(Suggested Reading: Chapter 11; Chapter 12:25)
This chapter shows us the unity of the body of Christ—not in doctrine but in practice. This is characteristic of Acts which commences with all things that Jesus began both to do and teach. The word “began” is meaningful here for it suggests that the things Jesus began to do and teach should be continued on earth through His body the Church once He had ascended. And always in Acts it is doing before teaching. So here in this chapter we have action concerning the one body of Christ—the doctrine is left to the epistles. The unity of the body is expressed two ways here—in the confirmation by those in Jerusalem of what Peter did at Caesarea and then the practical reciprocal action at Antioch. The starving Jews were fed by their Gentile brethren who saw in them fellow members of the body of Christ who needed help. This is the doctrine of the unity of the body of Christ expressed in a practical way. It is what men sometimes call “truth in boots.”
But the very fact that the unity of the body should be the subject before us here is significant. This is Paul’s doctrine. It is one more step in the direction of Paul and away from Peter, like a ship moving out of a harbor gap and passing landmark after landmark on its way to the open sea.
“Repentance Unto Life”
It is significant that the Apostles did not contend with Peter concerning Cornelius and the other Gentiles. Deep indeed was the spiritual understanding of the men who had companied with Christ. What reality there must have been in the lives of men who lived in the presence of One who could discern their every thought. What folly of the Sanhedrin to write them off as “unlearned men.” What instruction could man give in his educational system compared to that given by the Creator of the Universe and the Saviour of the lost? How they must have hung on every word He uttered and in later life recounted them to others. What a privilege to sit at His feet for Divine instruction in the Holy Scriptures. The marks of the truth are seen in the blessed fact that we know no controversy among the Apostles in doctrine. True, Paul withstood Peter to the face, but because of practice, not doctrine. Peter knew better in that instance and was disobedient to the heavenly vision at the time. But in doctrinal matters agreement is perfect. Paul’s teaching, new and distinct as it was, never met apostolic resistance. So with Peter here it is blessed indeed to know that the Apostles’ doctrine is perfect. But here, men well below the apostles in spiritual understanding confront an apostle for going in to uncircumcised men and eating with them.
Peter, however, does not hide behind his apostolic authority. In defending what he did he automatically acknowledges the authority of the general assembly. He admits accountability because the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. He recounts everything that took place and at the close quotes the Lord’s own words “John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Peter’s action is then ratified for “when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God, saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
First Stirrings at Antioch
The Antioch referred to in our chapter is the Antioch in Syria. This is just mentioned because we will come across an Antioch in Pisidia later and this will avoid confusion. Seleucias, wishing to perpetuate his family name, built sixteen Antiochs, nine Seleucias and six Laodiceas. Antioch in Syria had a beautiful climate. In the time of the Emperor Augustus it was a union of four cities. Its population was cosmopolitan. A street four miles long on which sheltered crowds could walk through continuous colonnades, linked the eastern and western suburbs. The city boasted a temple to Jupiter, a palace, an arch, fountains, beautiful buildings, groves of trees and all the trappings of first century paganism.
Into this most unlikely spot the gospel went. The licentiousness of the people only made the preaching of it the more imperative. It was so with Corinth also, where the Lord had many people. Those who preached it were not the apostles but simple believers. The time of the preaching was at the persecution following Stephen’s death, so the account is not in chronological, but moral order. It is given here to show that what they were doing, while in advance of knowledge and the turning of Peter’s second key, was officially ratified later. Now some of those who preached restricted their message to Jews. It did not occur to them that God would go beyond their nation and save Gentiles. But their more spiritual brethren from Cyprus and Cyrene “spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.” How significant the expression “and the hand of the Lord was with them.” This is not said about those who preached only to the Jews. The result is great blessing— “and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.”
Barnabas is sent out from Jerusalem without any fixed mission except that he “should go as far as Antioch.” He came, saw the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. Then comes one of those gems we sometimes unearth in Scripture. It is wonderful indeed if God can say of a man “for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” But God gives us a demonstration of it. Barnabas leaves for Tarsus to find Saul. Why? Because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit. If he had been full of himself, he would have stayed on at Antioch and set himself up as a teacher, for there were many Christians there now—v. 24. But he recognizes his limitations and is only concerned about going for help. The thought that governs him is that the Lord’s sheep need food. So he departs to seek a great teacher for them—Saul of Tarsus.
