount of “excrement” we do, say, feel, or experience can make us unclean if God has declared us clean through the sacrifice of His Son. If we have accepted salvation through Jesus, we will never be unclean again.

Verse 10. This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

Peter is in Jerusalem, explaining to the church leaders why he ate with a houseful of Gentiles. He begins by describing a vision God gave him. He had been on a rooftop of the home of a friend, praying. He fell into a trance and saw a sheet lowering from heaven. On the sheet were all kinds of animals. God’s voice told him to kill and eat; Peter refused as some of the animals were not allowed as food according to the Mosaic law. God responded that He had made them clean and His judgments were not Peter’s to question (Acts 10:9–16). Perhaps in an homage to Peter’s three denials of Jesus (Mark 14:66–72) and the three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him (John 21:15–19), the vision occurs three times before the sheet is lifted to heaven (Acts 10:16).

That the sheet came from heaven and returned to heaven may be significant. The lesson Peter is learning is very difficult for a devout Jew—to set aside an important section of the Mosaic law (Leviticus 11). Peter still considers himself a Jew, albeit one who has met the Messiah. That the food comes from and returns to heaven may give evidence that God is providing it. Peter quickly realizes that while God is declaring all foods clean, He’s also declaring all people clean: devout Jews, as well as Gentiles who accept Jesus as their Savior. After all, the Mosaic law never saved, it just pointed to the fact that we all need a Savior (Hebrews 9:13–15).

Verse 11. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea.

Peter is in the middle of telling the story of a vision he had, one which resulted in the unprecedented act of a Jewish apostle eating with Gentiles. God had explained to Peter that the Mosaic laws against eating certain foods has been annulled. As Jesus had said, food merely goes in the mouth and comes out the other end; it is the heart that contains the foolish, evil, and selfish attitudes that make a person unclean (Mark 7:14–23).

God gave Peter a vision to tell him the Mosaic laws regarding clean and unclean food are revoked (Acts 10:9–16). Barely had the vision finished when three strangers came to the house where Peter was staying. They had come to Joppa, near modern-day Tel Aviv, from Caesarea Maritima, thirty-five miles north. One was a soldier, assigned to a cohort in King Agrippa I’s capital city. Cornelius, a centurion, had sent them after being instructed by an angel (Acts 10:1–8, 17–23).

Years before, Peter had watched as Jewish elders approached Jesus with a similar request. A centurion, who was well respected by the Jewish community, needed Jesus to heal his servant. The centurion represented the Roman empire and the pagan Gentiles who occupied the land promised by God to Abraham’s descendants. Jesus, so Peter thought, was the Jewish Messiah come to raise an army and defeat all who oppressed the Jews. But Jesus willingly healed the servant and even praised the centurion’s faith (Luke 7:1–10).

Peter followed the Holy Spirit’s direction and followed the men to the centurion’s house not to heal a broken body but to share the story of Jesus with a houseful of people (Acts 10:17–43). As he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, and Jesus healed their eternal hearts (Acts 10:44–48). Peter didn’t eat with “uncircumcised men”; he ate with fellow Jesus-followers.

Verse 12. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man ‘s house.

By this time, the Jewish leaders of the church in Jerusalem must be on the edge of their seats. Ultra-legalistic Jesus-followers have charged Peter with the “crime” of eating with Gentiles (Acts 11:2). At that point in history, the church may follow Jesus, but they were still Jews who worshipped a Jewish Messiah and, so far as they know, the Mosaic law still stands in full effect.

Peter has told them how God sent him a vision when he was praying on the rooftop of a tanner named Simon in Joppa. The vision explained that the laws about what foods are allowed has been rescinded. The moment the vision ended, three men from Caesarea Maritima, thirty-five miles north, arrived and requested Peter return with them to the home of a centurion named Cornelius. It’s possible Peter worried Jesus’ prophecy about Peter’s crucifixion is about to come true (John 21:18–19). But the Holy Spirit tells Peter to go without quibbling or delaying (Acts 10:9–23).

Jewish Jesus-followers from Joppa came with Peter and witnessed what happened (Acts 10:45). Fortunately, they came to Jerusalem, as well. In Jewish law, two witnesses are required for testimony to be considered proved; Peter didn’t seem to come with anyone from Jerusalem in this trip. Having the six from Joppa with him gives credibility to his story.

