The Antioch Model

Acts 11:19-30; 12:25; 13:1-3

Main Idea: In these verses we see some of the reasons the church in Antioch—a model missionary church—changed the world.

1. Effective Evangelism (11:19-21)
   1. Cultural-engagement mentality (11:19-20)
   2. Gospel intelligibility (11:20)
   3. Personal anonymity (11:20)
   4. The Lord’s sovereignty (11:21)
2. Dynamic Discipleship (11:22-26)
   1. Accountability (11:22)
   2. Encouragement (11:22-24)
   3. Instruction (11:25-26)
   4. Fruit (11:26)
3. Mercy Ministry (11:27-30; 12:25)
   1. It was selfless.
   2. It was generous.
   3. It was corporate.
4. Multicultural Leadership and Membership (13:1)
5. Spirit-Directed, Church-Sent/Supported Missionaries (13:2-3)
   1. Worship and expectant prayer fueled the mission.
   2. The Spirit and the congregation together affirmed this mission.
   3. The church sent their best on mission.

In these verses we will look at my favorite church in the whole Bible. It’s the one I want each local church to resemble the most. In fact, way back when my local congregation was thinking about what to call our church plant, I toyed with the idea of calling it Antioch.

Luke shows us how the church in Antioch was a launching pad for worldwide missions. It became a base of operation for Paul’s missionary journey with Barnabas (13:1-3; 14:26-27) and subsequently a base for his journey with Silas (15:35-41; 18:22-23).

Antioch was the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world, behind Rome and Alexandria. It boasted some five hundred thousand people. It bore the nickname “the queen of the East.” It was cosmopolitan and commercial. It was the capitol city of Syria, and it was also a base for the Roman military. Antioch was located three hundred miles north of Jerusalem and thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, on the Orontes River, in what is now southeast Turkey. The city served as a crossroads, having major highways going to the north, south, and east. Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Egyptians, Africans, Indians, and Asians all populated Antioch, making it remarkably diverse.

Religiously, Antioch was pluralistic and idolatrous. Some called Antioch the “abode of the gods” since several Greek deities were worshiped there, including Zeus, Apollos, Poseidon, Adonis, and Tyche. Within five miles of Antioch was the city of Daphne, which was known for its worship of Artemis, Apollos, and Astarte. Cult prostitution was present in Astarte worship (Bock, Acts, 413).

All of this made Antioch a great place for a church. John Stott notes,

No more appropriate place could be imagined, either as the venue for the first international church, or as the springboard for the worldwide Christian mission. (The Message of Acts, 203)

The church in Antioch—not the mother church in Jerusalem—changed the world. The Jerusalem church was wonderful, and it should be appreciated for its uniqueness and power, but it had its challenges when it came to evangelizing non-Jews. Antioch, by contrast, was an international church.

What made the church in Antioch so powerful? What are the ingredients of a missional church? Luke describes at least five marks of a missional church. They are simple to understand but difficult to apply. We need to pray for “the grace of God” (11:23) as we seek to imitate the Antioch Christians.

Effective Evangelism

Acts 11:19-21

The first thing to catch attention in this passage is this church’s remarkable outreach to unbelievers. In fact, the Antioch church itself was birthed by evangelism—an important point. The gospel was planted in Antioch, and then a church was established there. While the theme of mass conversion and gospel advancement isn’t new to Acts, and some of the same evangelism themes appear here as elsewhere, there are four distinct qualities about the church that we don’t want to miss.

Cultural-Engagement Mentality (11:19-20)

Believers were scattered from Jerusalem during the persecutions there, and some of them traveled up to Phoenicia (in the area of present-day Lebanon). Some went to Cyprus (an island nation about a hundred miles off the coast). Others settled in Antioch. As they were scattered, these Christians went about preaching the Word—just as we observed previously in 8:1-4. Most of these believers, however, spoke the gospel only to the Jews. This would, to a certain extent, have been the natural approach since many of the refugees probably set out to start again in places where they had natural connections to family or existing business contacts.

