The Gospel Reaches Syria

In Acts 1:8 we read, “Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth” (KJV). In Acts 11:19-30, we read of the founding of the first church outside of Palestine, and how this “uttermost church” became a center for world evangelism.

God’s purpose has always been to bring salvation to all the nations of the earth. According to Genesis 12, God chose Abraham so that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed. That included Gentiles as well as Jews because, according to God’s order, salvation was of the Jews, but it was for the Jews and for the Gentiles.

The Jews always misunderstood God’s divine purpose of saving Gentiles. Like the prophet Jonah of old, they thought that because salvation was of the Jews, it was for the Jews alone. But this error has not been made only by Jewish people. Whenever the church of Jesus Christ refuses to evangelize, it is operating on the basis of a misunderstanding that salvation is just for certain people. But God doesn’t bless and approve misunderstandings. He saves whomever he wishes to save, Jew and Gentile alike, and he does so through the proclamation of the gospel, which was initially through the Jews.

We want to look at three things from this passage: First, the context of worldwide mission; second, the conversion of sinners in this uttermost part of the earth called Syrian Antioch; and, third, the character of this predominately Gentile church.

The Context of Worldwide Mission

The context of worldwide mission is that God loves the world. That is a simple concept, but seems to be very difficult for us to grasp. But John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have eternal life,” and in John 4:42 we read that Jesus Christ is “the Savior of the world.”

The persecution which had begun in connection with Stephen’s death had scattered Christians, especially Hellenistic Jewish Christians, northward from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and Galilee. As a result of this scattering, churches were established in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, as we read in Acts 9:31. Although Satan had attempted to destroy the church through persecution, God used the suffering of his people to promote his purpose of worldwide evangelization. It is God’s eternal purpose to save people of the whole world, and the gates of hell can never prevail against God’s eternal purpose.

Then the persecuted Christians began to move to Phoenicia on the Mediterranean coast, to the cities of Tyre and Sidon. From there some took ships and traveled to the island of Cyprus, while others continued northward to the country of Syria to the city of Antioch, known as Syrian Antioch, which is the modern-day headquarters of the Syrian Orthodox church.

These disciples, we can assume, were led by the Spirit of the living God. In fact, that is what the book of Acts is all about–people set aflame and energized by the mighty Spirit of God doing God’s will in the world. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit these Christians–ordinary people, Jewish by birth but Hellenistic in their culture–began to do something quite daring. They now began to speak to Gentiles about Jesus Christ. This was a tremendous break from tradition. In Jewish culture Gentiles were considered as dogs created solely as fuel for the fire of hell. The Jews considered Gentiles to be unclean people with whom Jews should avoid any kind of interaction. But the Spirit of God caused these Christians to be filled with love and concern for Gentiles, and they began to speak to them about Jesus Christ.

In verse 20 we read that it was men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which is in North Africa, who were speaking to the Greek Gentiles. Although they were Jewish, these men spoke Greek and were culturally Hellenists, meaning they were large-hearted souls.

Perhaps these men had heard what God had done through the apostle Peter in Caesarea. God had used Peter to open the door of the kingdom of God wide so that Gentiles could come in, and through Peter’s ministry the whole household of Cornelius had been saved, instantly, and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them.

The salvation of Cornelius’ household gave the church an understanding of how God views men and saves them. Therefore, we must examine the insight gained from that incident so that we can comprehend the context in which these Hellenistic Jews of Cyprus and Cyrene declared the gospel even to the Gentiles of Syrian Antioch.

The Lesson of Cornelius

What did the church learn from the lesson of Cornelius?

