Acts 11:19-30
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 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. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
St. Barnabas started ministering to the Gentiles of Antioch...Then he called on St. Paul to help him teach in Antioch for the next year...They taught the people of Antioch about Jesus...The people of Antioch were the first to be called Christians...This term of Christian would become the standard word for all future followers of Jesus...
The Antioch's were Gentiles...The Jewish people thought that Jesus had come to save Israel...The Messiah, so it was thought, would come and save the Jewish people...But Jesus was different from what people thought...Most people thought the Savior would be a firm, decisive, military leader....Not many, if any, thought He would be a poor, humble carpenter...Jesus also came to save everyone from their sins...He came for everyone, Jew and Gentile...
So in chapter eleven in the Acts of the Apostles, first St. Peter talks about how God had talked to him and was to help the Gentiles and now St. Paul and St. Barnabas would preach to the Gentiles in Antioch...Christianity to everyone was now being preached...The word and good news would spread throughout the Roman Empire and the world...Other believers, such as Agabus predicted a severe famine would take place, which it did...The followers provided help others in Judea, and sent gifts to the elders by the way of Barnabas and Saul...
St. Barnabas and especially St. Paul would go out and preach the gospel to the Gentiles...His different missions would help the growth of Christianity and he would spread the word of Jesus to many lands...St. Paul was converted by the resurrected Jesus on his way to Damascus (up to that point, St. Paul did not believe in Jesus)...St. Paul now would lead the way in the teaching and spreading the news of Jesus throughout the Gentile world...
And in all these things and there teachings, the LORD's hand was with them...And because His had was with them, a great number of people believed and turned to the LORD...The Great Commission given to His disciples to preach the Good News to all creation (Mark 16:15)...