'Ac 11:27-30

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Fellowship between churches (Ac 11:27-30)

Towards the end of Barnabas and Saul’s year in Antioch, some prophets from Jerusalem visited the Antioch church. One of them warned of a coming famine that would bring much suffering to the believers in Jerusalem. The Antioch believers (who were Gentiles) demonstrated the meaning of true fellowship by sacrificing their own money and goods to help their troubled Jewish brothers (Ac 11:27-29).

The offering was taken to Jerusalem by Barnabas, Saul and Titus (Ac 11:30; Gal 2:1).

This was only Saul’s second visit to Jerusalem since he had become a Christian fourteen years earlier. His first visit was three years after his conversion (Gal 1:18; Acts 9:26-30).

The only certain knowledge we have of the other eleven years concerns the last year, which he spent with Barnabas in Antioch (Ac 11:26).

Now, with Barnabas, he went from Antioch to Jerusalem (Ac 11:30; see Gal 2:1). While in Jerusalem they met the leading apostles, Peter, John and James the Lord’s brother, who reassured them that their work among the Gentiles had the full support of the Jerusalem leaders (Gal 2:9-10). Barnabas and Saul then returned to Antioch (Acts 12:25).

Prophets

In biblical language, prophets were spokesmen for God, preachers who brought God’s message to the people of their time (Ezek 3:4,27; Hag 1:13).

They were not primarily predictors (which is the usual meaning in everyday speech today), though in urging people to turn from sin they may have foretold the blessings or judgments that would follow their obedience or disobedience (Isa 1:18-20; Jer 17:7-10). In Old Testament times the prophets were Israel’s great preachers, and John the Baptist continued the line of prophet-preachers into the New Testament era (Matt 11:13-14; Luke 3:3-7,16-18).

When Jesus established the new community of God’s people, the Christian church, he appointed that prophets have a part to play in the church’s life. Like apostles, they were one of his gifts to help the growth of the church (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11).

Also, like apostles, they became less necessary as the authoritative Christian teaching became increasingly available in written form. It seems that they were not needed after the first century. They were Christ’s special provision to ensure that the early church was built on a proper foundation and in accordance with God’s plan (Eph 2:20; 3:4-6).

Prophets sometimes gave special directions in particular situations (Acts 11:27-30; 13:1; 21:9-11), though their main ministry was the steady teaching of God’s message to build up the believers (Acts 15:32; 1 Cor 14:3-5,31).

They may have received messages direct from God (1 Cor 14:6; Rev 1:1-3) and may have preached without preparation (1 Cor 14:29-31). But they were still responsible for what they said and for the control they exercised over themselves (1 Cor 14:32).

Likewise the hearers were responsible to examine what was said and not to accept anything without testing it first (1 Cor 14:29; 1 Thess 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1; 2 John 10).

In exceptional circumstances, people who were not recognized prophets in the church may have prophesied (Acts 19:6).

Because this increased the possibility of false prophets, God gave to certain Christians the ability to discern more readily the difference between the true and the false (Matt 7:15; 24:24; 1 Cor 12:10; Rev 2:20).