Verse 13. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;

The story of Cornelius and the angel is important. All Scripture is meaningful and preserved for a reason (2 Timothy 3:16–17). However, this particular story is recounted three times in the Word of God. Peter is in Jerusalem relating how a centurion named Cornelius had told him about his vision in Caesarea Maritima. Cornelius is Roman but worships the Jewish God and is well respected for his giving nature and his constant prayer. An angel came and told him to call for Peter, who was thirty-five miles south in Joppa, to hear what he had to say (Acts 10:3–6). He did so, Peter came, and Cornelius told him about the angel’s message (Acts 10:30–32).

Peter is telling Cornelius’ story to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Some of the “circumcision party”—Jewish Jesus-followers who are still legalistic regarding the Mosaic law—have condemned Peter for eating with Gentiles. Peter is explaining why he did so: Jesus sent him a vision, the Holy Spirit told him to go, and an angel told Cornelius to send for him (Acts 11:1–12). That’s a pretty strong defense.

Peter adds more of the angel’s message than what is recorded in the original story in Acts 10. The angel tells Cornelius that Peter will explain how Cornelius and his household can be saved (Acts 11:14). It’s very possible that at this time, Philip the evangelist is in Caesarea (Acts 8:40). But sharing Jesus’ story “to the end of the earth” is the responsibility of the twelve apostles (Acts 1:8). It was Peter who preached to the Greek-cultured Jews on Pentecost (Acts 2) and who, along with John, validated the faith of the Samaritans with whom Philip shared the gospel (Acts 8:14–17). So, it is Peter who brought the salvation of Jesus to a houseful of Gentiles.

Verse 14. he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

The earliest Christians were Jews and proselytes to Judaism. When they accepted the story of Jesus they did so as Jews. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah who has come to fulfill the Mosaic law and bring the promises God made to Abraham and David to fruition (Hebrews 8:6–8; Matthew 5:17). It may be surprising to think of it this way, but of all the sects of ancient Judaism, the truths Jesus taught most closely aligned with the beliefs of the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and other spiritual ideas, while the Sadducees did not. Before Christ was resurrected, the close-but-not-the-same nature of His teaching might have been one reason they so bitterly opposed Jesus. After Christ rose, members of the Pharisees were better able to accept it than other groups.

But just as Peter had a hard time giving up the laws on what was allowable to eat, Pharisee Jesus-followers found it agonizing to let go of their extreme devotion to the law and to the extra-scriptural regulations. For instance, throughout the New Testament, they insist that Gentiles who wish to follow Jesus must also become Jews by being circumcised. So, when they hear Peter has eaten with uncircumcised Gentiles, they question him strongly (Acts 11:2–3).

Peter’s explanation shows God does not expect Gentiles to become practicing Jews. An angel told Cornelius, a Roman centurion, to call for Peter who would tell him and his household how to be saved. Peter had barely started talking about how Jesus had risen from the dead and commissioned the disciples to share his story when the Holy Spirit came on Cornelius and the friends and family he had gathered to hear Peter (Acts 10:34–44). The Gentiles had not converted to Judaism, the men were not circumcised, Peter had not laid his hands on them, and they had not been baptized. But the Holy Spirit is entirely uninterested in the loopholes the legalistic Jews have set up.

Verse 15. As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.

Peter returned from an amazing experience in Caesarea Maritima to Jerusalem just to be accused of eating with uncircumcised Gentiles (Acts 11:2–3). The charges are true, but the circumstances are extraordinary. And the act, itself, is not a sin in any sense. Peter explains how he was praying on a rooftop in Joppa when he received a vision wherein God told him the Mosaic laws against eating certain foods has been nullified. Immediately after the vision ended, three strangers invited Peter to visit with a Roman centurion, Cornelius, in Caesarea. Peter and six Jewish Jesus-followers from Joppa went to Cornelius and found a houseful of Gentiles ready to hear the story of Jesus (Acts 10:1–33).

Peter explained to Cornelius’ guests that God sent Jesus to the Jews, but he realizes Jesus is for anyone of any nation willing to accept him. He also told of how Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and ministered throughout Judea and Galilee before being crucified. Cornelius and his guests knew this much (Acts 10:34–39).

As a soldier, Cornelius would have heard the rumors about the empty tomb. The soldiers tasked with securing the stone over the doorway (Matthew 27:62–66) lost all executive function when the angels arrived (Matthew 28:4). The priests bribed them to say the disciples stole Jesus’ body (Matthew 28:11–15). There’s no telling what part of this Cornelius was familiar with, but Peter explained that Jesus rose from the dead and then He met with some of His followers and told them to teach others about Him (Acts 10:40–43).