But in verse 20 we see something new developing. Some men of Cyprus and Cyrene (northern Africa) arrive in Antioch and courageously preach the good news also to the Hellenists(“Greeks” or “Gentiles,” NLT). Timothy Keller calls these evangelists “mavericks” (Evangelism, 98), and F. F. Bruce and John Stott refer to them as “daring spirits” (Bruce, Book of Acts, 238; Stott, The Message of Acts, 201). The men who had traveled from Africa are spreading the gospel among the Gentile unbelievers. To be clear, Peter had preached to Cornelius, a Gentile, but no one—as far as we can tell from the history Scripture records—had acted strategically and intentionally to preach to the Gentiles up to this point. The Samaritan awakening was not exactly like this one either, since the Samaritans were close cousins to the Jews (Keller, Evangelism, 98). These mavericks are doing something new.

It seems best to understand the Hellenists as Greek-speaking Gentiles (Witherington III, Acts of the Apostles, 369). I concur with Darrell Bock, who says,

Following the work of Peter, it would seem that the term “Hellenist,” if original, does not mean Hellenist Christians but possesses a largely racial, cultural sense, equal to “Gentiles.” (Acts, 414)

Therefore, these men from Cyprus and Cyrene broke through a major cultural barrier.

So the first reason for their evangelistic effectiveness was their cultural-engagement mentality. We don’t see in them an anti-Gentile bias. Rather, it appears that they knew how to be “all things to all people, so that [they] may by every possible means save some” (1 Cor 9:22) to quote their soon-to-be teacher, Paul (Acts 11:25-25). Consequently, they evangelized pagans remarkably well.

Often people who have been restricted by a deeply religious culture find themselves handicapped in evangelistic efforts. Many, though often well intentioned, care more about protecting their own way of life than they do about sharing the gospel with pagans who may bring all kinds of new challenges into the Christian community should they accept the Lord. They might, for example, want to introduce new styles of music or new ways of doing things. But the “hide safely in a bomb shelter and let those outside the family fend for themselves” mentality will never result in effective evangelism. We can’t be salt and light if we are never involved with those who live in and know only a corrupt and dark world. The Antioch Christians didn’t withdraw contact from people who did not yet understand the gospel. They shone in the midst of them. It is no surprise that this was the congregation God used to launch the Gentile mission.

To be an Antiochean church, we must be involved with people. We have to learn how to live faithfully, sensibly, soberly, wisely, graciously, and winsomely among those who are far from God. We’re in a war, and war is never fought by escapism. It requires engagement—for the good of those we’re engaging.

Gospel Intelligibility (11:20)

The men from Cyprus and Cyrene went about “proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.” They didn’t preach about Jesus as the Christ but about Jesus as the Lord. Thiers wasn’t a Jewish audience. Though we know the church eventually taught the community about the Christ—otherwise the citizenry couldn’t label believers as “Christians”—those who first tried to reach the Gentiles of Antioch knew their listeners wouldn’t have much interest in “the hope of Israel.” The title, Kurios, “Lord,” was commonly spoken, however. In the mystery religions the term was used in reference to a divine god who could give salvation to people. These evangelists were able to tell everyone about the Kurios who is the only Savior. Their message was understandable and displayed an awareness of their audience.

To be a good evangelist, you need to know the gospel well. You also need to consider the interests and knowledge levels of your audience.

Personal Anonymity (11:20)

Did you notice that we don’t know the names of these men? Their outreach efforts in Antioch would have ripple effects for years to come, yet we know almost nothing about the people who initiated this worldwide mission.

If you’ve ever wondered whether unnamed Christians really make a difference for the kingdom, the answer is yes. These men were just being faithful to Jesus. They had no plan. No program. No budget. Just a zeal for the Lord! And he worked through them in a mighty way.

