Leaders of the Antioch church

Luke lists the names of five leaders, including Barnabas and Saul. (1) Barnabas was a Jewish believer from the island of Cyprus. He was a Diaspora Jew, a cosmopolitan person. His name appears first on the list, likely because he was sent by the mother church in Jerusalem. (2) Simeon, called Niger. The Latin nickname “Niger” means “black-skinned.” He was a Jewish believer who had migrated from Ethiopia to the Roman world. It is uncertain whether he is the same person as Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross. (3) Lucius of Cyrene was a Hellenistic Jewish believer from North Africa. Cyrenians are mentioned in Acts 11:19-20: “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. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus.” Lucius of Cyrene was likely one of the first to engage in Gentile evangelism in Antioch. (4) Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch. The name Manaen is the same as Menahem in the Old Testament (a king of the northern kingdom). The term “brought up with” refers to someone who, though not related by blood, was nursed and raised together with another. Manaen was brought up alongside Herod Antipas (the son of Herod the Great). It is likely that Luke received information about Herod Antipas’s court from this Manaen. Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist and mocked Jesus during His trial. Despite being raised in the same environment, Herod Antipas became an enemy of Jesus, while Manaen became a leader in the early church. What a striking contrast. (5) And lastly, there is Saul. They were prophets and teachers. All prophets are teachers, but not all teachers are prophets. Up to what point are prophets and up to what point are teachers? The Greek word “te” (both) appears twice, which offers some guidance in distinguishing between the two roles. The phrase is structured as “te Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, te Manaen, Saul,” suggesting that the first three were prophets and the latter two were teachers (though this interpretation is not definitive). While Saul appears last in this list, he will soon become the central figure. This reflects the principle of “the last shall be first.”