At this point, the Holy Spirit came down on Cornelius, his friends, and his family. He came down without Peter laying his hands on them and gave them the ability to speak other languages, as He had for the Jesus-followers “at the beginning” on Pentecost (Acts 2:4; 10:44–46). Yes, Peter ate with uncircumcised Gentiles, but these were full-fledged members of the church.

Verse 16. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

Peter is defending his decision to eat with Gentiles. He explains that he’d been invited to tell them about Jesus, when suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them. It’s as if Peter is saying, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t baptize them or lay hands on them—the Holy Spirit just showed up!”

Whether correctly or not, Peter assumed the Gentiles knew of John’s baptism (Acts 10:37). John’s baptism was a call to repent of one’s sins and choose to follow God. John’s ministry was extremely popular; Apollos knew of it (Acts 18:24–28) as did twelve men in Ephesus (Acts 19:1–7). Judaism was a single religion with several different sects and many teachers within those sects. When a person accepted the teachings of a sect—such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, or Essenes—or found a teacher they felt convicted to follow, they would be baptized by being submerged in water.

The Greek baptizō means “to be submerged in water,” but it is also used to refer to “being overwhelmed.” While John convicted his audience to repent from their sins, he also mentioned that although he baptized with water, the Messiah was coming and would baptize His followers with the fire of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). Jesus reiterated this to the disciples after the resurrection (Acts 1:5), and the Holy Spirit came, with tongues of fire, on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). Fire can represent a sacrifice consumed by flames to God (Leviticus 9:24; Romans 12:1) or God’s purifying work that removes our sins (1 Peter 1:7).

The Gentiles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit before Peter had laid hands on them or baptized them in water (Acts 10:44). God chooses whom He will save and, as Peter says next, “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:17).

Verse 17. If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God ‘s way?”

Legalistic Jewish Jesus-followers are angry at Peter for eating with uncircumcised Gentiles (Acts 11:2–3). After giving the background information as to why he was even in the same house with them (Acts 11:4–14), Peter explains that he had barely begun to tell them about Jesus when the Holy Spirit came on them. He simply obeyed God’s orders; he had nothing to do with the Holy Spirit’s choices (Acts 10:9–46).

The “gift” here certainly includes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but it also includes the spiritual gift of tongues. “Tongues” does not mean an original language no one else can understand. It means a real, earthly language the speaker doesn’t normally know. Like the Jesus-followers on Pentecost (Acts 2:4), the Gentiles were spontaneously able to speak other languages when the Holy Spirit came on them (Acts 10:46). Today, the news about Jesus has spread all over the world to all major languages, so the gift of tongues is no longer needed (1 Corinthians 13:8). But watching the Gentiles speak in tongues and praise God convinced Peter and his witnesses that they had, indeed, received the Holy Spirit.

In the next verse, at least some of Peter’s audience begin praising God for including the Gentiles in the gospel. Others seem to simply go silent—likely, these legalistic accusers, called the “circumcision party” (Acts 11:2). This faction believes no Gentile should be accepted as following the Jewish Messiah unless they first become a practicing Jew, specifically by being circumcised. They were likely Pharisees before they came to a saving faith in Jesus. Despite having watched Jesus minister to Gentiles and regularly condemn Pharisees throughout His three-year ministry, and despite being the foremost of Jesus’ disciples, Peter is still intimidated. Later, when legalistic Jesus-followers arrive at Syrian Antioch, Peter will stop eating with the Gentiles and face Paul’s anger (Galatians 2:11–14). Ironically, Paul had been the most zealous Pharisee-trainee of all (Philippians 3:4–6).

It can be difficult to truly turn away from the world’s standards. It can be even harder to overcome culture and tradition masquerading as religion. There is pain involved when we face the condemnation of those who refuse to be free. It helps when we can say with all assurance that we are obeying God.

Verse 18. When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The reason Peter ate with Gentiles is because they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and received the Holy Spirit as evidenced by their spontaneous ability to speak in other languages. When Peter saw the incontrovertible evidence of their acceptance into God’s kingdom, he had them baptized into the church (Acts 10:44–48). This is the explanation he has given to those who objected to his eating with “unclean” people (Acts 11:2–17).

It’s likely this verse describes two different groups. The first group, who fell silent and likely stayed that way, is probably the “circumcision party” who first charged Peter with breaking the Mosaic law by eating with the uncircumcised Gentiles (Acts 11:2–3). These men were most likely Pharisees before they believed in Jesus. It seems this group caused a great deal of trouble in the early church. They insisted Gentiles could only join the church and worship the Jewish Messiah if they became Jews by being circumcised. Later, Paul will find them so wearisome he will call them mutilators of the flesh (Philippians 3:2) and declare they should just go all the way and castrate themselves (Galatians 5:12).