In our day of celebrity Christianity, we desperately need to rediscover the work of the men of Cyprus and Cyrene. These unsung heroes give us a model to follow. The most important people in the church aren’t always the most famous, and we mustn’t confuse popularity with significance. The church in Antioch got started because so-called nobodies witnessed to their neighbors.

Today many think that inviting a Christian sports star to come share his testimony in order to gain a crowd that can then be told the gospel is the surest formula for winning people to Christ. Well, I’m not discouraging that tactic because it undoubtedly will reach some, but I don’t think it’s the most effective route to evangelism. While it’s a nice thing to have Tim Tebow speak at a church gathering, it’s better to have our entire congregations daily spreading the good news within their many relationships.

The Lord’s Sovereignty (11:21)

These evangelists were ordinary guys, so how did they see such results? The Lord’s sovereign hand was on them. He blessed their witness. The Lord Jesus is the hero of the message (“the good news about the Lord Jesus,” v. 20); he is the goal of the message (“turned to the Lord,” v. 21); and he is the source of power (“the Lord’s hand was with them,” v. 21). Jesus was building his church right in hedonistic Antioch.

While we can’t manipulate the hand of the Lord into doing amazing things in our own communities, we can take from chapter 13 a cue from the disposition of those believers in Antioch. They were a praying people. They were desperate for the Lord to work, just as those in Jerusalem were when they prayed, “Master, . . .” (4:24). Let’s ask for God’s hand of blessing as we speak about him to others.

The church in Antioch was birthed by effective evangelism, and as a result, “in Antioch we have the first church that is made up of Jewish and Gentile believers together” (Peterson, Acts of the Apostles, 351).

Dynamic Discipleship

Acts 11:22-26

Now these diverse, newly converted believers need to be discipled. Two dynamic leaders, Barnabas and Saul, arrive to strengthen them. They disciple the Antioch Christians in three ways—through accountability, encouragement, and instruction.

Accountability (11:22)

Much as when the Jerusalem church sent Peter and John to endorse the evangelistic work in Samaria (8:14), this time the church sends Barnabas to check out things in Antioch. This was basically an effort at “quality control” (Keller,Evangelism, 99). The church wanted to evaluate what was going on in Antioch. Some may have been critical and suspicious about the great things being reported about God’s work in that region, but others were probably hopeful and wanted to help. Barnabas was among the latter.

While many frown on using accountability methods, this church in Antioch certainly needed accountability. They had no apostolic leadership. The church was filled with new believers from all around the world. The work was brand-new. So Barnabas arrives, evaluates, and endorses the work.

Encouragement (11:22-24)

Barnabas was a Hellenist from Cyprus. He could relate to the Gentiles better than a Jewish Palestinian could. Further, he loved people. His gifts gave rise to his nickname, “Son of Encouragement.” Barnabas was the right man for the job at Antioch. He wouldn’t quench the fire of what the Spirit was doing there. He wouldn’t be suspicious of the enthusiasm of the believers in Antioch; he would applaud it.

Had an inflexible person from the Jerusalem church visited this congregation, he might have made the mistake of past American missionaries. Rather than keeping to the work of helping people to get to know the Lord better through his Word, such a person might have tried to get the natives to wear the same clothes, sing the same kinds of songs, and do the same kinds of programs as he preferred. But the goal of missions isn’t to impress one culture upon another. Missionaries must help people apply the gospel within their own cultures.

The music, dress, customs, and language of Antioch would have been different from those of Jerusalem. But because Barnabas knows the big picture, he can rejoice in spite of the differences, not feeling the need to impress a particular form of church life on the saints at Antioch. Grace-loving Barnabas knows this: God is at work. He encourages these believers to remain faithful to the Lord, which implies that they were already being faithful (v. 23).

What made Barnabas such an encourager? The Bible says, “He was a good man.” Good men encourage other saints. Barnabas’s goodness was a fruit of the fullness of the Spirit and faith at work in him (v. 24). His acts of encouragement flowed from his intimate relationship with God.

