Acts 11:25-30 – Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 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. 27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 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.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.” Barnabas went to look for Saul. It is interesting to note how scholars will consider why Barnabas went to look for Saul. We tend to project how we would do something onto others. So those who rely first on our minds figure that Barnabas considered Saul’s great scriptural scholarship and so went to get him. Yet, there were plenty of knowledgeable teachers in Jerusalem. Barnabas could have went south to Jerusalem, but instead went north to Tarsus. It seems more likely that this “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” was guided by the Holy Spirit to seek out Saul. The smart choice was to get known and degreed teachers from Jerusalem, whom he could easily locate, to come to teach these new converts. The “smart” option was not the well-educated but not Christian experienced new guy. Surely the Holy Spirit reminded Barnabas that the Lord had called Saul, soon to be Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Saul had his conversion experience about ten years previously. The first try of Paul of sharing about Jesus was not to the Gentiles, as he had clearly been called. His first two tries at ministering were to the Jews, and both times he had to flee as they were going to kill him. He had ended up in Tarsus and while it is hard to imagine that he was not talking to the people there about Jesus, for the most part, it seems that Paul had been set aside for a time. We know it is not unusual for God to prepare His servants to be used. Moses went through forty years of preparing. It would seem that the Holy Spirit reminded Barnabas of Paul and sent him to bring this ten-year bench warmer to Antioch. It was his time to be put into the game plan.
Barnabas did not have an address in which to find Saul. The word translated as “look for” in the NIV and “to seek” in the KJV has a meaning of searching out. More specifically, to desperately search, like a parent searching for a lost child. In fact, the only other time this word was used in the New Testament was in Luke 2:44 when Mary and Joseph were frantically searching for Jesus after He was not with them after the Passover feast in Jerusalem. So Barnabas was trying desperately to find where, after these many years, Saul was. When God sends you, you look till you find.
“So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.” Barnabas, the great encourager and comforter, worked with Saul, the powerful man of scripture who came to Jesus through a supernatural encounter with Jesus, and God blessed them in teaching the brothers and sisters of Antioch. Saul was off the bench and God was going to use him powerfully. How grand it must have been for those in Antioch to study and be blessed by Barnabas and Saul!
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The term Christian was a description for those who followed Christ. Just as the “ian” was used of people who followed Herod and were called Herodians. This also illustrates that “Christ” (Meaning Messiah) was already a proper name for Jesus. They were called Christians, not Jesusians. Jesus was known as being known as the one called Christ. Praise God!
“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.” Here is where those who lean on wrong tradition will hurriedly point out that yes there were prophets in the church then, but not now. They cannot accurately use any scripture to establish that the office of the prophet has passed. The gifts of God to bless the church then, are still for the church now. The prophets blessed and encouraged the people then, and the office is still the same for the church now. Good things these are gifts from God the Holy Spirit and not from the doctrine of men!
“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.)” In those days, to say that something effected the entire Roman world was taken the same as one would say something effected the whole world. For them, Rome had control of most of it.
Agabus said that a famine was coming and it would spread over the entire Roman world. Two famines did hit and the effect of them were felt throughout the Roman Empire at different times. In Jerusalem the famine struck them about 34 AD. The prophecy was given during the reign of Claudius, but famine did not come during his reign.
“The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.” The new brothers and sisters heard of the coming famine and decided to take up an offering for those in Jerusalem. They were in a position to do so.
Let’s notice that they did not decide to buy weapons, and food and store water and then go to locations they could defend against anyone who might be coming in need and asking for help. No, they said we have, let us give. They did as the Lord would do. Can anyone who truly has the love of God within, the love that brought Jesus from Heaven to earth, can they truly horde food and water and shoot someone who comes with need for their selves and their families. Is that the love of God? No, anyone who has the love of God within gives. Those who don’t have the love of God don’t give. Anyone who does not have the love of God does not know God (1 John 4:8).
Saul may have wondered what was happening to him. He knew the Lord called him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, yet he was not being used. Saul needed to be patient and allow the work of God on him to have its full effect. He had to trust God and His plan. We also, may go through times of preparation. Let us likewise trust God and His plan for us. This is infinitely better than trusting ourselves and our plans. God is good and He loves us. Let’s trust Him, praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.