Commentary on Acts 11:26-30

By Bob Myhan

²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

It would be remiss not to comment on the word, “disciple,” at this point. One might remember the Great Commission (also known as the apostles’ marching orders).

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matt. 28:18-20)

The apostles were to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…, teaching them to observe all things... commanded….” The apostles were not merely to make disciples but to make “disciple makers,” also. The disciples began to do this very thing when they “were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen” (Verse 19).

To “make a disciple” is to create within a person the desire to learn of and follow Christ, for this is what a disciple of Christ is.

James wrote,

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (James 1:19-24)

Thus, a disciple is not merely a learner and a follower but one who learns that he may follow.

But how does one create within another the desire to become a disciple? He does so by preaching the gospel. Hence, Mark’s account of the Great Commission.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)

Jesus Himself said,

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:44-45)

In order to come to Jesus one must hear and learn “from the Father.” But the Father speaks to us “by His Son.”

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they (Heb. 1:1-4).

Since Jesus has gone back to heaven, He speaks to people through His duly appointed ambassadors, the apostles, and prophets and, to a lesser extent, evangelists.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” (Matt. 10:40)

 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20)

²⁷And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

Prophets, in the New Testament, were men and women who had been given the gift of prophecy by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11, 27-30) through apostolic hands (Acts 8:14-17; 19:1-6). This gift enabled those who had it not only to predict the future but also to be a conduit for whatever the Holy Spirit might reveal through them. (1 Cor. 14:3, 5, 22-25, 29-32).

The saints in the city of Corinth overvalued the gift of tongues and undervalued the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1-19, 39). But prophecy is of more value than tongues for prophecy can be understood without the use of an interpreter.

²⁸Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

The word for “showed” is elsewhere translated “signified,” while the related noun is rendered “sign.” The noun usually refers to a miraculous sign but the verb generally means “to show by a sign.” The sign might be verbal or visual. Notice the following.

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. (John 2:18-21)

“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." This He said, signifying by what death He would die. (John 12:31-33)

“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." (John 21:18-19)

We are not told the nature of the sign but we are told what was signified—”a great famine throughout the world.” The “world” here is most likely the Roman Empire. Historians tell us there was a drought throughout the empire ca. A.D. 45, caused by crop failures in Egypt, Syria and Judea.

There was a succession of three Caesars during the period covered in the Acts: Tiberius, Claudius and Nero, in that order. Claudius reigned from A.D. 41-54.

²⁹Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

The disciples in Antioch viewed those in Judea as their brethren, as well they should since those in both areas were children of God.

They also felt an obligation to share their material things with those who were sending out evangelists and prophets to share spiritual things.

³⁰This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

It was on this trip that Paul preached to the churches of Judea. (Acts 26:20) When Paul later writes that he was “unknown by face to the churches of Judea” (Gal. 1:22), he was speaking of the time when he was sent to the areas of Syria and Cilicia (Gal. 1:21; Acts 9:28-30).

(To be continued)

The Gospel Blimp

Robert F. Turner (Deceased)

Have you read the little paperback called, "The Gospel Blimp," by Joseph Bayley? (Zondervan Publ.) It is a satire on institutionalism as found in denominationalism, but it is not out of place among "us."

Some "brethren" think "something should be done" about converting the beer-drinking, non-church-going-neighbor; but no one considers getting personally acquainted, and making a direct, personal approach with the gospel of Christ. Instead, they form a company, raise thousands of dollars to buy a "Gospel Blimp," hire someone to fly it; and the blimp trails "JESUS SAVES" banners, and drops gobs of literature on his house (and into his gutters). Before the story is finished the usual problems of institutionalism are met--including the inner politics, preservation of "public image" at the expense of personal integrity, "tie-ins" with commercial interests (to raise more money), and the withdrawal of those who are finally disgusted with the whole mess.

Finally one man visits his neighbor, earns his confidence, and "leads him to Christ," despite the Blimp.

The author interprets his book in a closing chapter, saying: "And the blimp? Why the wonderful Gospel Blimp is every impersonal, external means by which we try to fulfil our responsibility to witness to our neighbors. Gospel programs over the radio, messages on billboards or in tracts: these are some of our blimps. They either supplement our own personal witness or else they're substitutes for involvement with our neighbors.

"Today we have perfected various technical means of presenting the Christian message. We are hitting a mass market with mass gospel media. But in the process, we have often passed our personal responsibility on to blimps and loud speakers and impersonal organizations. But technical organizational means have one enormous lack: a human heart. They may multiply a voice ten thousand times, but remain only a voice."

I am frequently asked to suggest a "program" for personal work--and I have devised some dandies. But none of them will work for you and me. If brethren want to convert their neighbors, they will find a way to try, and will often succeed; for the heart goes where no "Gospel Blimp" can go.

So--a friend read this little book, and thought it would be great to use in converting our "liberal" brethren from their errors of institutionalism. "We should buy thousands of these and…. Hmmmmm!! (Via the Westview Weekly, June 19, 1988) &