Don’t think lightly of encouragement. The saints needed it back then, and we also need it today. Encouragement is empowered by the Spirit. Paul tells the Thessalonians, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing” (1 Thess 5:11).

What does a good disciple maker need? Sound theology? Yes, but he or she also needs to be an encourager. Disciple makers should be known for stirring up others to faith and good works (Heb 10:24). They need to care for the hearts of people as well as helping them know the facts. Consider how other believers see you. Is it more likely that an encounter with you makes them think, Yes! I need that guy or gal to speak to me right now or, Oh no, here comes the cold-water committee? Make it your daily aim to encourage others to persevere in the faith.

Verse 24 says more people were “added to the Lord.” This shows that Barnabas’s discipleship efforts apparently involved helping to equip and encourage lay evangelists to share the gospel with their friends. And while Barnabas must have been thrilled with God’s grace in Antioch, he needed help to keep up the work of discipling all the new believers. This, in fact, is a common problem leaders face when their churches grow. They are concerned about how best to disciple everyone, and it’s not a job that can be done without help. In the case of Barnabas and his work among the Antioch believers, another disciple maker is needed. Wisely, Barnabas enlists Saul’s help.

Instruction (11:25-26)

Barnabas goes to find Saul, with whom he had spent time previously (9:27). He knew of Saul’s calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles (9:15-16). He knows of Saul’s bridge-building capacity; the man could communicate to diverse groups and was well informed about Scripture. Barnabas knows Saul is just the man to instruct this world-reaching congregation.

I find it interesting that when Barnabas could have made a name for himself by becoming the leader of the new church, he humbly shared the load with a man whose teaching gifts were superior. He strategically recruited someone who could help him in the work at Antioch. Soon the Acts narrative will shine more on Saul/Paul than Barnabas, as we will read not of “Barnabas and Saul” but of “Paul and Barnabas” in chapter 13.

Later we read about more teachers in this church (13:1). Paul and Barnabas together provided more instruction to them (15:35). Here Luke makes a point to say Barnabas and Saul “taught large numbers” (11:26).

Teaching is a critical component of disciple making. Listening to music alone won’t mature new believers. Neither will merely attending church services. Christians need to know and learn how to apply the Scriptures (Matt 28:18-20; 2 Tim 2:2). Each of us needs faithful instruction in God’s Word.

So how long did Barnabas and Saul encourage and instruct in Antioch? They dedicated a year of their lives there. And the believers they taught patiently and persistently learned, being prepared for future missions to other cities.

Fruit (11:26)

The believers in Antioch didn’t call themselves Christians. Rather, they were “called Christians.” This title only occurs here, in 26:28, and in 1 Peter 4:16. In each case it’s a term outsiders use. The saints in Antioch so identified with Jesus that fellow Gentile observers called them “little Christs.”

This, then, is another turning point in the history of Christianity. The followers of Jesus were so different from the culture around them that citizens had to develop a third classification of people—something new beyond the Jew or Gentile distinction. Where once the world saw Christians as Jewish followers of Jesus the Nazarene and assumed they followed some divergent form of Judaism, something changed. Clearly the followers of the Way, comprised of people of all cultural backgrounds, weren’t Jews. But because some of them had converted from Judaism, they weren’t exactly Gentiles either. People from all sorts of nations were worshiping together. This unified group represented a third “race” of people (Peterson, Acts of the Apostles, 356). The Christians were a new humanity.

Even today some assume that one’s religion is based on one’s ethnicity, social class, or family, but the Antioch followers of Jesus showed the world something beautifully different about Christianity. The church in Antioch was like an embassy of the kingdom of God. Its people gave the world a picture of what Jesus’s kingdom, when fully consummated, will look like one day. These individuals of different backgrounds displayed unique values, showed a unique way of life, and preached a unique message. They didn’t just blend into the culture. They were different, and modern Christians should be described similarly.

