Acts 11:22 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

NASB: The news about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.

CSB: News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch.

NLT: When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

KJV: Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

NKJV: Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as 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.

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.