Context

“So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.” This passage connects with Acts 8:4: “Therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word.” Persecution arose after Stephen’s martyrdom, leading Hellenistic Jewish believers to flee from Jerusalem. (1) After this, Philip evangelized in the city of Samaria. (2) The account now shifts to what happened to the other scattered believers. Let’s reflect on the process of church growth up to this point. (1) The church initially consisted only of Jewish believers (Acts 2). (2) Next, Samaritan believers were added (Acts 8). (3) Finally, Gentile believers were included (Acts 10). However, the number of believers in Caesarea remained small. What would happen if a large number of Gentile believers were added to the church? The population balance between Jewish and Gentile believers would shift. This could raise concerns about the future of Jewish evangelism. However, the birth and growth of the Antioch church was an event aligned with God’s plan.

Gentile evangelism in Antioch

(1) The Hellenistic Jewish believers who fled from Jerusalem scattered to cities where Diaspora Jewish communities existed. (2) The route from Jerusalem to Antioch included the following towns: (a) Phoenicia (a region north of Israel along the Mediterranean coast; present-day Lebanon). (b) Cyprus (an island between Israel and Asia Minor, and the homeland of Barnabas). (c) Damascus (not mentioned here as it was already covered in Acts 9). (d) Antioch (Antioch in Syria, which was annexed by Turkey in 1939 and is no longer part of Syria). These towns all had Jewish communities. By the way, the distance from Jerusalem to Antioch is approximately 310 miles (500 km). (3) Those who were scattered spoke the “word” (the gospel) only to Jews. The idea of evangelizing Gentiles had not yet entered their minds, so they focused solely on Jewish evangelism. In the next passage, we will see people who actively engage in Gentile evangelism. In every age, there are those who dedicate themselves to overcoming human barriers for the expansion of God’s kingdom. God uses such pioneers to display His glory. Let us take time to meditate on what barriers we need to overcome in our own lives.