The Church Cegins To Scatter

Acts 11;19-27

“So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch…” (11:19a)

I believe God used persecution to cause the new Christians to begin to disperse themselves around the world. These people were bold about their faith. In verse 20 we see that some of these people began speaking to the Greeks. Notice v. 21 says “the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.” The Christians back at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to see what was going on in one of the cities; Antioch, which was over 300 miles from Jerusalem.

Once again Barnabas comes into the picture and we’ll see that he will be a prominent character throughout the remainder of the book of Acts. We see several more aspects of the man here. First, he was an encourager. We all need encouragers in our lives to help us when we are down and to spur us on when we are doing well. He also had a “resolute heart to remain true to the Lord” (v. 23). I think this means he was trustworthy and faithful; he didn’t get discouraged easily. “He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (v. 24); three characteristics that all of us should strive for.

Barnabas also knew that these new Christians needed to mature in the faith and that the job was too big for him. So he went to look for Saul to come help him. The two of them ministered in Antioch for an entire year teaching these new Christians the Scriptures. All of us have a responsibility as we mature to help others grow in the faith. We may not have been given the ability to speak to many people, but we all can study the Bible with one other person and help them grow in the faith. We can also help hold them accountable for growth in their spiritual lives.

I pray often for my children and grandchildren that they will be good students of the Word and that they will mature in the faith just as they are maturing physically. I pray that God would bring others into their lives that will help build them up and will keep them from relationships that will harm them.

I encourage you to look for a Barnabas to develop a friendship with; someone who is an encourager with a resolute heart. Make it a point to develop relationships with good people who are full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.