Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3
Chapter 11
News of this reached the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the clear signs of God’s favor, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithfully committed to the Lord;
for he himself was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. As a result, large crowds came to know the Lord.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul;
and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year, they gathered with the church and taught many people.
It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Chapter 13
Mission of Paul and Barnabas
There were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, including Barnabas, Symeon, known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul.
On one occasion, while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them:
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.”
So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Commentaries
The Church at Antioch.
Antioch, the third-most-important city in the empire after Rome and Alexandria, was a hub of diverse races and cultures, with more than half a million residents. The Hellenists who had fled there arrived and began to testify about Jesus. In Antioch, a sizable Christian community started to form with no previous ties to Judaism. Here, the narrator introduces two familiar figures: Barnabas and Paul. When the Church of Jerusalem, which holds the highest authority and leadership, learns about the new situation in Antioch, it responds by sending Barnabas as its representative and liaison. He then finds Paul to support him in his mission. They stayed there for a whole year, teaching the large group of new converts. The narrator’s enlightened view always sees the Holy Spirit as the true main character in spreading the Gospel, ensuring unity among the missionaries amid diversity. In Antioch, this group of believers was first called “Christians.” The Hebrew word “Messiah,” meaning anointed one, is translated into Greek as ‘Christos’ and into Latin as the adjective “christianos”—Christians, those who belong to Christ.
Mission of Paul and Barnabas.
We enter the third, final, and most extended phase of the book of Acts. In this part, Christian witness will reach the farthest regions known to the missionaries. The Church of Antioch, led by the five leaders listed by Luke, serves as the starting point. Thus, the group of apostles, leaders of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem, and the seven Hellenists are now joined by another group: the five “prophets and teachers of Antioch.” Luke shows how the Spirit guides the different Churches, raising leaders, organizers, and those responsible for various roles based on needs, with significant participation from everyone in decision-making (which Pope Francis aims to restore through synodality in the Church). The Holy Spirit—and the community—decided to set apart two members, Barnabas and Paul, for the mission of proclaiming God’s Word in synagogues. They also took along a man named John, known as Mark. Their first stop was the island of Cyprus, then they set sail for what is now southern Turkey. Although the mission was primarily aimed at Jews in these areas rather than pagans, it marks the beginning of the journey the Spirit will guide them on.