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Dissatisfaction with Peter on the part of the believing Jerusalemites for communicating with the uncircumcised and calming the dissatisfied (1-18). Preaching the Gospel outside Palestine, especially in Antioch (10–21). Barnabas and Saul in Antioch (22–26). Prophecy of famine and almsgiving to Christians in Judea (27–30) Acts 11:1–3. The Apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the pagans also accepted the word of God. And when Peter came to Jerusalem, the circumcision rebuked him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” It is noteworthy that the Jewish (circumcised) believers reproach Peter not for the fact that he preached the Gospel to the pagans and baptized them, but only that he “went to the uncircumcised people and ate with them...” In essence, they could not object to anything against the preaching of Christ among the pagans, since they could not forget the command of the Lord Himself to “teach all nations, baptizing them” - Matthew 28:19. Their protest concerned only Peter’s allowed communication with the uncircumcised. “In this way the disciple was still touched” by the One who Himself once fought so hard against those who unreasonably reproached Him “like the tax collectors and sinners who eat and drink.” In this case, the protest of the extreme zealots of Jewish law and customs, not even commanded by Moses, but only constituting the traditions of unknown elders, was all the more dangerous because it was a manifestation of that false teaching, which was later so harshly spread by Judaizing false teachers, and which was ready to demand the obligatory nature of all Judaism with its circumcision and customs for entry into Christianity. This was already an extreme with which Peter struggled, and later even more so Paul - even after the Apostolic Council once and for all put an end to this issue in its authoritative decrees. Acts 11:4–17. Peter's retelling of the Caesarea event is almost literally exact with the story of the writer. Peter does not directly respond to the reproach addressed to him about going to the uncircumcised and communicating with them, but simply eliminates it with the so indisputably revealed will of God regarding the acceptance of pagans into the Church of Christ. When this last was done - not so much by the will and actions of Peter, as by the will and signs of God - it would, obviously, be unreasonable opposition to God not to recognize them as full members of the Brotherhood of Christ, communication with whom could no longer be anything shameful. After such an explanation, those who were watching Peter not only calmed down, but also praised God, who also granted to the pagans “repentance unto life,” i.e. eternal, in the eternal Kingdom of Christ. “You see,” says St. Chrysostom, how was everything done by the speech of Peter, who spoke in detail about what happened? That’s why they glorified God, because He granted repentance to them too: so they humbled themselves from these words! It was then that the door of faith was finally opened to the pagans...” Acts 11:19. Meanwhile, those who were scattered from the persecution that followed Stephen went as far as Phenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one except the Jews. Having outlined the events that required special attention and took place after the murder of Stephen, without mutual connection with each other (Acts 8, Acts 9, Acts 10), the writer proceeds to indicate the activities of the scattered believers outside of Judea and Samaria, which was already slightly indicated to them. Now the writer wants to more clearly present the important results of both persecution and dispersion. “Persecution,” says Chrysostom, “brought much benefit to the preaching of the Gospel. If the enemies were deliberately trying to spread the Church, they would have done nothing less than this: I mean the dispersion of teachers.” “Phoeniki I” is a coastal strip of land north of Galilee, at that time subject to the Romans, with the once famous cities of Tire and Sidon. “Cyprus” is a large island closer to the Syrophoenician coast of the Mediterranean Sea (see Acts 4:36). "Antioch" is a large and flourishing city in northwestern Syria, on the river. Oronte, 6 hours from the sea (about 30 versts), was founded by Antiochus, the father of Seleucus Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid kingdom. Its predominant population was Greek, and there were also many Jews. Greek education and language were also dominant in the city. “Preaching the word (i.e., the Gospel) to no one except the Jews” – following the rule once expressed by the Apostle Paul that the Jews were the first to be preached the word of God (Acts 13:46). Thus, the evangelists of the Gospel to the Jews, bypassing the pagans, “did this not out of human fear, which they considered nothing, but wanting to keep the law and still being condescending to them...” (Chrysostom), i.e. the Jews, who considered themselves the owners of the predominant rights to proclaim the gospel of the Gospel. After the events of Caesarea (the conversion of Cornelius), the strict distinction between Jews and pagans in the rights to enter the Church of Christ completely lost force, and from that time on the intensified spread of the Gospel among the pagans began. Particularly zealous in this was shown by the Hellenistic Jewish believers (“Cyprians and Cyreneans”, Acts 11:20), who, having come to Antioch, openly “spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus...” and had complete success, creating the first large community of pagan Christians, which was so important in the early Christian Church. Acts 11:21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. “And the hand of the Lord was with them” (preachers), i.e. the special gracious power of God, which strengthened the work of preaching with signs and wonders. Acts 11:22. Rumors about this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they instructed Barnabas to go to Antioch. “The rumor about this” - ο λόγος πορί αυτῶν, “the word about them.” “To the Church of Jerusalem” - in its entirety, with the apostles at its head, who “and instructed Barnabas to go to Antioch.” Why and why specifically to Barnabas? In case of any misunderstandings - such as those mentioned above (Acts 11: 2-3) - and in general for the leadership of the new Christian society - Barnabas was obviously more suitable for the designated powers. He was from the same Cyprus where some of the Antioch preachers were from (Acts 11:20; cf. Acts 4:36); enjoyed special respect in the Church of Jerusalem (Acts 4:36–37, 9:26–27); was a “good man” and gracious (Acts 11:24); had a special gift of persuasiveness and comfort in words, which was