Acts chapter 11

vs 21

The first thing I thought was "Awesome for them", because they are doing something completely different. I mean, reaching Jews with the message of their own messiah is one thing. Reaching gentiles with a message about a jewish messiah? Different.

Second thing I thought was, "Wouldn't it be cool to know what they were doing to be so successful?" But that's a worldly way of thinking. The Bible tells us why they were successful - because God was with them. That doesn't mean God isn't with you if your evangelism fails.

vs 22

He's pretty cool, so that was a good choice.

vs 23

Barnabas has obviously fully accepted Peter's story about gentiles coming to faith, because he doesn't bat an eyelid in Antioch.

vs 24

Through his encouragement (which was his gift, hence the name) people came to God! That must've been pretty ripe soil then - because when people usually come, it's through someone's ardent speaking or preaching or miracles or whatever. He probably did speak publically. But again, luke makes it clear that he was successful because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit.

vs 25

Which is where the Jerusalem group sent him. How long ago was that?

vs 26

Apparently, Barnabas was looking for a partner in crime. When he did find Paul, they absconded to Antioch and built the church up.

That they were called Christians doesn't necessarily mean it was done in an insulting way, but it could have been. What does seem clear is that they didn't come up with the term themselves.

vs 27

Now here's one for our modern times. Prophets come from Jerusalem. Unnamed prophets. What's their job? What do prophets do? We want to say that they speak the word of God to people. And we'd be right. But what do they do while in Antioch?

vs 28

Well, unnamed except for Agabus. His prophecy comes true, which is good - no need to stone him. But what did he do? Predicted the future! We've got to remember that although we like to say that prophecy is speaking the word of God in all tenses, that future tense isn't out of the question.

Luke even helpfully gives us the time period of the famine.

vs 29

Obviously Judea wasn't doing as well as Antioch. Possibly because they sold all their fields to give to widows and the poor.

vs 30

Barnabas and Saul had a lot more to do with the Jerusalem church than the Antiochans did. In fact, it could be that Barnabas and Saul suggested the gift in the first place.