1. God loves all people. That includes people like me, who was born and brought up in South India. It is wonderful to know that God from all eternity chose me for salvation. In time the gospel was preached to me and I heard and believed by God’s mercy. God loves all people.
2. God has no favorites.
3. All people are clean in God’s sight.
4. God opposes human prejudice and snobbery. God hates and violently opposes all prejudice based on racism, sexism, castism, nationalism, or cultural superiority. God is the God who will save Brahmins as well as sudras, which means untouchables, and everyone else as well, on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ.
5. God gives repentance to Gentiles also.
6. God gives his Holy Spirit to Gentiles as well as Jews. This was an amazing, shocking, surprising understanding for the early Jewish Christians.
7. God desires Jews and Gentiles to be in his church. His desire is for us to love one another, fellowship with one another , eat together, and enjoy the communion of the saints.
8. All are sinners. Black or white, Chinese or French–all people are born depraved and sinful.
9. All will be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
10. Gentiles do not have to become Jews to be saved. A person does not need to be circumcised or obedient to ceremonial laws in order to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
11. God opposes a sinful view of differences. The Hebrew Christians thought they were first-class and the Hellenistic Christians were second-class. We saw this demonstrated in Acts 6 where the Hellenistic widows were not taken care of as well as the Hebrew widows. Hebrew Christians also considered Samaritan Christians to be third-class, while Gentile Christians were considered fourth-class. But there are no such differences in God’s kingdom! In fact, he opposes such differentiation between people in his church.
12. All foods are clean. What deliverance this brought to the Christians, both Jewish and Gentile! In other words, the Jewish ceremonial laws were no longer applicable to those who had trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation. Circumcision was unnecessary. Sacrifices were unnecessary. Festivals, ceremonial handwashing and required times of worship in the temple at Jerusalem were all unnecessary. Only faith in Jesus Christ is required for salvation. Peter declared this in Acts 10:43, “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him,” meaning trusts in him savingly, “receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
13. Jesus Christ is Lord of all. We read this in Acts 10:13, particularly. He is Lord of Jew and Gentile, Chinese and French, and so on. He is Lord of the whole world.
14. All people are equal in the church. In Acts 11:17 we find this profound statement: “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” What gift did God give? The Holy Spirit, but the word “same” in the Greek gives the meaning of an equal gift. To the Gentile as well as to the Jew the same Holy Spirit was given.
15. Salvation is for all people. Romans 1:16 we read, “The gospel . . . is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

These points comprise the context for worldwide mission. By the direction of the Holy Spirit, ordinary, average Christians were persecuted and driven out from their homes and occupations in Jerusalem. Some moved northward until they arrived in Antioch and Syria where they started a church and spoke the gospel to their fellow Jews. Then some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, dared to speak the gospel to the Gentile “dogs” of the streets of Antioch.

Conversion of Sinners in Antioch

When the men from Cyprus and Cyrene spoke to the Greeks, as we read in Acts 11:20, some believed and were saved. So the second point we want to examine from this passage is the conversion of Gentile sinners in this city of Syrian Antioch. Antioch was the capital of the Roman province of Syria. It was founded by a general of Alexander the Great, Seleucis 1 Nicator, in 300 B.C., who named it after his father Antiochus. Altogether, Nicator founded sixteen cities in honor of his father, including Pisidian Antioch, which is located in modern-day Turkey.

Located on the banks of the Orontes River, Syrian Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman world in New Testament times, exceeded only by Rome and Alexandria. It was a free city of half a million people, which included 25,000 Jews. Just as Jerusalem was known for its religious atmosphere, Athens for its intellectualism, and Rome for its power, Antioch was known for its cosmopolitanism. All sorts of people lived there–Arabs, Orientals, Jews, Romans, and Greeks–and there was an attitude of tolerance toward all in this city.

Antioch was also a wealthy commercial city. Money and commodities from all over the world flowed through Antioch to Rome. Called “The Queen of the East,” Antioch boasted a long paved boulevard flanked by a double colonnade with trees and fountains, and temples for both Apollo and Artemis. Because of its wealth, it was also, like any country, very corrupt. Sexual immorality was practiced freely. Within the city there was a large park with many trees, called a pleasure park, where people would come and commit all kinds of sexual immorality in full view of everyone.

There is some evidence that Luke the physician, author of the book of Acts, came from the city of Antioch. In Acts 6:5 we also read of a man named Nicholas who came from Antioch. Nicholas was a Gentile who first became a Jew and then a Christian, and who served as a deacon in the church of Jerusalem.

We must remember that the church of Syrian Antioch was not founded by apostles or evangelists or some other famous leaders. It was founded by ordinary people like you and me. In the text we are simply told some men from Cyprus and Cyrene were instrumental in spreading the gospel to the Greeks, and even though this was an important event, we do not know the names of these men. However, God knows, and he delights in such people sharing the gospel wherever they go. These ordinary people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, shared with the mixed multitudes of Antioch, including, probably, some of those who were committing sin in the park. Everywhere they went they spoke about Jesus Christ the Lord, and people turned to the Lord.

The Gospel Message

Verse 20 tells us these men “began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news of the Lord Jesus.” What do you think these ordinary people said about Jesus? I am sure they declared that he is the Savior of the world, the virgin-born Son of God. No doubt some of them remembered Peter’s answer when Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?” “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Peter responded, and so they told people that Jesus is not just a man, but God/man, God incarnate, God-with-us, Immanuel. I am sure they spoke of his life, his teachings, and his miracles–how he walked on water, changed water into wine, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, and raised the dead. I am sure they spoke of how he was killed, though he was sinless, and how on the third day God raised him from the dead.