The other group, likely the other disciples and James the brother of Jesus, see this as a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to bless the nations through him (Genesis 26:4). They know that heaven celebrates more for a repentant Gentile than a “holy” Jew (Luke 15:7). Jesus had told them His good news should first be spread in Jerusalem, but His followers should take the message to the world (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), and that, yes salvation is from the Jews, but it is for the world (Romans 1:16).

Verse 19. Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

Through this point in the book of Act, Luke (Acts 1:1) has focused on Jerusalem with a few forays into Judea and Samaria. Now, the action starts to move north. There are fourteen minor and two major cities named “Antioch.” The other mentioned in Scripture is in the district of Pisidia in the middle of modern-day Asia Minor. This one is in Syria, just south of the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea. At the time described in this passage, Syrian Antioch is the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. It is a good place for traders from the east to find a ship and avoid the mountain ranges that litter the land route to the west. And it has a large population of Jews.

Phoenicia is the coastal area that includes the city-states Tyre and Sidon. It is north of Galilee, in the thin strip between the Mediterranean and the coastal range. Cyprus is still Cyprus—the large island west of Syria and south of Asia-Minor. It is the home of Barnabas (Acts 4:36–37) and the first stop on Barnabas and Paul’s upcoming missionary trip (Acts 13:4–12).

The persecution started with the deacon Stephen. He learned about Jesus in Jerusalem but was apparently a “Hellenist:” a devout Jew who lived somewhere else in the Roman empire, lived a Greek lifestyle, and probably spoke more Greek than Hebrew or Aramaic. Note that “Hellenists” in the following verse will be used slightly differently, referring more broadly to Greek-speakers and in context to Gentiles. Stephen was a powerful apologist and debated the other Hellenists in Jerusalem (Acts 6:8–15). He was so influential, in fact, that he enraged his opponents and they killed him (Acts 7:54–60).

After Stephen’s death, a young Pharisee student, Saul, got permission from the Sanhedrin to persecute the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1, 3). As the believers fled, they shared Jesus’ story and more people came to faith. Saul followed the Jesus-followers north to Damascus, but along the way he met Jesus. He became a believer and eventually returned to Jerusalem. Paul preached boldly and disputed with the Hellenists as Stephen had done, and the Hellenists sought to kill Sau, so the disciples sent him back home to Tarsus, west of Syrian Antioch on the southern coast of modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 9).

Context Summary
Acts 11:19–26 continues the inauguration of the international church. While Peter is in Caesarea Maritima leading a houseful of Gentiles to faith in Jesus (Acts 10) and then in Jerusalem explaining that Jesus has come to the Gentiles (Acts 11:1–18), the church has already spread far north to Syrian Antioch. The Jesus-followers who fled Saul’s persecution in Jerusalem took Jesus’ story with them (Acts 8:1–4). Some, from Cyprus and Cyrene, taught Gentiles. If they, Jews who lived within the Greco/Roman culture, could worship Jesus, why couldn’t their Gentile friends? This is exactly what Jesus intended in Acts 1:8.

Verse 20. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

A “Hellenist” is someone who lives in the Greco-Roman culture and speaks Greek. In the early church of Acts 6:1, the Hellenists were Jews who lived outside of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. They naturally shared Jesus’ resurrection and offer of forgiveness to other Hellenist Jews, but some also spoke to Gentile Hellenists. Gentile Hellenists may have been actual Greeks, or they may have been from modern-day Asia Minor, Arabia, or Syria. But they spoke Greek and had a similar culture to the Hellenistic Jews. It would make sense that Greek-speaking Jesus-followers—even if they were Jewish—would share Jesus’ story with other Greek-speakers—even if they were Gentiles. They see no reason why their friends wouldn’t be interested in Jesus and even less doubt that Jesus is interested in their friends.

In the early days of the church in Jerusalem, Hellenistic widows did not get as much support as natives of Judea (Acts 6:1). Stephen was one of the Hellenist Jesus-followers who were chosen to disperse the food fairly. He debated other Hellenist Jews about how Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. His arguments were unassailable, so they killed him (Acts 6:8—7:60). Saul started persecuting the church in Jerusalem. The Jesus-followers fled and spread Jesus’ story all over, including Syrian Antioch, on the northeast corner of the Mediterranean (Acts 8:1–4; 11:19).

