Acts 11:19-30 - Developments In The Church In Antioch
19 Those who were scattered everywhere as a result of the persecution [being waged against the church] because of Stephen's [death], traveled as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, declaring the message to Jews only. 20 But when some men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch, they preached [about] the Lord Jesus to the Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] also. 21 The power of the Lord was upon their efforts so that a large number of people who believed [the message] turned to the Lord [in faithful obedience]. 22 And the news about [what was being done by] these people reached the church in Jerusalem, so that they sent Barnabas to Antioch [in Syria]. 23 When he got there and saw how God was favoring the people [with salvation] he was very happy and [stayed on and] encouraged everyone to remain close to the Lord with a heartfelt purpose. 24 [Now] Barnabas was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith [in the Lord], and many people were added to the [church of the] Lord. 25 Then he went on to Tarsus to look for Saul [Note: Tarsus was the home town of Saul, who was later called Paul], 26 and when he found him, he brought him [back] to Antioch. So, for an entire year Saul and Barnabas gathered the church together and taught many people. [It was] here in Antioch that the disciples were first [divinely] called Christians.
27 During those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, a man named Agabus, stood up and indicated by [the direction of] the Holy Spirit that there was going to be a severe worldwide famine, which [actually] took place during the time that Claudius ruled. 29 [In response to this prediction], the disciples decided to send as much relief as they could to help the brothers living in Judea. 30 So, they sent [what was donated] to the elders [of the Judean churches] by Barnabas and Saul.