Acts 11:19-21 19Now then, those who were scattered because of the persecution that happened over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except only Jews. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they came to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
Luke shifts to another story about the expansion of the church in response to Jesus’ mission of 1:8. The next story brings together other stories already told and people introduced. The time of the events was after Stephen’s martyrdom in chapter 7. One of the places the believers fled to was the city of Antioch. Those who left may have been some of the Greek-speaking Jewish converts like Stephen. They went to one of the most significant cities in the Roman Empire, third place to Rome and Alexandria. Greek would have been the primary language spoken. Antioch was a major city of commerce and culture with a population estimated to be more than half a million. It was founded by Seleucus I about 300 B.C. He named the city after his father, Antiochus. It was located eighteen miles upstream on the Orontes River, from the port city of Seleucus on the Mediterranean Ocean. It became one of the most strategic cities in early Christianity. Even though it was a city of wealth and culture, like other cities, it was full of idolatry and immorality.
Luke may have shifted to this story because the events in this chapter expand the mission to the Gentiles, illustrated with Peter’s experience with Cornelius. Antioch had a large Jewish population, which would have attracted the Hellenistic Jewish believers who fled Jerusalem. Like other believers, they took their faith with them and shared about Jesus the Messiah. Spreading their faith like this was significant and indicates their genuine belief in God’s revelation through Jesus of Nazareth. Even though the fled for their lives because of persecution, they did not forsake their faith. However, they were still stuck in the old paradigm of Judaism. Like those from the circumcision group in verses 1-18, these Jewish believers also needed to have their vision expanded to the whole world.
A group of the refugee believers from Cyprus and Cyrene had a bigger vision. Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean Ocean, and Cyrene is located on the northern coast of Africa, in what is known today as Libya. How the believers from these islands eventually came to Antioch is unclear, whether they were already in Jerusalem and fled from there, or if they were believers already in their locations. More likely, they were part of the diaspora Hellenistic Jews who returned to Jerusalem, became believers, and then fled. They may have had a different mindset than other Jews and were more open to the Gentile world.
They began to preach the gospel to the Hellenists, another way to refer to the Gentiles around them. Their message focused on proclaiming Jesus as Lord. This claim would have been significant in a place of significant Roman influence where Caesar was “lord,” and with many pagan religions with various gods and goddesses. The Gentiles would not have had the background in the Old Testament like Hellenistic Jews to understand Jesus as “Messiah.” “Lord” would have been an easier concept for them to understand. The approach to evangelism would have been different. The message these believers preached spoke to a need of the Hellenists.
Their testimony was effective for several reasons. One was their vision to preach the gospel in a new context. Another possibility is how they spoke the message in a way that spoke to the Hellenistic context. And finally, most significantly, the hand of the Lord was with them. The Lord Jesus blessed their faithfulness and vision, and the church began to grow. A great number implies significant growth. A small group began to influence many people. As church history unfolded over the next several centuries, this small church became one of the most influential centers of early Christianity.
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