Cyprus then is the same as Cyprus now: the island west of Syria and south of Asia Minor. Cyrene, as well, is still the city in Libya on the north African coast. There had been a large Jewish community there from since the Ptolemaic Empire (323—285 BC).

Verse 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Devout Jews, living on Cyprus and in Cyrene, and familiar with the Greek culture and language, had learned about Jesus in Jerusalem (Acts 2). When Saul persecuted the church in Jerusalem, they fled and shared Jesus’ story as they travelled (Acts 8:1–4). Some of these Jesus-followers were from the island of Cyprus and the city of Cyrene in Libya. They traveled north, to Syrian Antioch, and didn’t just share Jesus in the synagogues like others; they shared Jesus with Gentiles. God blessed their efforts, and many of the Gentiles came to a saving faith in Jesus.

In Acts 10, Peter learned that Jesus had come for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Earlier in Acts 11, Peter explained this truth to the church in Jerusalem; some of the more legalistic Jewish Jesus-followers still had a difficult time accepting it. The Jews who regularly interacted with Gentiles had much less resistance to the idea. They see no reason why their friends wouldn’t be interested in Jesus and even less doubt that Jesus is interested in their friends. They’re right.

The wording here can be awkward when parsed into English. This does not imply some people can believe but not turn to the Lord. Alternative phrasings are, “a large number of these, believing, turned to the Lord,” or, as the NIV says, “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”

Verse 22. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When Saul persecuted the church in Jerusalem, the Jesus-followers, especially those who weren’t from Judea, fled and spread Jesus’ story (Acts 8:1–4). Some, from the island of Cyprus and from Cyrene, Libya, went north to Syrian Antioch. Philip was a deacon who converted a travelling Ethiopian (Acts 8:26–40). Peter was an apostle who converted a good-sized group of Romans and still had to justify his actions to the church leaders in Jerusalem (Acts 10:1—11:18). The traveling lay-leaders see no reason why their Gentile friends shouldn’t hear the gospel. It apparently doesn’t occur to them that God would want to keep the Holy Spirit from indwelling Gentiles. They’re exactly right.

The text doesn’t specify, but the informants were probably the “circumcision party” that gave Peter such a rough time after he shared the gospel with Cornelius’ household (Acts 11:2–3). Antioch had a large Jewish population, many of whom had already accepted Jesus (Acts 11:19). Those of the “circumcision party”—also called “Judaizers”—might have been Pharisees before their conversion. They believe Gentiles must fully convert to Judaism, including circumcision, before they can be accepted into the church. Peter has already explained that the Holy Spirit came on the Gentiles of Cornelius’ house through no effort of his (Acts 11:1–18). Later, the circumcision party will cause enough trouble for the Gentile Christians in Antioch that Paul and Barnabas will have to go to Jerusalem to ask the church leaders to settle the issue definitively. The leaders will agree with Paul in acknowledging that Gentiles do not have to become Jewish to follow Jesus (Acts 15:1–35).

When the church in Jerusalem hears of the Gentiles in Antioch, they send Barnabas. He was one of the first believers in Jerusalem and willingly sold some land to help support the church (Acts 4:36–37). It was he who was brave enough to meet with Saul, the persecutor of the church, to determine if he had really decided to follow Jesus (Acts 9:26–27). Besides his generous and caring heart, Barnabas was also uniquely qualified because he was from Cyprus; he probably knew some of the evangelists.

Verse 23. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

Barnabas (Acts 4:36–37), has been sent by the leadership of the Jerusalem church to validate that Gentiles in Syrian Antioch are really coming to a saving faith in Jesus. He’s the perfect man for the job for several reasons. He is so gracious that he’s given the name “son of encouragement.” He’s so fearless that he was the only one who would meet with Saul, the great persecutor of the church, to see if his conversion was real (Acts 9:26–27). And he’s from Cyprus, which is just west of Antioch and the home of many of the Jesus-followers who are preaching to the Gentiles.