I am also sure they would say Jesus ascended into the heavens and is seated on the right hand of God the Father. They would tell how he received all authority in heaven and on earth and is Lord of the whole earth, and how God the Father has appointed him to judge the living and the dead. But then I am sure they would also tell their hearers, “But now is the time of his mercy and grace. Let me tell you, now everyone who believes in him and trusts in him will receive forgiveness of sins and be saved.”

What happened when these ordinary people preached the gospel? Verse 21 tells us, “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” People were converted, in other words.

What is meant by “turning” in the context of conversion? It is not a five or ten or even ninety degree change. Turning to the Lord, or genuine conversion, means that if you were going north before, now you turn and go south. It means if you hated God before, now you love God. It means if you loved to sin before, now you love to do righteousness. It means that if you blasphemed God before, now you worship him.

The people of Antioch understood the gospel message of these ordinary people and a large number of them believed and turned to the Lord. They were converted to Christianity, bending their knees and worshiping Jesus Christ as the Lord of the universe.

What does this tell us about our own ability to evangelize? It demonstrates that we don’t have to be ordained ministers to bring people to Christ. God uses ordinary, average people to bring about conversion of mighty sinners. Have you ever thought about that? God can use every one of us to lead souls to the fountain of salvation.

God Will Help You Share the Gospel

If you have been saved, granted eternal life, and changed by the operation of the Holy Spirit, you will be excited about the gospel and empowered to share it with others. In other words, if you have become a Christian through the preaching of the gospel, you can and must proclaim it to others who are lost. But you do not have to witness in your own puny strength. Acts 1:8 tells us “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses. . . .” The Holy Spirit will empower and enlighten you so that you can declare the gospel to others. Not only that, the Holy Spirit will work in those who hear the gospel so they can be born again and believe.

In Acts 11:21 we read, “The Lord’s hand was with them.” What is meant by “the hand of the Lord” or “the arm of the Lord’? We find this term in Isaiah 59:1, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” The arm of the Lord stands for God’s power to save. It also stands for God’s power to judge those who will oppose him, his ability to guide and protect his people. Additionally, having God’s hand with you means God is approving of your life. So even though these “ordinary” Christians were poor, persecuted, and ejected from their occupations, homes and country, none of that mattered. God’s hand was with them, and sinners were saved through them.

Do you still think you have to be a giant of the faith like Moses, Joshua, Peter or Paul to share the gospel with others? If so, you are not thinking correctly. In fact, according to 1 Corinthians 1, most Christians are foolish, weak, lowly, despised, and even nothing, in the eyes of the world. But it doesn’t matter how ordinary or insignificant you are. If God loved you, saved you, and gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit, then you can be assured that the hand of the Lord, which is mighty to save, is now with you to enable you, guide you and protect you. With his mighty strength God will use you mightily to save mighty sinners.

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus told his disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” If you are a Christian, God is with you. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ, he has come into your life and will stay with you forever. (PGM) That means he is with you now, empowering you, helping you, going before you, going behind you, going around you. You belong to him, and he takes this responsibility seriously.

In Hebrews 13:8 we read, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The Holy Spirit energized these ordinary, persecuted people and used them to found the church of Antioch, which became the center of world missions in New Testament times.

The same Holy Spirit is with us today. The hand of the Lord was with Peter, but it is also with us, and it is with us all the time.

Certifying the Syrian Church Conversions

So the church at Syrian Antioch was founded, not by apostles, but by ordinary Christians who had traveled there initially because of persecution. They founded a very large church consisting of Jews, Arabs, Orientals, Romans and Greeks. And we notice one striking characteristic of this church: They all loved one another. This multicultural church worshiped, fellowshiped, and ate with one another in perfect harmony. We read about this in Galatians 2:12, where Paul says he, Barnabas and Peter enjoyed great fellowship with the Gentile Christians, including eating together. That is what happens when the Holy Spirit is poured upon us. We are one in Christ.

This church of Antioch was far ahead of the Jerusalem church in its understanding of the love of God for all people, and that is the reason that God used this church for world evangelization more than the Jerusalem church. Earlier, when the Jerusalem church heard about the blessing God poured out in Samaria, it sent Peter and John to see if what was going on was in accordance with the Scriptures and apostolic doctrine. Now, the Jerusalem church heard rumors of something happening in Syrian Antioch, a city known for its corruption and filth, and decided to send someone to check things out.

