Acts 11:19-26
New Catholic Bible
19 A Church at Antioch.[a] Meanwhile, those who had scattered after the persecution that arose because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia,[b] Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word only to Jews. 20 However, among them there were some natives of Cyprus and Cyrene who went to Antioch where they started preaching also to the Greeks, proclaiming to them the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of them became believers and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and perceived the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with resolute devotion, 24 for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were added to the Lord.
25 Barnabas then went to Tarsus[c] to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 11:19 The narrative picks up the story of persecution (see Acts 8:14). But we leave the coast of Palestine for a region some 300 miles further north. A new Church enters the picture, that of Antioch, where Barnabas is encouraging the converts from paganism.
In Antioch, the name Christian is used for the first time (v. 26), and it will henceforth be used by all the disciples of the Lord for the community in the service of the Lord. - Acts 11:19 Phoenicia: a land 15 miles wide and 120 miles long on the northeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, with Tyre and Sidon as its principal cities. Cyprus: the island home of Barnabas (see Acts 4:36), located in the northeastern Mediterranean, 60 miles from Syria. Antioch: the third most important city (after Rome and Alexandria) of the Roman Empire, located in Syria, in the northeast corner of the Mediterranean. It was from the Church of Antioch that Paul’s three missionary journeys were launched (see Acts 13:1-4; 15:40; 18:23).
- Acts 11:25 Tarsus: see note on Acts 9:30.