It takes a leader open to the Holy Spirit to enter a God-ordained situation and affirm it, instead of judging it and trying to control it. When Barnabas walks in, he doesn’t see a bunch of former-pagans who need to change their sinful practices and become more like devout Jews (Acts 15:1–2). He sees the grace of God working in the world like He promised. He sees God’s promise to Abraham—that his line would bless the world—come to fruition (Genesis 26:4). He understands that heaven celebrates when a sinner comes to Christ (Luke 15:7). And he experiences the fulfillment of Jesus’ commission to the disciples to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

But he also sees that this job is far too big for him. We know, even now, how difficult it is to stay focused on our relationship with God. This church in Antioch includes Jews who see Jesus as the fulfillment but not replacement of Judaism, devout Gentiles who follow Judaism but haven’t converted fully, and former pagan-Gentiles who have little understanding of the underlying Jewish traditions and laws. It’s significant Barnabas “exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord”; only by concentrating on Jesus can they remain unified as a church.

Verse 24. for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

When the Jewish Jesus-followers fled Jerusalem in the face of extreme persecution, they spread the news about Jesus to Jews all over the eastern Mediterranean (Acts 8:1–4). Some from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Syrian Antioch and spoke to pagan Gentiles, as well. When the church in Jerusalem hear that Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ by the witness of lay-leaders, they send Barnabas to investigate (Acts 11:19–23).

We are first introduced to Barnabas in Jerusalem, in the very early years of the church. Jews from all over the Roman Empire tried to travel to Jerusalem whenever they could, often for feast days or so they could die in the City of David. Barnabas was a Levite from the island of Cyprus, which carries the same name today, south of modern-day Asia Minor. At some point, he came to Jerusalem and accepted Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and his personal savior.

Like many of the new foreign-born Jesus-followers, Barnabas stayed in Jerusalem to learn more from the apostles. And, like many others, he sold property to help support the church members. Barnabas quickly gained a reputation for his encouraging nature—so much so that the apostles called him “Barnabas” or “son of encouragement” rather than his given name of Joseph (Acts 4:36–37).

Barnabas has a significant influence on the spread of the news about Jesus to the Gentiles. When Saul came to Christ and tried to meet with the apostles in Jerusalem, only Barnabas had the courage to meet with him and determine if his conversion was real (Acts 9:26–27).

For now, Barnabas is in Syrian Antioch, encouraging the church and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Soon, he will realize the job is far too big for him. He will bring Saul to Antioch to help grow the church (Acts 11:25–26). Then the two of them will set off on a missionary trip to modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 13—14). In their first stop, in Barnabas’ home of Cyprus, the “son of encouragement” will let the former church-persecutor take the lead and rescue a proconsul from the clutches of a magician. “Saul” will take on the Greek version of his name, “Paul,” and Barnabas will watch his protégé become the most significant evangelist in history.

Verse 25. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

When Jesus-followers from the island of Cyprus fled persecution in Jerusalem, some of them traveled north to Syrian Antioch. There, they shared the message of Jesus with other Jews. Some, however, also shared the truth about Jesus with pagan Gentiles. When the news reached Jerusalem, the church leaders knew they needed to determine what, exactly, was going on (Acts 11:19–22). They also knew who to send: Barnabas, the great encourager who happens to be from Cyprus (Acts 4:36–37).

Barnabas is qualified in several ways. He is from Cyprus, he has a welcoming heart, he is courageous, and he has great discernment. He proves this with his interactions with Saul. Saul had been a young Pharisee-in-training when he became aware of the “heretical” Jewish sect that taught a teacher from Galilee was the Jewish Messiah and had raised from the dead. Saul viciously persecuted the church, driving members from Jerusalem. When Saul traveled to Damascus to arrest what Jesus-followers he could find there, he met Jesus, instead, and repented of his violence (Acts 9:1–25). But when he returned to Jerusalem to meet the apostles, only Barnabas had the courage to meet with him and discern that his conversion was genuine (Acts 9:26–27).

Saul gained a Savior but didn’t lose his zealous nature. He debated so fervently that Jesus is the Messiah that the foreign-born Jews in Jerusalem started planning to kill him. The apostles realized he was in danger and sent him home to Tarsus (Acts 9:28–30).

Tarsus is quite close to Antioch. So, when Barnabas finds he needs help guiding the new church in Antioch, he goes looking for the man whose persecution inadvertently led to its creation.

Verse 26. and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

The irony of this moment is exquisite. The young church in Jerusalem largely grew in peace for some time—although the disciples were arrested a couple of times and beaten twice (Acts 2—5). When Stephen was murdered (Acts 7:54–60), a young Pharisee-in-training named Saul took it upon himself to eradicate the Jesus-followers not just from Jerusalem, but from any Jewish space in the Roman Empire (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). On his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish Jesus-followers, he found Jesus and realized how wrong he had been (Acts 9:3–19).

Saul quickly switched teams. He debated with the Jews in Damascus and Jerusalem, showing them how Jesus of Nazareth was the Jewish Messiah. He caused such a commotion in Jerusalem that some of the Hellenist Jews wanted to kill him so the apostles sent him home to Tarsus, on the southeastern coast of modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 9:19–31).

The damage, so to speak, was already done. While the apostles and other church leaders stayed in Jerusalem during the earlier persecution, many of the laity fled, spreading the story of Jesus to Judea, Samaria, Damascus, and far to the north in Syrian Antioch. When the church leaders in Jerusalem hear that the gospel has even spread to Gentiles in Antioch, they send Barnabas to check it out. Barnabas realizes the conversions are real and far more extensive than he can handle alone (Acts 11:19–25). Fortunately, Tarsus is just west of Antioch.

So, the man who, through his persecution of the church, caused the spread of the gospel to Gentiles in Antioch is now in Antioch teaching the Jewish and Gentile Jesus-followers and spreading the gospel further.

This verse notes some of the origins of the term “Christian.” It was almost certainly coined by non-Christian Gentiles. Although “Christ” is Greek, “-ian” is a Latin addition, as in Marian or Herodian. This suffix means “of the party of…” and was used to mean those who imitated or supported some figure. To some extent, this made the term “Christian” an expression of sarcasm or derision. Peter hints at this in his writings (1 Peter 4:16).

Elsewhere in the New Testament, only King Agrippa (Acts 26:28) and Peter (1 Peter 4:16) use the term “Christian.” It would take a long time before the label passed from insult to identification. Typically, believers in the New Testament use words like disciples, saints, and brothers. Jews of that time used “the sect of the Nazarenes” as a slam referring to the saying “nothing good comes from Nazareth” (Acts 24:5; John 1:46). They wouldn’t use the Greek word for Messiah, even jokingly, for those they considered heretics.

Verse 27. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

The preceding section tells the origin and growth of the vibrant church in Syrian Antioch. There were several Antiochs in the ancient Roman Empire. This one is on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, so far north it’s now in modern-day Turkey. Jesus-followers from Cyprus and Cyrene, fleeing persecution in Jerusalem, had come to Antioch and spread the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. When the apostles found out, they sent Barnabas to determine if the message was accurate and if the Gentiles were really following Christ. Barnabas found such a thriving ministry he sent for Saul in Tarsus to come help. The church grew even more, and the believers took on the title “Christian” for the first time (Acts 11:19–26).

Syrian Antioch, at the time of these events, is also home to a great number of devout Jews, and the roads to Jerusalem are well-traveled. It would be no strange thing for Jesus-following prophets to travel the 300 miles north and visit the new church. Prophecy at that time was an important gift. The only New Testament books written this early in church history are perhaps James and the gospel of Mark. In the beginning years of the church, the Holy Spirit moves mightily to give insight and truth to church leaders, and many have the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:28). We may still feel the Spirit’s leading today, perhaps to support a church in need, but with the completion of the Bible the gift of prophecy is no longer needed (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Context Summary
Acts 11:27–30 records a prophecy that great famine will affect the Roman Empire; the church in Jerusalem needs support. This is related to the narrative because it takes place in Syrian Antioch, as did the previous account. It’s also about Jerusalem, as is the next chapter. But Luke is intentional, here. Acts 11:19–26 describes the origin of Paul’s extensive evangelistic ministry. One of Paul’s recurring themes is the responsibility of new churches to financially support the church in Jerusalem; this is where Paul’s conviction starts.

Verse 28. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

Barnabas and Saul are in Syrian Antioch on the northwest corner of the Mediterranean Sea, building up the young church filled with Jews and Gentiles. They maintain close contact with their sending church in Jerusalem and to a large degree submit to the leadership of James, the brother of Jesus, and the twelve apostles (Acts 15:1–35). Several prophets have come from Jerusalem, 300 miles south, to Antioch to warn that a famine is coming.

Josephus affirmed this famine, saying it hit Rome, Greece, Egypt, and Judea from AD 45–48. This matches the timeline as the death of Herod Agrippa I, which occurred in AD 44, is recorded in Acts 12:20–23. At the time Luke describes, the church isn’t even fifteen years old and has already spread 300 miles.

It’s unclear if this is the first time an outlying congregation is asked to support the church in Jerusalem, but it’s not the last. Barnabas would be very comfortable with the idea; he was one of the many converts in Jerusalem who sold property to provide for the travelers who stayed to learn from the apostles (Acts 4:36–37). Saul takes this to heart; throughout his ministry as Paul, famine or not, he exhorts new churches to remember the legitimate needs of leaders in Jerusalem by supporting them financially (Romans 15:25–26; 1 Corinthians 16:1–3; 2 Corinthians 9:1–5).

