11:22-26 What was significant about Antioch in the early history of Christianity?
11:22-26 What was significant about Antioch in the early history of Christianity?
Apart from Jerusalem itself, no other city played a more important part in the early history of Christianity than Antioch - the first Gentile church was founded there and the followers of Christ were first called Christians.
After Barnabas came to Antioch many new converts were added to the church and it soon became apparent that he needed help to disciple them. So he went to Tarsus and brought Paul back to Antioch to help him (CP V25-26).
The church at Antioch became Paul and Barnabas' home-church and the springboard for their future apostolic missions into the Roman empire (CP 13:1-6, 13-14, 42-52; 14:1-7, 21, 23-28). The Antioch in Pisidia referred to in 13:14 and 14:21 is in Asia Minor, whereas the Antioch subject of this study is in Syria.
Other apostolic missions by Paul and Barnabas from Antioch are recorded in Ac 15:35-18:22 and 18:23-21:15. The church at Antioch also provided relief for the saints in Jerusalem during the great famine predicted by Agabus the prophet (CP 11:27-30).
It also submitted the question of Gentile circumcision through Paul and Barnabas to the mother church in Jerusalem, winning for the church at large a resounding victory over the narrowness of the Judean Christians who tried to enforce circumcision upon the Gentile Christians (CP 15:1-35).
See also author's study Paul the apostle - a Chosen Vessel unto God in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2).