shown by the very name Barnabas (Acts 4:36). Such a person should have seemed especially capable of pacifying disturbances that might arise and of directing the entire life of society in the proper spirit. Acts 11:23. Having arrived and seeing the grace of God, he rejoiced and urged everyone to hold on to the Lord with a sincere heart; Arriving at the place, Barnabas could only rejoice in the grace of God among the Antiochian Christians, whom he implored to “hold the Lord with a sincere heart” - Κυρίω, – glorified: “by the will of the heart to endure in the Lord...” – literally – with the intention of the heart to abide with the Lord. “Having praised and approved the people, he probably converted them even more” (Chrysostom). Acts 11:24. for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And quite a number of people came to the Lord. “For” refers to verse 22, justifying why Barnabas was sent, and is equally suitable for explaining why Barnabas rejoiced so much and took the condition of the new converts to heart. Acts 11:25. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and, having found him, brought him to Antioch. “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul” - no doubt, in order to direct him to the new wide field of activity that had opened up, to which Paul, the apostle of the tongues, who had retired to Tarsus from Jerusalem, was especially destined (Acts 9:15, 29-30). Acts 11:26. For a whole year they gathered in church and taught a considerable number of people, and the disciples in Antioch for the first time began to be called Christians. “They gathered in church,” i.e. in general liturgical meetings of Christians. “They taught a considerable number of people” - εγένετο διδάξαι όχλον ικανόν. Teach – i.e. to teach and confirm converts in the truths of faith and the rules of Christian life. It is remarkable that here Saul’s preaching activity is characterized (albeit in conjunction with Barnabin) by the word teach (διδάξαι), which is usually used only about apostolic preaching (Acts 4:2, 18, 5:25, 28, 42; cf. Acts 2:42). “The disciples in Antioch began to be called Christians for the first time.” Until now, the followers of the Lord called themselves disciples, brothers, believers, etc. Twice found in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 ​​Pet.4:16), this name is given as a name used outside the Church. This suggests that the adoption of the name Christians is hardly due to the Christians themselves. It is no less doubtful that it could have come from the Jews, who, of course, would not have dared to assimilate the sacred name Christ (Hebrew translation Messiah) to the followers of One whom they did not consider such. It remains, therefore, with greater probability to assume that the name Christians was adopted by the believers by the pagans of Antioch. Not knowing the dogmatic and religious-historical meaning of the name of the Messiah, they accepted its Greek translation (Christ) as their own name, forming from it the name of the party of His followers. The new name was especially successful because it perfectly united all the confessors of the new faith into one - both Jews and pagans, who learned Christianity completely independently of Judaism. Acts 11:27. In those days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. “The prophets have come.” Among the various spiritual gifts, with which the first Church of Christ was so rich, the gift of prophecy, i.e., was manifested at that time in some believers. predictions of future events beyond the reach of natural human knowledge (1 Cor. 12:10). One of these prophets was Agabus, who is mentioned again later (Acts 21:10). Acts 11:28. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the entire universe, which happened under Caesar Claudius. “He announced by the Spirit...” – εσήμανε διά τοῦ Πνεύματος – glor.: “signified by the Spirit”, i.e. announced through a certain sign, an external figurative action, symbolically what was inspired to him by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 21:10). “Throughout the whole universe... a great famine” is a strengthened expression meaning the onset of a great famine everywhere (cf. Luke 2:1), everywhere, in many places in the universe, and perhaps not at the same time, but over a number of years, and regionally, and not everywhere at once. The writer notes that such a famine “happened under Claudius Caesar.” This was the successor of Caligula, who ruled the empire for 41–54 years. AD During all this time, famine raged here and there in the regions of the Roman Empire, and around 44 there was a great famine throughout Palestine (Archaeologist. I. Flavius, XX, 2, 6; 5, 2; Evsev. Tserk. Ist. II, 11). Around the year 50, there was famine in Italy itself in other provinces (Tacitus. Letop. XII, 43). Acts 11:29. Then the disciples decided, each according to his means, to send aid to the brothers living in Judea Τῶν δέ μαθητῶν καθώς ηυπορεῖτό τις ώρισαν ... - literally: from the students, as many as they could, decided ... This was, obviously, already during the onset of famine in Judea. It was then for the first time that such touching brotherly love and unity of individual Christian societies in relation to each other were expressed. Acts 11:30. which they did, sending what they had collected to the elders through Barnabas and Saul. “To the elders...” The first mention in apostolic history of elders. As can be seen from further references (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23, 20, etc.) and from the apostolic epistles (Titus 1:4; 1 Tim. 5:17, 19, etc.), these were leaders of individual Christian communities, shepherds and teachers and performers of the mysteries (cf. Acts 20:17, 28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet.5:1; James 5:14–15). They were consecrated into their ministry by the laying on of hands of the apostles (Acts 14:23) or bishops (1 Tim. 5:22). In those cities where Christian societies were more numerous, for example, in Jerusalem, Ephesus, etc., several elders were appointed (Acts 15:1, 4, etc.; Acts 20:17). There is no such special news about the initial establishment of this sacred degree as, for example, about the establishment of deacons (Acts 6 et c.). One thing is clear that the custom of ordaining elders in newly founded Christian communities was established very early (Acts 14:27), apparently caused by the urgent need of each community to have an authoritative leader, primate, pastor and teacher and celebrant of the sacraments, authorized by apostolic authority, in addition to the bishop. As the closest representatives of individual communities, the benefits of the Antiochians are transferred to the elders, without burdening the apostles. You might be interested in: