Acts 11:22-30
New Catholic Bible
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[a] 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.
Threats against the Church[b]
27 A Famine in the World.[c] During these days, some prophets[d] came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a severe famine would afflict the entire world. This in fact occurred during the reign of Claudius. 29 The disciples decided to send relief to the brethren living in Judea, each according to his means. 30 This they did, delivering it to the elders[e] through Barnabas and Saul.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 11:25 Tarsus: see note on Acts 9:30.
- Acts 11:27 Calamities strike the Church—famine, persecution, political conflicts. This corresponds to the description of the signs of the last times in Luke (21:9-13). As the Gospel says, it is not the time of the end but the time of perseverance. When the signs of crisis are manifested in the world, believers testify to the hope and the effort for a change. The Church emerges from these threats with tranquil joy and humility. This account brings to a close the first twelve chapters of Acts.
- Acts 11:27 A collection is organized in the Church. The action is an application of one of the essential elements of the community: the sharing of goods, which gives a new meaning to economic property. Paul will regard this kind of mutual help as very important (see Rom 15:31; 1 Cor 16:15; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1, 12-13; Gal 2:10).
- Acts 11:27 Prophets: the first mention of the gift of prophecy in this Book. Prophets are to preach, exhort, explain, or predict (see Acts 13:1; 15:32; 19:6; 21:9f; Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:10; 13:2-8).
- Acts 11:30 Elders: collaborators of the apostles, or substitutes for them (see Acts 20:17f).