What made the teaching of Barnabas and Saul so different from the teachings of other religions of the day? How could it break through social barriers to establish such unity amid such diversity? It comes down to their single-minded focus. They preached and taught the gospel as Jesus instructed. They saw themselves and the other believers as sinners saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. There is no ground for superiority and elitism in the Christian faith. Christ’s followers are all about him.

Mercy Ministry

Acts 11:27-30; 12:25

This section closes with a glimpse into the hearts of the Christians in Antioch. They display sacrificial mercy and generosity to those in need. They displayed the fruit of salvation in doing good works—especially to those of the household of faith (Gal 6:10). They committed to both word and deed ministry, as they were no doubt instructed to do by Barnabas and Saul.

In an event recorded in chapter 21, Agabus prophesies that a famine will impact the entire empire. This famine would be the result of the flooding of the Nile River in AD 45. The harvest of Egypt, breadbasket of the region, was damaged greatly by the flood. This sent grain prices skyrocketing throughout the Roman world for years, including in Judea (Witherington III, Acts of the Apostles, 368). The prophetic word spoken by Agabus gave the Christians an opportunity to show support for those in Jerusalem. In Acts 11 the Antioch Christians give, according to each person’s ability, and they send the gift with Barnabas and Saul. We read about the completion of the mission in chapter 12:

After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who was called Mark. (v. 25)

Consider a few notable characteristics of this mercy ministry.

It Was Selfless

The famine hasn’t taken place yet when the disciples determine to send relief. Yet, embracing Agabus’s prophecy by faith, the Christians seem more concerned with preparing aid for others than they are with hoarding personal supplies in preparation for the hardship to come. They put others before self.

This is a great reminder that we must not only do mercy ministry when we think we’re financially stable and secure. We need to begin now—even if that means starting small. It’s important that we show mercy to this broken world as we can, “according to [our] own ability.”

It Was Generous

The church doesn’t ask, How much will it cost? They simply give as much as they can. This kind of generosity shows that the gospel has transformed them (cf. 2 Cor 8:9).

It Was Corporate

The church determines to care for another group of believers—one that’s different from them in culture and ethnicity and one that’s located a good distance away from them. Such partnership among churches is rare today. The Antioch church delivers the offering to the “elders” of the Jerusalem church; this is the first mention of the term elders in Acts (11:30). Both churches belonged to Jesus, so the people were brothers and sisters. The Antioch church gave a tangible expression of this solidarity through their gift.

We must remain mindful of the needs of other congregations around the world. We need to assist them in word and deed as we hear about their struggles. Despite the geographical or cultural distances that sometimes separate us from them, we are brothers and sisters with all who are in Christ. We’re fellow Christians.

Darrell Bock says of this Acts passage, “This summary could hardly do a better job of showing a vibrant church at work” (Acts, 419). May the Lord grant us grace to experience such vibrancy!

Multicultural Leadership and Membership

Acts 13:1

I would like to point out two more ingredients of this missional church.

First, we must reflect on the example of diversity in the leadership of the church in Antioch. There was a group of “prophets and teachers” who apparently served like a group of elders; I’ll call them the Antioch Five. Luke doesn’t provide definitions and distinctions for their roles, but he does give us a sense of their diversity.

Barnabas was a Cyprian Jewish believer (4:36). Simeon was called Niger; his name means “black” or “dark.” Most believe he was from Africa (Stott, Message of Acts, 216). Lucian came from “Cyrene,” that is, North Africa. Manaen, who was brought up in Herod’s court, related to the royal upper class; he was either a foster brother or relative of Herod Antipas. And then there was Saul, who was a Jewish believer. He would have brought an academic, professorial dynamic to the group.

This leadership reflected the membership of the church. The congregation’s diversity would no doubt shock some, but it would have attracted many to the Savior. Diversity within the church, in fact, has an attractional dimension to it. Outsiders from everywhere could have imagined themselves joining the Antioch congregation, knowing that it welcomed all sorts of people and could communicate the Scriptures to those of many nationalities and backgrounds.