After Paul’s third missionary trip he will go through Caesarea Maritima on his way to Jerusalem and Agabus will come to meet him. Agabus will wrap his own wrists and feet in Paul’s belt and prophesy that Paul will similarly be bound when the Jewish leadership hands him to the Romans (Acts 21:10–11). The prophecy is metaphorical; Paul is arrested by the Roman guards when Greek-influenced Jews from modern-day western Asia Minor try to kill him (Acts 21:27–36). Paul’s protective custody is solidified when the Sanhedrin conspires to assassinate him (Acts 23:12–35). Although the Sanhedrin will not literally bind Paul, their actions will result in a long prison stay in Rome.

Verse 29. So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

Prophets have come from the church in Jerusalem to the growing church in Syrian Antioch. Agabus warns of a coming famine, an event that the ancient historian Josephus recorded as occurring in AD 45—48.

“Relief” in this verse is from the Greek root word diakonia and is related to the word “ministry.” This is the same word from which we get our word “deacon.” The first deacons were called in Jerusalem when it came to the attention of the apostles that some of the foreign-born widows weren’t getting enough support. The apostles appointed the deacons to distribute the food in a fairer manner (Acts 6:1–6). Here, the church in Antioch determines they are able and responsible to support the church in Jerusalem.

It’s likely Barnabas influenced this decision. He was in the first waves of foreign-born Jews who came to Jerusalem and heard about Jesus. He willingly sold property and gave the money to the apostles to support the many who had come to visit, heard the story about Jesus, and stayed to learn more from the apostles (Acts 4:32–37). This decision also influenced his ministry partner, Saul—later known as Paul—who will make it a point to remind the churches he plants to contribute to the needs of believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–26; 1 Corinthians 16:1–3; 2 Corinthians 9:1–5).

Later, Paul will write that when we give, we should do so generously, willingly, and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). He also talks about giving to those who teach us in the Word and lead our churches (Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:17–18).

Verse 30. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Less than fifteen years prior, Jesus commissioned the apostles to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the world (Acts 1:8). For several years, they shared the story of His resurrection and offer of reconciliation with God in Jerusalem. The church grew to several thousand, including many who had come from other nations and stayed to learn more. To feed everyone, those who could gave what they had (Acts 2:42–47). One of these was a man named Barnabas (Acts 4:34–37).

The young church gained some negative attention from the Jewish leaders, but their generosity and the apostles’ healing ability made them popular with the people. Tensions rose, however, and eventually Stephen was murdered while Saul, a young Pharisee-in-training, watched (Acts 7:54–60). Saul started a massive persecution of Jesus-followers in Jerusalem and beyond that lasted until Jesus, Himself, confronted him. Saul repented and came to faith in Jesus. In Jerusalem, despite the fear of the apostles, Barnabas stepped up to mentor the young believer (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–30).

Now, Barnabas and Saul are in Syrian Antioch, 300 miles north of Jerusalem. They are leading a church filled with Jews and Gentiles—a church started by Jesus-followers who fled Saul’s persecution in Jerusalem. Prophets have arrived from Jerusalem warning of a coming famine. The believers in Antioch determine to send financial support to those in Jerusalem. It’s time for Barnabas and Saul to report to the elders of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1–29).

This is the first time elders are mentioned in the context of church leadership. In Jewish culture, elders were often prominent businessmen who acted as judges among the people; the Sanhedrin included priests, elders, and scribes (see Matthew 16:21). Elders in the church are responsible for governing the church (1 Peter 5:1–4), settling disputes (Acts 15:1–2), praying over the sick (James 5:14), and teaching (1 Timothy 3:2). More qualifications for church elders are given in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.

It’s tricky to reconcile the narrative in Luke’s book of Acts with the events Paul later mentions in his letters. It’s tempting to think the events of Galatians 2:1–10 occurred at this time, but the “fourteen years” of verse 1 is awkward. Josephus records the famine happening in AD 45—48, and Herod Agrippa I’s death, recorded in Acts 12:20–23, occurred in AD 44. Jesus ascended in AD 30 or 33, and Paul’s conversion occurred some years later. So, Galatians 2:1–10 probably doesn’t refer to this trip, although it may refer to the trip Paul and Barnabas made after their first missionary journey (Acts 15:1–35).

End of Chapter 11.

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