Since Saul returned to his native Tarsus a period of undefined duration had elapsed. It is likely, from Gal. 1:2121Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; (Galatians 1:21), that he was preaching in the regions of Syria and Cilicia for he confirms them there in 15:41. It is likely too that the extreme sufferings, dangers and privations he describes in 2 Cor. 11 took place in this period. Be this as it may the Spirit passes over the whole period since it is not critical to the story of the main thrust of Christianity at the time. Barnabas goes to Tarsus. He finds Saul there and persuades him to go. They travel to Antioch together. Now at last the people have a teacher to instruct them and for a whole year many are taught. Saul’s coming to Antioch marks the shifting of the center of gravity, so to speak, away from Jerusalem. Antioch replaces it as the great missionary center for the spread of the gospel. For this reason, you will find in Chapter 11 The gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers which the ascended Christ gave to men—see Eph. 4:1111And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11). The disciples were first called Christians in this city. They had become so numerous there that the world awarded them a distinctive name.1 This, as well as the verse preceding it— “for a whole year they were gathered together in the Assembly and taught a large crowd” seems to suggest that they met together away from the synagogue. The large number of Gentile conversions strengthen this interpretation. However, this was still a local situation. In a world where communications as we understand them were unknown, news of Paul’s activities spread but slowly. So the synagogue is useful as a forum for the preaching of the gospel. When its usefulness came to an end later, Paul withdrew the believers from it, not to return.
The Great Famine in Those Days
Next, we are given an insight into the great famine which raged over the whole (Roman) world in the reign of Claudius Caesar. There was a famine in Greece, Rome and Judea. In the fourth year of Claudius’ reign many people died from starvation in Judea. God knew this would happen and sent the prophet Agabus to Antioch to forewarn the saints there. Verse 29 should not be interpreted as contemporary with Agabus’ warning. The point of the warning was to establish a fund for the future relief of the brethren in Judea. Food could not be purchased with money in Judea for there was no food there.
Barnabas and Saul discontinue their teaching ministry at Antioch and personally look after the purchasing and transportation of relief supplies to Jerusalem. They make delivery to the elders who with Barnabas and Saul—12:25—supervise the rationing of the food. The Apostles at Jerusalem refrain as usual from becoming involved in a purely administrative matter, even though an important one.
On this, his second visit to Jerusalem2 Paul has the evangelization of the Jews on his heart. Praying in the Temple—doubtless about redeeming the time this way—he is in a trance. The Lord says to him “make haste, and get quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me.” Paul remonstrates with the Lord but is told “depart, for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles” —see 22:17-21. Thus does Paul’s ministry at Jerusalem—to relieve the famine in the bodies and souls of the Jews—terminate. So, connecting 12:25 with the eleventh chapter, for the whole of the twelfth chapter is in parenthesis— “Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John whose surname was Mark” —12:25.
The Lessons for Today
The story of the famine is one thing, but the plain teaching is quite another. The Gentile brethren here show clearly that the teaching they absorbed from Saul for a whole year had not been in vain. He always taught the unity of the body of Christ and how if one member suffers all members suffer. This they put into practice. Alas for the days we live in, in which Paul’s doctrine of the unity of the body is held only in a cold intellectual way. The church ignored Paul’s warning “if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” —Gal. 5:1515But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (Galatians 5:15). Many Christians in India today suffer from hunger because of the break-up of the Church of God into fragments, most of whom do not even know the others exist. So it is all but impossible today to give expression in a collective way to the needs of our suffering brethren elsewhere in the world. But the man who truly holds Paul’s doctrine will express it in a practical way, giving relief as an individual to other suffering members of the one body “according to his ability” —11:29—as the Lord directs them to him.3
Let us close our chapter with thanksgiving to God for the food he supplies. We began this chapter with “all things that Jesus began both to do and teach.” What did He do? Why He fed them with loaves and fishes. So He continued to meet His people’s need in Judea through His members in Antioch. He began to do and teach. He continues through His members on earth what He began to do on earth Himself.
He filleth our mouths with good things yet man grows fat and kicks. An old missionary whom I knew, G.C. Willis, who spent most of his life in the Orient, was imprisoned during World War 2 in a Japanese internment camp. An engineer, scholar, and teacher, he organized a school for the education of the children of the internees and generally kept the place in shape. His experiences are described in his book “I Was Among the Captives.”4 But he met bitter opposition when he hung up a Scripture text. Finally, he put one up ‘give us this day our daily bread’ thinking no one would object to that. But a storm of protest burst and it was taken down. The next day their bread ration was cut off. This caused great misery since the prisoners sometimes couldn’t sleep for hunger, even with the ration. So the text was hung up again and their bread ration restored. Again, it was covered or removed and again the bread was cut off, and again restored when it was displayed. Since this had happened several times the former manager of a brewery nailed it to the wall so it couldn’t be taken down. And the bread never failed again. How true it is that “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil” —Ps. 34:15.