This leadership would have also had an important missional dimension. These leaders surely saw things differently at times, but their diversity likely enabled them to be more creative and effective in reaching their city and in ministering to their people than if only one rank or class of men was leading the church.

The concept of worldwide missions was born in this diverse group. It shouldn’t surprise us (Keller,Evangelism, 106).

Spirit-Directed, Church-Sent/Supported Missionaries

Acts 13:2-3

We should follow the Antioch model of sending missionaries to the nations. John Stott reminds us of the uniqueness of the upcoming mission trips of Paul and his companions: “All the time the action has been limited to the Palestinian and Syrian mainland. Nobody has yet caught the vision of taking the good news to the nations overseas” (The Message of Acts, 215). But that changes as Luke tells us how world missions began. The whole church was involved in worship and fasting when the Spirit directed Barnabas and Saul to this new work. The church then blessed and affirmed these men as they sent them off. Three transferable lessons emerge regarding this episode.

Worship and Expectant Prayer Fueled the Mission

You don’t get the sense that the setting of verses 2 and 3 was some special prayer meeting; it was the normal routine. The believers in Antioch were a worshiping and praying community. The fact that they were fasting indicates they were praying with expectancy and deep dependence on God.

True spiritual leaders don’t run with their own ideas; they seek God in dependent prayer. These men are remarkably gifted, yet they’re fasting! Churches that impact the world exalt Jesus passionately and seek him in prayer dependently and expectantly. The story begins in prayer, and then after Barnabas and Saul are selected, the believers pray again. This church’s actions were drenched in prayer.

The Spirit and the Congregation Together Affirmed This Mission

Churches need to avoid both individualism and institutionalism (Stott, The Message of Acts, 217–18). This story doesn’t suggest Paul had a “God told me to go to Spain” idea totally detached from any reference to the church (individualism), but neither does it show us that the church followed a mechanical decision-making process devoid of prayer and the Spirit, which often exists in bureaucratic systems (institutionalism). The Spirit gave the word (we aren’t told how), and then the congregation affirmed this mission. Missionaries are directed by the Spirit and are sent and supported by the church. Ultimately, churches—not boards, organizations, or seminaries—send missionaries. We don’t see the mighty apostle ever operating apart from community. Saul was a man directed by the Spirit, united with the church.

The Church Sent Their Best on Mission

Notice who is set apart for this missionary journey: Barnabas and Saul. This means the Antioch church is stepping out in an act of faith and making a sacrifice. They are willing to give away key leaders in obedience to God and for the good of others. Jesus loves churches that think beyond themselves.

These two high-capacity leaders are set aside for this work, even though the nature of the “work” isn’t described here. Theirs was somewhat like Abraham’s calling in that what they were commissioned to do was vague (Gen 12:1). While the calling itself is clear, the work and its location aren’t (Stott, The Message of Acts, 217).

This chapter reminds us that we must continue to send high-capacity leaders and to support their work. That’s what missionary churches do. And as we follow this pattern, we will reflect—albeit dimly—the missionary heart of the Father, who sent heaven’s best, Jesus Christ, for the good of the nations (Azurdia, “The Antioch Paradigm”)! “God had only one Son, and He was a missionary,” said David Livingstone. The Father sent that Son that we may be saved, and now he sends us that others may be saved (John 20:21). Let’s imitate our missionary Father and his missionary Son by sending out others for the advancement of the gospel.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why is the church in Antioch so significant?
2. What made the evangelists in Antioch so effective?
3. How did the leaders disciple the converts in Antioch? What can we learn from this model?
4. What is mercy ministry? What motivates it?
5. What can we learn from this story about mercy ministry?
6. Why should Christians value diversity in the church?
7. How can diversity in leadership help attract and reach unbelievers?
8. What does this passage teach about worship and prayer?
9. What can we learn from Antioch about sending out people for evangelism and church planting?
10. Take a few moments to pray for the Lord to show you how best to support your local church in evangelism and church planting.