Acts 11:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

NASB: But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus.

CSB: But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

NLT: However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.

KJV: And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

NKJV: But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, 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).

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.

Acts 11 accelerates the journey of the message of Jesus into the Gentile world. Peter returns to Jerusalem and explains to the church leaders how the Holy Spirit has fallen on a group of Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 11:1–18). Then the church hears how Gentiles are coming to faith far north in Syrian Antioch; they send Barnabas to investigate and Barnabas brings in Saul (Acts 11:19–26). Finally, prophets travel from Jerusalem to Antioch to request aid for the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:27–30). The scene is almost set for Paul's extensive evangelism career to begin.

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.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.