In Acts 11:22 we read, “News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” This time the Holy Spirit guided the church to send someone who was not an apostle to examine the work in the city of Antioch. They chose Barnabas, a large-hearted man.

In Acts 4:36 we read that Barnabas’ name was Joseph, but the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” Barnabas was one who encouraged, lifted up, comforted, accepted, loved, and cared for people. It was wonderful to be in fellowship with Barnabas because he was always looking for ways to help you.

Barnabas was a Levite from the island of Cyprus. A generous man, he sold his land and gave the money to the apostles so that the poor of the church could be taken care of. This generous, loving, big-hearted, God-centered, gospel-driven man clearly understood the love of God for his people.

Additionally, Barnabas spoke Greek and was thoroughly familiar with Greek culture. And in Acts 11:24 we read the statement, “He was a good man.” This commendation is not found in too many other places in the Bible.

In verse 24 we are also told that Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit, which means he obeyed God rather than human traditions. Barnabas clearly understood that when God moves, he should also move with God, especially in the issue of including Gentiles equally in the church. Otherwise, he would be left behind in his own traditions and inflexibility. Those who don’t move with God, especially in the area of evangelism, are left to fellowship only with their own kind, rather than with all those God had chosen for eternal life. Such arrogant inflexibility is not God’s will for his people. But Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit, meaning he obeyed the Spirit totally and completely. He was led by the Spirit to do God’s will and fellowship with the Gentile believers.

Barnabas was also full of faith, which means he took risks for the gospel. Stephen was another man who took risks for the gospel, and we must pray that we can do so also. May God help us to take risks for the gospel by opening our mouths and speaking about Jesus Christ, no matter what the consequences are. Such risk-taking is a Christian’s business.

Evidence of Conversion

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he “saw evidence of the grace of God,” as we read in Acts 11:23. The word “evidence” is not in the Greek. In the Greek it says he saw “the grace of God.” What does that mean? Grace is the invisible, internal operation of the Spirit of God, so how can it been seen? Its presence or absence can be clearly seen in our lives and behavior. Barnabas could clearly see God’s grace in the changed lives of the Christians of Antioch.

How was this grace manifested? I am sure Barnabas saw the people at peace with God and one another. You need grace in order to have peace, don’t you, and we receive grace from the cross. Christ died, and from the cross flows God’s unmerited favor for all the peoples of the world. God poured out grace upon the city of Antioch, and the evidence was that sinners had become saints. When Barnabas came to the church and saw them worshiping, praising God, and loving one another, he saw God’s grace in action.

At this point, let me ask you: What about you? If I come to your house, will I see grace there? If I come to your room, will I see grace? Grace must be made visible by a change in our character and life. That is what Barnabas saw in these people.

What did Barnabas do when he saw this evidence of God’s grace? He rejoiced. Remember, Barnabas was a large-hearted person. Even if some of these people had been filthy or immoral people, God converted them and made them saints. Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Orientals, and Jews–all were washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, and Barnabas saw them praising, loving and worshiping God and submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In fact, he couldn’t find anything wrong with that church. God was at work among the Christians of Antioch.

When you study the Greek, you notice that the words for “grace” and “rejoice” come from the same root word, as does also the word “eucharist,” or “thanksgiving.” Grace not only saves you but it causes you to rejoice and thank God. Nothing else in the world can make you rejoice like this–nothing!

What about us? Where can we get this grace that Barnabas saw and caused him to rejoice? From God alone. It is grace that can be seen–the “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control” we read about in Galatians 5:22-23.

The Holy Spirit had done a beautiful thing among these people and Barnabas found nothing to criticize them for. The only thing he exhorted them to do was to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Conversion results in communion, and communion brings about continuance or perseverance. True conversion does not mean to receive Jesus Christ for one day. If you have truly committed yourself to Jesus Christ, you will be like the good soil people who heard the word, understood it, and through perseverance brought forth fruit. You will remain, because your motive in receiving Christ was not to get a better husband, to enjoy better sex, to get more money or to get into medical school. If you are truly converted, you didn’t trust in Christ for any worldly benefit. If you have trusted in Christ, you will be looking forward to the heaven to which we are going after we die, and you will persevere until you reach it.

The Need for Biblical Teaching

Barnabas encouraged the church to “remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” And then he found out that this church needed one thing: biblical teaching. A large number of people had recently converted to the Lord, and they needed to be taught how to live according to God’s word.

