Acts 11:19-30 - Developments In The Church In Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered in different directions, in consequence of the persecution that followed upon the death of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the Message--but only to Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, who were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, on coming to Antioch, addressed themselves also to the Jews of foreign birth, telling them the Good News about that Lord Jesus. ²¹ The power of the Lord was with them, so that a great number who had learned to believe came over to the Lord's side. ²² The news about them reached the ears of the Church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ On coming there he saw to his great joy these tokens of the loving-kindness of God, and encouraged them all to make up their minds to be faithful to the Lord-- ²⁴ For Barnabas was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith--and a large number of people took their stand on the Lord's side. ²⁵ Afterwards Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul; ²⁶ And, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for a whole year, they attended the meetings of the Church there, and taught a large number of people; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians.'

²⁷ During this time, some Prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, came forward and, under the influence of the Spirit, foretold a great famine that was to spread over all the world--a famine which occurred in the reign of Claudius. ²⁹ So the disciples, without exception, determined, in proportion to their means, to send something to help the Brethren living in Judea. ³⁰ And this they did, sending it to the Officers of the Church by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.