Christians
A. The birth of the second church
1) Those who had fled from persecution were now sharing the good news (19-21)
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to 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. (19-21)
2) Barnabas was sent to start a new church (22-24)
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, 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. (22-24)
B. The second church and its work
1) The disciples who were called Christians(25,26)
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. (25,26)
2) Helping a church in Judea (27-30)
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (27-30)
Summary
The group of Jesus' followers in Antioch was the second church to be established after the first church in Jerusalem. These believers did not have an elaborate plan to share the gospel, but had fled Jerusalem because of persecution or had come from other regions, filled with the desire to share the good news about Jesus with others. Barnabas provided the guidance necessary for the believers' passion to move forward in the right direction. The people around them called these believers, "Christians" which meant people who were crazy about Christ. This was not meant as a compliment, but the believers felt honored that they were characterized in this way. In contrast to the church in Jerusalem, which was filled with Jewish believers, the church in Antioch was more diverse with many people from different backgrounds. It was an international church which spread the news about Jesus in various different parts of the world. The believers' diversity became their strength, allowing them to broaden their perspectives and to be used by God in different ways. Your Church is similar to this church in its makeup. Let's let God use us for his work as well.
For Discussion
1) Why was a church started in Antioch?
2) What did the term "Christian" mean?