Here again we see God’s direction. Probably Barnabas prayed, and God told him, “Go to Tarsus of Cilicia, where you will find a great biblical scholar, a vibrant and powerful man, named Saul of Tarsus. Saul is a former student of the great Gamaliel, and knows the Bible thoroughly. But not only that, Saul has recently come to faith in Christ, and he is not afraid to preach that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And in verses 25-26 we read, “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.”

The need of every church is the word of God, but, unfortunately, the modern church doesn’t know much about the Bible. We seem more interested in experience than in studying the Bible. People often come to church and say, “Uplift me, Pastor. I am here. Just say something that will make me feel good,” but this is not biblical Christianity. The need of the church is the word of God. This was the need of the church at Antioch, as it was the need of the church of Jerusalem that we read about in Acts 2:42 where “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.”

Why do we need the word of God? Because it feeds us and makes us strong. Remember how Jesus Christ met with Peter after his resurrection and asked him three times, “Do you love me?” After Peter answered Jesus, Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs. . . Take care of my sheep. . . Feed my sheep.” Jesus was speaking of teaching the word to God’s people, not giving them physical food. Didn’t he say elsewhere, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”? Nothing else will feed us, truly–not physical food, not psychology, science or anything else. We need the word of God.

Biblical teaching is so important that the Holy Spirit led Barnabas to go all the way to Tarsus from Antioch to find Saul and bring him back. Why? Because many people had become Christians and needed to be taught the ways of the Lord. And in verse 26 we read, “So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.”

If you are converted, you will love this book, the Bible. If you don’t love the Bible, you are not converted. The Bible is the true soul food. We are to read and study the Bible and then put it into practice, as Jesus said in the Great Commission. We are to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. . .and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). We study the Bible not just for knowledge’s sake, but so that we can obey what we have been taught.

A strong church is one that is steeped in the word of God, which alone can cause human beings to grow in spirit, so that they will be strong, mighty, and able to withstand temptation. The other day someone came to me and said, “Pray for me so I won’t fall into temptation.” I will pray for you, but you need to do a few things also. What are they? Get into the word. Pray to God and commune with God. Get rid of all the filth from the home. If you are not converted, call upon the name of the Lord that you may be converted. Then you will be given such love for God that you won’t go back to the filth. It is a dog that returns to its own vomit, not a Christian.

Teaching, in other words, is our great need. If we are not taught, we are not fed; and if we are not fed, we will grow weak and sick and fall into temptation.

The Character of the Church of Antioch

What is the third point? The character of this church. In Acts 11:27-30 we read that a prophet came from the mother church in Jerusalem to the church of Antioch and said there was going to be a worldwide famine. What did the church of Antioch do? Right away, all who had ability put their money together and the text says they sent it to the brothers in Jerusalem.

Notice the use of the word “brothers.” The Jerusalem Christians were Jews, belonging to another country and another race. No doubt the Antioch believers knew that the Jewish Christians had traditionally considered them as dogs. But they thought of them as brothers. A real church is characterized by love.

How do you recognize a true church? Look for love. Why do you think the Christians of Antioch willingly sacrificed their own money for people of another race in another country? They realized they now belonged to the same family of God as the Jerusalem Christians. The Jerusalem Christians were now their brothers and sisters, in other words. Whether black or white, Chinese or French, rich or poor, men or women, if we are born of the Holy Spirit, we all belong to God’s family wherein no distinctions are made. So the church of Antioch collected their money and gave it to Saul and Barnabas, saying, “Take it to our brothers, please. But hurry, so that you get it there before the famine hits.”

This type of love exemplified the character of the church of Antioch. No wonder the world missionary movement started from this church. Paul traveled three times from this church to bring the gospel throughout the world. This church was characterized by love.

Application

In conclusion, let us consider three questions. First, do you understand the context of the gospel? Do you understand that God has destroyed all distinctions of sex, nationality, and caste? Do you realize that God loves the world, meaning people from every nation on the face of the earth, and desires to save people from all the nations of the earth? Do you realize that because God loves the world, we must preach the gospel to all the world, so that some may be saved?

Second, are you still enslaved by sin, or are you converted? Have you heard the gospel and turned from your sin to serve the living God, or do you still need to be converted? And if you are converted, is there evidence of conversion in your life?

Third, are you characterized by love? If you have been converted, if you have been turned around by the Lord Jesus Christ and given new taste, new understanding, new liberation, you will be characterized by love–love for God, first and foremost, and then love for your neighbor, no matter what that person’s nationality or background is.

May God help us to learn from the church of Antioch to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves! Then we too can go out and speak the gospel to all the earth, that others may believe and be saved. Amen.