“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. 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. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 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. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 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.“
Acts 11:19-26
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JANUARY 28, 2025
If we read through this week’s passage quickly, we see the Church growing and spreading. But if we spend time looking closely, we see how completely crazy this growth season was!
First, Jewish Christ-follower refugees (fleeing persecution by the religious and political leaders of their own country) now live as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They live according to Jewish custom but also as believers in Christ in a completely new country and culture.
Second, Gentile Phoenicians, Cypriots, and Antiochenes become believers because of the witness of their new Jewish neighbors. This leads to men from modern day Libya and possibly other Northern African countries preaching the Lord Jesus to the Hellenists, Jewish non-believers who had adopted Greek culture, language, and tradition. Barnabas was from Cyprus and Saul was from Tarsus, in modern day Turkey.
And let’s not miss this powerful statement in verse 21: “And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” Here we have God’s reverse Tower of Babel, God’s second creation story. We have people who share no common language, no common culture, no common race, becoming the new humankind, the new people of God!
This is how God works.
I have a close friend from Mexico. Her mother brought her to this country when she was little to escape an abusive father. My friend lived here for years. She was undocumented but was eventually able to become a citizen. She is a strong believer, and her faith led her to help other immigrants and refugees in this country. She speculates that revival will come to the church in the United States through Latino believers.
I’ve thought a lot about that. We need to rub shoulders and share tables with believers from other cultures. We need believers who don’t look like us or talk like us or share our traditions to impact our lives and our beliefs. If you are a believer and you don’t have brothers and sisters in Christ who are culturally different from you, you are missing out on one of God’s greatest gifts—and you are missing a chance to know your true identity.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How can you take steps towards building authentic relationships with believers from other cultures?
- What do we learn from people very different from ourselves that we cannot learn from people like us?
- Ask the Holy Spirit for courage, humility and an attitude of learning.
Church Reading Plan: Genesis 29; Matthew 28